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Monday, February 15, 2010

Are we planting it before we pass it?

"But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold..."
(Luke 8:8)

A few weeks ago, while at our Siesta event in Houston, Beth Moore made a statement that has taken up residence in my mind and caused me to really give it some serious thought lately. She simply said the following:

"You have to plant it before you can pass it"

It doesn't seem like a real profound statement, but when you really settle in on it and think it through, it is SO profound! She is speaking about the Word of God - perhaps even a word from God. A rhema word.

There are times when we hear what we believe to be a good word. And we are so eager to tell others all about it. We just can't wait to share with others what we have heard. Because we 'heard a good Word!"

It can be an encouraging word or just an intriguing word, but when we simply pass it on or pass it down the line, we haven't done anything but just pass it. We haven't allowed it to settle deep in our spirits. We haven't allowed it be planted in us. We haven't allowed it to change us.

Sometimes we are even guilty of thinking that perhaps that word is for somebody else. Anybody else. Someone we know that NEEDS that word. Amen?

Truth of the matter is, most likely it was a word that we could certainly apply to our own lives. A word that needed some soil to take root in. And some water - perhaps our tears - to help it grow. A word that needed to be planted and nurtured and show signs of taking root before we could  pass it down to another person.

It needed to become a testimony of sorts in our lives so that we could give witness to the truth and depth of the Word. So we could give credence to what God was showing us.

When we hear a word that is convicting, I think that sometimes we are quick to pass it because then we feel like we aren't admitting that it was a much needed Word in our own lives. If we want to become effective in the body of Christ, we have to start in our own spiritual lives. We have to begin with 'us'.

We need to be digging deep into the scriptures. We need to be seeking Him above all else. We need to be hearing the gospel message preached. Hearing a good Word. Applying it to our lives. Packin' it down with well-watered soil and allowing it to grow.

Then and only then can we become effective doers of the Word. Then we can confidently pass what we have gleaned. Then we can being to see God really start to work and move in our lives.

We need to pass it -  that is for sure - but let's make sure that first of all, we know what we are passing.
+++++++++++++
Lord, help me to not only hear a good Word, but to let it soak in my spirit and apply it deep into my own life. Then Lord, help me to be able to pass it with a genuine testimony of what a powerful Word it was and can be in the lives of others. I love you Lord, and I desire to be nothing less than a true instrument for Your glory.

In Him,
Beth

20 comments:

Heart2Heart said...

Beth,

What a powerful and moving post this was for me. Too often we get too excited in passing along something we hear that we don't let it soak in to our own souls and completely change, nourish, and refresh us.

Please make sure to stop by my blog today to enter a great giveaway.

Love and Hugs ~ Kat

Anonymous said...

This is so true. Convicting. But true. :-) There are times where we are in a rush. Or things are busy. Or... whatever ~ that we receive an amazing Word and are quickly thinking how to share it or who to share it with.... without taking time to savor it for ourselves. Great post!

Anonymous said...

WOW! Beth, I needed to read this and probably reread it. I don't believe I have thought along these lines before. I am quick to pass something along thinking that I have this great gem that needs to be heard by 'someone'. So many words, thoughts are never planted in me.
May we grow deeper.
~ linda

LisaShaw said...

Thanks for sharing HIM with us today in what Beth Moore spoke to your heart.

I love your zeal and love for our LORD.

Sandy said...

Beth, Your post is very profound, and I need to be reminded of this quote from Beth Moore again. Thank you so much!

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

A good word today, from Beth and Beth! Sometimes we do 'go running ahead' and a quiet spirit where truth really gets absorbed into our life, is a challenge in this fast paced life. "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength", is one of the verses He reminds me of a lot!

Thanks B&B...

Love,

Sonja

Karen Hossink said...

Ah, this is in line with something I've been thinking about recently.
So eager to be God's instrument, I have realized I FIRST need to be His vessle.
I need to allow Him to fill me. I need to "carry" Him around. FIRST. I need to be His vessle.
THEN I can be an effective instrument!

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

I'm guilty of reading so many good quotes, along with God's Word, and rather than retain it, it passes quickly. This has been an extreme weakness in my spiritual development. My long term memory is poor. I want to do better; I copy things down, repeat them excessively, but when it comes to living them out, I struggle.

Thanks for the prompt. Not sure what I'll do with it, but you are speaking the truth, and truth is what I need. Maybe if I hear it enough, I'll remember it!

peace~elaine

Andrea said...

Amen. I need to take it in and apply it to my own life...and then LIVE IT OUT.
Hugs, andrea

Wylie @ Shout A Joyful Noise! said...

A very good word! Thank you for passing it on for us to ponder.
Wylie

Loren said...

Oh Beth ~ this is sooo very true! Kay Arthur said something similar but more in line with just being in the Word as much as you do other reading. No matter what type of book we read other than the WORD how much do we think, soak, consider, plant it deep within....We need to do this even more in the WORD!

Thank you for sharing with us! I pray you had a blessed Anniversary! What a wonderful gift you got from your DH!!! Will you post and show pics?? If not, email me I would love to see! I prayed for you all ~ 25 years! What a blessing and testimony to the Lord!

I love you my friend

Nana Jul said...

That is just plain truth! Lord, help us slow down and let your word resound in our minds, let it work in us!! Help us to get all you desire for us out of your word!
Love,
Julie

Yolanda said...

Beth,

I felt the same way and this "verbage" from Beth hasn't let go of its grip on me either. You know some times you hear something but for the life of us in the next moment you can't even get the first word to come forth? Not this one, it has STUCK. I desire for that seed to take root deep into the depths of my soil as well, and then it can bring forth a harvest to share. LOVE YOU!

Dontmissyoursunsetlady said...

Beth,

Oh how I need his word to change me! The Lord is speaking to me!

Steph T. said...

This is so true of me sometimes...I pass it but don't plant it. Thanks so much for your always encouraging words!

Pen to Paper; Spirit to Soul said...

Thanks for visiting my blog...and good luck on the give-away for Hear No Evil!
Your grandchildren are beautiful, I know you are very proud of your girls and family!!! We have two girls...19 and 16! The oldest is waiting for her acceptance to CFNI so we are excited about that!!
Okay, leaving now...will check back in!!!
Pamela in TX

Necoe said...

I love the way his word resonates in our hearts. This reminded me of a passage in Ephesians I have been meditating over the last week. (Eph. 3:14-21) It's a prayer of Paul's for the believers to have strength from the H.S. so that Christ would grow to be central to their faith. It is being rooted in Christ. That is where our strength comes from, the rooting of his word in our hearts.

Good stuff. Thanks for sharing. Also thanks for stopping by to say "hi". I am SO new to the blogging world. It's a real encouragement to hear from other sisters. See you around

sister sheri said...

Thank you so much for the reminder of what Beth taught... there was sooo much wisdom!

Blessings, Siesta!

Amy said...

Thank you so much for this Beth. I really like the statement, "We haven't allowed it to change us." I need to concentrate more on really letting His word sink into my own life.

Ella said...

Beth ~~
Thank you so much for sharing this "word" ....Isn't it awesome when we grab it and it becomes alive to us through the quickening of the Holy Spirit.

Re:12:11: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of "their testimony;" and they loved not their lives unto the death.
The fulness of Christ in us ... creating Witness or evidence (2 Thess. 1:10).

Blessings, Ella