It Takes Time To Grow

[S] Matthew 13:14-15 --
   ¹⁴"In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
         'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
         YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
    ¹⁵FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
         WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
         AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
         OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
         HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
         AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
         AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'

[O] As I meditated on this well-known parable of the sower, Isaiah's prophecy gave me a new insight.  Verse 14 talks about "keep on ... but will not" which implies the on-going efforts going no where based on choice.  In the end, it's by choice these people refused to understand God's heart even though God repeatedly pursued after them.  The first three locations where the seed fell and yet happened relatively quickly.  Before the seeds didn't even had chances to grow whereas the seed falling on good soil had the ample time to grow and lay the root to soak up the nutrients and thus bear lots of fruits.  In this day and age, we're so used to having things done ASAP that we even transplant the same expectation to spiritual maturity to just happen quickly.  However, it requires a lot of time to grow in Christ and in the end I need to make that choice to take that path.  I will need to choose to understand and to see and hear.

[A] There is no such thing as a short cut in learning -- anything really.  I must first make a commitment to learn and then grow and expect this to take a good length of time.  In light of this: 1) I need to keep up with my Life Journaling every day to soak up God's heart; 2) I need to surrender small group ministry's fruitfulness into God's leadership because this isn't going to be a microwave-oven speed but a crock-pot speed.  I may be slow but it will surely be done in the end.

[P] Dear God, lead me so that I won't be impatient with my growing in You as well as the formation of the small group ministry at church.  Instead of focusing too much on the results, may I focus on the consistency of abiding in You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.