And some fell upon a rock, and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. Luke 8:6
One of the fields on the farm where I grew up was known as the round field, because of its shape. I preferred to call it the bare field, because it seldom produced much of a crop. We cut the hay off that field, but the amount of hay we got was barely worth the effort. One year my father sowed the field in oats. As the summer went by, I was amazed at how sparse the crop was, and how stunted the stalks of grain appeared. Nothing seemed to grow well in that field. My father said it was because there was very little soil; the rocky base was just a couple of inches (this was before metric) below the surface. After a rain, the grain seemed to do well, but it did not last long. It was like the rocky soil mentioned by the Lord Jesus in the parable, soil that had no moisture. Crops need plenty of water. So do Christians need the water of the Word of God if we are to thrive and prove fruitful for our Lord.
A group of young people recently struggled to provide answers as a preacher questioned them about the Bible. It was obvious that they were unfamiliar with the Book. But their problems ran deeper than being unable to answer questions. These young people lacked the moisture needed to enable them to survive as Christians in a sinful world. Without reading and knowing their Bibles, they would not know of the many pitfalls and snares of the enemy. They would not know how they should behave, nor how they should avoid people and places and things that would defile them and spoil their testimonies. Without time in the Scriptures, those young people were going to wither up and be as dead as the world around them. That goes, of course, for people of all ages, not just for young Christians, although it is critical for Christians to develop habits of Bible study and meditation while they are young.
It is not hard to identify Christians who are lacking in the moisture of the Word of God. Their speech will betray them, as they talk about the things that are important to the world, and as they use the vulgar potty talk that marks those with no regard for holiness and decency. Their walk will betray them as they go to places that feature shameful entertainment and activities. On the other hand, Christians who are well hydrated with the Word of God will be easily identified. Their speech will reflect the graciousness that they have learned by studying the speech of the Lord Jesus. Their behaviour will be marked by obedience and submission to the teaching of the Word of God. They will display consistent growth in spiritual things and will produce good fruit that will be a blessing to those around them.
The water is the Word of God. If we don’t get enough of it, we will be withered Christians. -Jim MacIntosh