And some seed fell on [shallow soil covering] the rocks, and as soon as it sprouted, it withered away, because it had no moisture. Those on the rocky soil are the people who, when they hear, receive and welcome the word with joy; but these have no firmly grounded root. They believe for a while, and in time of trial and temptation they fall away [from Me and abandon their faith].

A rocky soil person is someone who joins the Christian Club for some reason other than full-out surrender to Jesus Christ. Maybe they have sickness they have received healing from, an addiction they have been rescued from, they want friends, or they just want to do the popular thing. So, they say a prayer, figuring “it can’t hurt, right?” They are the “easy going” Christian. They follow along only while the going is easy!

But to build a spiritual root system, a person must surrender to the inward process of heart transformation. And these rocky soil-type of people are only interested in outward appearance and fitting in to get their needs met. It might be the high school/college kid who surfs youth groups to find a good Christian spouse, but never intends to change. So without a root system, they only receive nutrients when someone else feeds them. Whenever times get tough, and the feeding stops, their roots will not reach for nutrients on their own. Their spiritual life relies on everything being easy.

How sad it is for them when the trials come. Instead of growing in their faith … they just wither away. “And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬b-‭5‬)

So, while this shallow-rooted person is hoping in things that are fake, our hope is to be deeply rooted in the truth. As we see above, the trials produce perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. There is no short-circuiting this process. We must push hard to break up the fallow (hard) ground that sin has placed in our hearts. We must pursue righteousness by full surrender to the Spirit of God, who then takes over the reigns of our life and call the shots as Lord. We must free our schedules and time to allow Godly character to develop — disciplines of the faith that we prioritize on top and will change our spiritual make-up or character. And then, with a root system built on Jesus’ Lordship in our lives, his Spirit goes to town on healing our hearts, and our priorities change to seek after God, we become deeply rooted. Now little storms will not shake us. For the big storms, we find partners or mentors to tie to, for strength until our root system is fully developed. And all of this gives us a prevailing hope and a stronger and stronger faith for life! Overall, we must want to change and not just want the benefits of the change.

Lord, take me and break my resolve to stay in the pleasure of sin. Instead, may I fully surrender my heart to you each day. I want deeper roots, so you can use me as you desire. Fill me with your Spirit and let me pursue you relentlessly!