Integrity of God's Word

Integrity of God's Word

BY Argie Simonis  

"And the same day, when the even was come, he said to them, Let us pass over to the other side." Μark 4:35 

By definition, integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, moral uprightness. This is one of the main characteristics of God's Word. The 4th chapter of Mark illustrates this in a very powerful way. In Mark 4:26 it says: "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground."
Remember that in verse 14 it says this seed is the Word of God. God isn't really teaching you how to be a farmer, but is using a natural thing to illustrate spiritual truth. Verse 27 says, "And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how."
Some people say, "I just don't understand what you're talking about. How can reading the Word of God really change me and cause God's life to come alive inside me?" How can a tiny seed planted into the ground bring forth an entire stalk of corn which later reproduce a hundredfold? Nobody fully understands it, but it works! 
Verse 28 says, "For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself." Like the earth was made to receive the seed, to germinate and release that life, in the same way your heart was made for the Word of God. You need to take the Word and as a seed plant it into your heart. When you do that, your heart is designed to bring forth fruit of itself. It will change the way things work in your life!
The verse continues, "First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." This means that there are stages to growth and maturity. First of all, you have to start, and then comes the hope, and then the faith, and then it produces results.There are always steps to victory. No one can get from zero to hero at once! Even Jesus, Who was God in the flesh had to progressively grow in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52)
The point is made in verse 35, "And the same day when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side."
Jesus had been teaching them all day about the power of the Word, how the Word is like a seed, and how it will release God's life into your life, so here He gives them a test. He tells them, "All right, here's the word from the Lord: "let's go to the other side of the lake." As they started sailing, a great storm came and water filled the boat but still, Jesus was asleep. He knew what was going on, but He was still trying to sleep. The disciples got upset, came to Him, and said, "Master, don't you care that we perish?" In other words, they were saying, "Don't just sit there. Do something!"
How many times have you found yourself in this situation? "God, why haven't you done something?"
Actually God has done much more than just something. He has provided everything we need through the atonement of the Lord Jesus. He's given us the Scripture, and it's our job to take the seed, put it in our hearts, and meditate on it until it releases life. Just taking a Bible and holding it close, putting it on your coffee table, or carrying it with you, doesn't work. It doesn't release power in your life!
Jesus part was to teach His desciples the Word and give them promises, and it was their part to take the Word and believe the promises. God has provided everything through Jesus coming to this earth. He gave you everything it takes to succeed in every area of your life in seed form in the Word. All you have to do is take the seeds of the Word of God and plant them in your hearts through reading it, meditating on it, thinking on it, and letting it take root on the inside of you. As you do that, you will be able to stand up and stop the storms in your life. We need to believe God's Word and act upon it!