“Im sitting in church, something that is not unusual for me to do. I am used to it by now, I mean, I have been doing this most of my life. This particular guest preacher who is sharing the Word, I know. I was never really fascinated by her sermons in the past so I’m just sitting here hoping she’ll throw a line I’ve never heard before, as I unconsciously say “Amen”. Earlier on, brother Tim sang ‘Break every chain’, but we all know we can ‘get into the spirit’ if the song is led by brother Tom. Anyway, it was all good, 10 more minutes and I’m out.”- Miss X
There is something common between Miss X’s thoughts above and the pathway spoken of in Mathew 13, and that’s expectations. No one expects trees to grow on the way side, that’s where people walk, cycle and run. It is so busy being trampled upon by a lot of passing people that there is not time at all for the seed to penetrate. On the pathway, thats where you will find birds because they expect to find seeds floating by because they simply cannot penetrate.
Miss X above is like some of us who have no expectation whatsoever of receiving a life changing Word when we go to church and have little understanding of how important each Word is from God. We are used to this church thing and go expecting nothing much. We know the pastor, we know when he is going to shout and when he is going to cry. We know he takes 40 minutes and know he will sing afterwards. Same old,same old. After the service we have forgotten all he was talking about, on our way home we are discussing Days of our lives and the usher’s weird hairstyle. The seed has been picked up by the birds. Never to be seen or talked of again. We didnt expect to be ministered to by the Word, the pathway doesnt expect to receive seeds, the birds always expect to snatch seeds from these.
So next time you are going to the house of the Lord, or are reading the Word, ask yourself, what is it that I’m expecting, or is it just a norm?
Tshidi Tseke 
O eopipile kgomo lenaka Tshidi. wow
Its like people are creatures of habits, so what i am taking from this is that we must get revelation that every word of God was really inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Lerato Moloi
Yes, most times we miss out on a lot because we arent expecting much, so the Word is not able to grow within us
This happens to me (a Christian) when I think I’m not desperate for God in my life, or His intervention in my affairs. This happens to me when I think I’ve got everything (that matters to me) under control. This happens when I think I’ve got it all figured out and even if not quite, somehow err’thang will happen just as I expect where me myself and I is concerned. This happens when I think I’m smart enough to make the right choices, and I just need God to come along with me in my journey of this (little) life of mine. I must wake up from this slumber and pray to God that this never happens to me, because my life (which is not really mine anymore) and everything that matters (great and small) entirely depends on God (the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ) and the creative power of His Word, the only Life giver in all existance. My life and all of me is desperate and so desperately dependant on God’s Word I pray that I wake up from this (my slumber) and realize even just that!