God’s Word Does Not Return Empty, But It May Hurt

12 July 2026  Isaiah 55:10-11

“It shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”  (Isaiah 55:11)

There is an amusing meme out there, often appearing on social media, T-shirts and coffee mugs: “I Can Fix Stupid, But It’s Gonna Hurt.” It may explain some of the Church’s wisdom in combining today’s reading from Isaiah 55 with the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23).   

“My word shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” It may take a while, and will certainly involve some breaking and crushing, some choking and gasping, some dying and rising. But that is just the nature of any word, every word that goes forth from God’s mouth.

We read, “My word shall not return to my empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). And then, in the Parable of the Sower, we read that God casts His word everywhere, even on some of the most unpromising places imaginable.

It is enough to cause us despair, but God is not intimidated. “Some fell on rocky ground” (Matthew 13:5) and God says, “My word can change rocky ground. The rocks won’t stay rocks, of course. The roots of My word will plunge through those rocks and break them to pieces, pieces so small that they will become undistinguishable from the dirt. In fact, they will become dirt, and they will hold the water, and My word will grow. It will take a long time, and there will be a lot of breaking and crushing. But My word will do that.” I can fix stupid, but it’s gonna hurt.

“Some seed fell upon thorns” (Matthew 13:7), and God said, “My word will wrap its roots around the roots of those thorns, and choke them to death. They will become dry as dust, and animals and people will grind them to the earth, and they will become the earth, the earth that holds the water that makes my word grow. It will take a while, and there will be a lot of choking and grinding. But My word will do that.” I can fix stupid, but it’s gonna hurt.

“Some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them” (Matthew 13:4), and God said, “My word can change that, too. My word will be poison for those demonic birds. It will make them thirsty, but also unable to drink the water that I provide, the water of baptism and the rivers of blessing. Their bodies will fall dead out of the sky onto the rocky ground and thorny ground, and they will decompose, hastening the breaking of the rocks and the choking of the thorns. Their bodies will merge with the earth; they will become the earth, and then they will hold the water I provide, the water of baptism, and the rivers of blessing. It will take a while, and there will be a lot of gasping and falling, a lot of unlearning and relearning, a lot of dying and rising.” I can fix stupid, says the Lord, but it’s gonna hurt.

“My word shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” It may take a while, and will certainly involve some breaking and crushing, some choking and gasping, some dying and rising. But that is just the nature of any word, every word that goes forth from God’s mouth; and it will make us capable of holding the waters of baptism, the ever-flowing stream of God’s blessing.

That’s the purpose for which He sent it.