Choking or Growing?
My thoughts are not too organized right now but I have some wonderful nuggets the Lord has opened my eyes to; so as the rain sweetly drizzles down outside, may His Truth drizzle down into the soil of our hearts.
The parable of the soil has come to life for me. You know, the one about the four types of soil. It can be found in Mark 4. After scratching their heads, one of the disciples had the bravado to ask, "What does it mean, Jesus?" Jesus then unfolds the parable in such a way so they can understand it.
The Seed is The Word, the living Gospel that brings life. The soils are the different ways the Word is received, the condition of the hearts of people. There are those who are hard and the seed simply bounces off and the "birds" come and eat it. There are those who receive it but their hearts are rocky and the soil is shallow. It seems to sprout up quickly but then it dies since it has no depth for the roots to go down deep. Then there are the ones who receive it, it grows yet it is surrounded by thorns which choke the life out of it so there is no fruit. And finally there is the one who receives the Truth, it is planted in good soil and it produces a bountiful harvest.
The Lord opened my eyes to the third condition:
"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." Mark 4:18,19
The NIV uses the phrase, "...the worries of this life..." This struck me; worry impedes fruit bearing!! The harvest of the implanted truth is strangled to death when the "...cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful!" What effect does this do to God's Work, God's Kingdom, God's purpose in me?
I am purposely being repetitious here. What is being harvested in You? Abundant Fruit or death?
My Spirit repented! Oh Lord, May Your Truth find good soil, and May it produce a bountiful harvest! Wash out the seeds of unbelief, worry; open my eyes where I have been deceived, and show me where I have settled for lesser loves!
Interesting as just last week, I spent an afternoon pulling weeds that were growing without trouble in my yard. Musing thought; weeds grow so easily. I don't plant them, they just show up. They don't need any tending from me, they find just enough soil to plant themselves and then begin to take over my yard. It requires a daily effort on my part to contain them! How so very similar in thinking about the soils of our hearts! What little places have I been ignoring that the enemy is trying to get a toehold... then a foothold... then a... Bigger hold!?
If the Word is not producing a Harvest of righteousness, peace, and joy in your Life... What Is choking it out? Challenging thought, huh? This little parable is more than about salvation; it is about living out His Salvation, as Children of Light.
I love how the Word liberates us. It never condemns. His Word brings about a Good Harvest of Life! Growing means you are ALIVE! I kind of like bring alive...
May the soil of our hearts be soft. Lord, May the Water of the Living Word, wash over the places it has become hard and stony, uproot the things that are trying to choke away the Life You want me to have....
Amen!
The Seed is The Word, the living Gospel that brings life. The soils are the different ways the Word is received, the condition of the hearts of people. There are those who are hard and the seed simply bounces off and the "birds" come and eat it. There are those who receive it but their hearts are rocky and the soil is shallow. It seems to sprout up quickly but then it dies since it has no depth for the roots to go down deep. Then there are the ones who receive it, it grows yet it is surrounded by thorns which choke the life out of it so there is no fruit. And finally there is the one who receives the Truth, it is planted in good soil and it produces a bountiful harvest.
The Lord opened my eyes to the third condition:
"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." Mark 4:18,19
The NIV uses the phrase, "...the worries of this life..." This struck me; worry impedes fruit bearing!! The harvest of the implanted truth is strangled to death when the "...cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful!" What effect does this do to God's Work, God's Kingdom, God's purpose in me?
I am purposely being repetitious here. What is being harvested in You? Abundant Fruit or death?
My Spirit repented! Oh Lord, May Your Truth find good soil, and May it produce a bountiful harvest! Wash out the seeds of unbelief, worry; open my eyes where I have been deceived, and show me where I have settled for lesser loves!
Interesting as just last week, I spent an afternoon pulling weeds that were growing without trouble in my yard. Musing thought; weeds grow so easily. I don't plant them, they just show up. They don't need any tending from me, they find just enough soil to plant themselves and then begin to take over my yard. It requires a daily effort on my part to contain them! How so very similar in thinking about the soils of our hearts! What little places have I been ignoring that the enemy is trying to get a toehold... then a foothold... then a... Bigger hold!?
If the Word is not producing a Harvest of righteousness, peace, and joy in your Life... What Is choking it out? Challenging thought, huh? This little parable is more than about salvation; it is about living out His Salvation, as Children of Light.
I love how the Word liberates us. It never condemns. His Word brings about a Good Harvest of Life! Growing means you are ALIVE! I kind of like bring alive...
May the soil of our hearts be soft. Lord, May the Water of the Living Word, wash over the places it has become hard and stony, uproot the things that are trying to choke away the Life You want me to have....
Amen!
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