When the Word of God is spread as seed, people hear and are affected differently. The seed is spoken of as falling on 4 different ways; the road, rocky ground, thorns, and good soil. The condition of our hearts determines whether the Word takes root, grows, and produces lasting fruit in our lives. Hearing the truth is not enough; we must be willing to surrender to it, allowing God to shape our desires, correct our ways, and draw us closer to Him.
I have seen some people come so close to God that I thought they were genuinely saved. Then, they let the world and its lust and desires “creep in and choke and suffocate the Word.” These individuals will miss out on heaven by 18 inches, the distance between their head and their heart. I pray for those that I have known that reflect what is written about in Mark 4:18 And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word; 19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.
The enemy knows how to get people caught up in the desires for worldly pleasure and distracted from the purpose of God because he has been doing this since the garden. For the majority of the world God is not enough, because they crave things that don’t align with His will for them. Because of prosperity, the need for God has fallen off. Money has brought a lethargy and a spiritual apathy to the body of Christ.
We have become complacent for the most part when it comes to a passion for Jesus, or having a passion for reaching others for Christ. Even in our own families it has become easier to ask others to pray for those in your family who don’t know the Lord instead of having the hard conversation that may distance your relationship but having shared the truth in Love. Love requires more than concern from a distance; sometimes it calls us to speak the truth with humility, patience, and compassion, trusting God with the outcome even when the conversation is difficult.
There is a quote by Leonard Ravenhill that I contemplate regularly, he states that “the early church was married to poverty, prisons and persecutions, while the church today is married to prosperity, personality, and popularity”. This is a comparison he made to highlight his belief that modern Christianity has become more focused on wealth and social standing than on the sacrifices and hardships endured by early believers and I agree.
Our flesh allows the enemy to lead us to believe that we need “not” read the Word of God daily, that we need “not” worship fully, that we need “not” fellowship with other believers regularly. My heart breaks for those that understand the meaning of the cross and choose the world instead.
I am humbled by what Charles Spurgeon said, “Stand at the foot of the cross, and count the purple drops by which you have been cleansed; see the thorn-crown; mark His scourged shoulders, still gushing with encrimsoned rills…and if you do not lie prostrate on the ground before that cross, you have never seen it.”
One thing that I truly will never understand is that when a person acknowledges the significance of the cross, how could anyone live for the world and not wholeheartedly for Jesus any longer? I pray that we examine our own hearts honestly, identify the thorns that compete for our attention, and choose daily to put God first through obedience, prayer, time in His Word, and a willingness to serve others.
There is a song by Switchfoot with the lyrics, “Life is short; I wanna live it well/One life, one story to tell…/’Cause I can’t take none of that through the door/Yeah, I’m living for more than just a funeral/I wanna burn brighter than the dawn.”
May we never forget that God’s grace is able to restore a heart that has grown distracted, and there is hope for every person who turns back to Him with a willing spirit. Let us encourage one another to remain rooted in His Word, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and faithfully bear fruit that brings glory to His name.
Today, take time to ask God to reveal anything that is competing with Him for first place in your heart, and be willing to surrender whatever He brings to light. Then, put your faith into action by spending time in His Word, praying for someone who needs Him, and sharing His truth in love, trusting Him to do what only He can do.
God help us, Your children to live well before you and not get caught up in the ways of this world, and please help us to watch out for thorns by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus precious and powerful name, Amen
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My BeLoved, may the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen. In Christ Love, douglas. HE>i. pastord.blog
Special Note: I want to thank those who read what I write and are encouraged to support the ministry God has entrusted to me either one time or have decided to give on a monthly basis. I am encouraged to see certain verses playing out before my eyes like what is written in *Philippians 4:16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.*
To any who are interested, please feel free to reach out to me with prayer requests, questions, encouragement, or for information on how to come alongside me with financial support at pastord.blog@gmail.com or I do have a Zelle account associated with my phone number, 5202720387 last name Blaser. Thank you my Beloved for your ongoing prayers and support.
