Throwing Out Seed

“The farmer sows the word…As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them…on rocky places…Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life…choke the word making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop…even a hundred times what was sown.” Mark 4:14-20.

In this story told by Jesus we see several instances of the farmer sowing the seed. The seed is all the same with the difference being the ground in which it is planted.

When God speaks to our hearts we have many ways in which to respond much like the responses of those above. We can recognize God’s voice and receive His instructions but turn away from them when Satan threatens our comfort. He cannot steal our salvation so he has to steal the next best thing – our fellowship with God and the peace it brings. He disorients and distracts hoping we will begin to question what God had definitively told us.

We can lose the confidence in what God has told us based upon our fears and past failures. We can allow the worries of life to invade the message from God and distort what we originally knew He communicated to us. Our fears and adverse circumstances can choke out His original word making us question our ability to really hear God.

We must be like the third scenario which is the good soil. The soil of our hearts must be rich, constantly tilled and loosely packed so God can allow the word to take root. If we truly and faithfully accept His word, no amount of adversity can rob us of our fruit of the Spirit. If we see the adversity as the rains for growth upon the soil we can wait in thankful anticipation for the beautiful crop that will be ours when it comes in season.

‘The destiny of the seed in this parable was connected with the condition of the soil…Mature Christians will not merely react to what they see or sense in the natural world, but they will consistently seek the Lord for discernment on how to interpret the circumstances that they are facing.’ Seven Keys, p. 253.

‘Lay hold of my words with all your heart…Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.’ Prov. 4:4-5.