Mark 4:7 "And some fell among thorns, and
the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit."
So far, we have seen the seed falling by the wayside with no attention being paid whatsoever. We saw the seed falling upon the stony ground where hearts have been hardened for whatever reason. Today, we see the seed falling among thorns. When we see the word thorns, we think of briars and weeds that have been allowed to overtake the ground. The ground could be good, but for lack of attention, the thorns have overtaken it.
We do not have to guess as to what the thorns represent. Jesus gives us the explanation and it certainly deserves our attention. "And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, (19) And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." (Mark 4:18-19)
I wonder if this could apply to most of us, if not all of us, at times. The Word is given. It is heard, received, and I take the stance that it is believed. Those whose hearts have been overgrown with thorns know the Word of God. They know it is indeed the very inspired Word of God. They even rejoice in it at times, but then something happens. Eyes are taken off the Lord. Eyes are placed on things of the world. Sometimes those things might be burdens that are placed upon us which take our attention. Sometimes those things might be sickness, or monetary, or taking care of someone else. Those things could even be a desire that we allow to overtake us for something in the world that is not necessarily bad, but it takes us away from the Word of God.
You might say if it isn't bad, then why should we worry about it? Our souls need feeding. The world promises to fill the need which is emptiness inside. The only problem with the world's promises is they take away from us rather than supply a need. So, the world's solutions to situations leave us lacking even more than before. There is only one thing that can feed the soul and fill the emptiness within and that is Jesus. How do we partake of Him in order to fill that need? We spend time with Him through His Word and through prayer. We ask Him to walk with us and talk with us. Yes, He does speak to us.
How do we keep the thorns from infesting the ground? It is my observation that when I spend more time in the Word, the thorns are kept out much better than if I neglect the Word. Thorns grow out of a ground (heart) that is neglected of the things that truly matter. Don't let the weeds and thorns overtake you. Spend time with Jesus each day.
So far, we have seen the seed falling by the wayside with no attention being paid whatsoever. We saw the seed falling upon the stony ground where hearts have been hardened for whatever reason. Today, we see the seed falling among thorns. When we see the word thorns, we think of briars and weeds that have been allowed to overtake the ground. The ground could be good, but for lack of attention, the thorns have overtaken it.
We do not have to guess as to what the thorns represent. Jesus gives us the explanation and it certainly deserves our attention. "And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, (19) And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." (Mark 4:18-19)
I wonder if this could apply to most of us, if not all of us, at times. The Word is given. It is heard, received, and I take the stance that it is believed. Those whose hearts have been overgrown with thorns know the Word of God. They know it is indeed the very inspired Word of God. They even rejoice in it at times, but then something happens. Eyes are taken off the Lord. Eyes are placed on things of the world. Sometimes those things might be burdens that are placed upon us which take our attention. Sometimes those things might be sickness, or monetary, or taking care of someone else. Those things could even be a desire that we allow to overtake us for something in the world that is not necessarily bad, but it takes us away from the Word of God.
You might say if it isn't bad, then why should we worry about it? Our souls need feeding. The world promises to fill the need which is emptiness inside. The only problem with the world's promises is they take away from us rather than supply a need. So, the world's solutions to situations leave us lacking even more than before. There is only one thing that can feed the soul and fill the emptiness within and that is Jesus. How do we partake of Him in order to fill that need? We spend time with Him through His Word and through prayer. We ask Him to walk with us and talk with us. Yes, He does speak to us.
How do we keep the thorns from infesting the ground? It is my observation that when I spend more time in the Word, the thorns are kept out much better than if I neglect the Word. Thorns grow out of a ground (heart) that is neglected of the things that truly matter. Don't let the weeds and thorns overtake you. Spend time with Jesus each day.