Elkan's Word For Today

THE WORD FOR TODAY

A TALE OF FOUR GROUNDS (Part 3)

 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.” Mark 4:3 (easy-to-read).

Greetings Brethren.

We’re still on the Four Grounds in Jesus’ The Parable of the Sower.

 “And he spoke many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow...

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold

Who has ears to hear, let him hear.” - Matthew 13:3-89

Ground 3 – A Believer Must Not Have More Than One ‘W’

No, we’re not talking about polygamy.

“The seed planted among thornbushes is another person who hears the WORD. But the WORRIES of life and the deceitful pleasures of riches choke the word so that it can't produce anything.  – Matthew 13:22 (GW)

This third group are the most spiritually advanced so far. They have received the word and have acknowledged it as from God. They have also allowed the word to take root in their heart. The seed, which is the word of God, has been embedded into their heart and any day now the fruit will pop out.

However, our Christian life is not lived in a vacuum, unfortunately.

Oh don’t we all yearn for the day when our personal ‘Quiet Time’ in the morning will be unending. We’ll be able to just sit solely at the Master’s feet, enjoying sweet fellowship and communion with our Saviour; talking to Him and Him talking to us; singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs...

KNOCK! KNOCK! On the door...

(Sigh!) Alas, Reality calls.

There are bills to pay, children to feed, spouses to acknowledge, and if you’re a minister, scriptures to be study (ironic, innit?)

Yes, we live in a real world, and actually, that’s how God wants it. When the Christ was transfigured on the mount, (Lk 9:29-36), Peter asked that they made shelters and remained there; but Jesus was talking about going down to fulfil His destiny.

There’s nothing wrong with the things we do outside of the Prayer Closet. Practically, we must need spend more time outside of it than in.

Nevertheless, what our passage is talking about is what someone called, “An anxious and immoderate care of the things of this present life”.

Jesus laid great emphasis on His Sermon on the Mount about this type of worry; but before he talked about worry, He prefaced with:

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.  (Mat 6:24).

In the context of our parable, the application is simple: “you cannot have the Word (the seed) and Worry (the thorns ) at the same time”: A Believer Must Not Have More Than One ‘W’.

Let’s conclude today’s thoughts with

4 Things To Note About The Thorns:

1. THE THORNS WERE ALREADY THERE BEFORE THE WORD CAME

The Bible said, “He also that received seed AMONG THE THORNS” 

Thant means the land was not properly cleared and seeded.

2. THE BELIEVER ALLOWED THE THORNS TO GROW AS WELL AS THE WORD.

Jesus said, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?  (Mat 6:31)

Paul says, “Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  (Phil. 4:6)

Peter says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.  (1 Pt 5:7)

Don’t allow the thorns to choke the word.

3. THE THORNS AND THE WORD ARE SIMILAR

Both require nourishment, or they will die out.

The thorn grows by worrying.

The word grows by meditation.

And as Pastor Rick Warren once pointed out, “IF YOU KNOW HOW TO WORRY, THEN YOU KNOW HOW TO MEDITATE”

Do you see it now? They both feed on the same thing. But thorns don’t need skills to be cultivated, just like you do not need discipline to worry: it comes naturally.  So, make more effort to consciously ponder on what God has said as opposed to all the waves of worry the devil throws at you.

4. THE THORNS, ALSO, DO NOT LIVE IN A VACUUM 

The thorns are there to choke the Word out. So anytime you catch yourself worrying, ask yourself, “What Word has God placed in my spirit that this ‘thorn’ is trying to choke out?”

That way, you’ll give the devil the unpleasant task of constantly reminding you that it’s time to meditate on God’s word.  

AMEN.

More Blessings Await you today, you’ll not miss them in Jesus Name.

Greg Elkan