Today’s devotion was written by our sister Doris
Why is it that the word of God may be shared to many people, but not all of them receive that word or put it to practice?
Why is it that some may people may hear the word repeatedly, but choose not to believe it?
I have asked myself these questions many times, and the Parable of the Sower provides some answers as to why this may be so. This is my perspective on this parable:
This is first group of people. Whenever you hear the word of God, in any context, e.g about fasting, prayer, giving, forgiveness, love etc, and you do not understand it at all, or relate to that word, it is like that seed was planted in the open. You heard the word, but it meant nothing to you. Now before you could even hear it again, the enemy come and erased that word from your heart, and that seed is lost. Why does the devil do this? Because he doesn’t want you to get saved. Simple.
The second group are those who hear the word and are excited about it. They embrace the word and are ready to put it into action, then boom! The excitement quickly fades away. The minute a challenge to do with that word comes their way, they forget all about it. e.g you may have heard the word about giving, and you’re so excited about stepping up the next time an opportunity comes for you to give. Meanwhile, your rent is due, or you got a salary decrease. One day you walk past a mother and her 3 children sitting on a street corner, begging for a few pennies so they can just buy a loaf of bread to eat for the day. Yet you turn away and do nothing, because you thought you had needs of your own. In this case, the word on giving fell on rocky ground. The minute a challenge came up, you forgot all about giving and thought of yourself first.
The third group refers to people who hear the word, contemplate it, but then take no heed because of the concerns of this world. They worry about what people will think of them, they get carried away by the false glamour of social media etc (so they will only post what will get more likes!) The pressure to conform, the pressure to be liked by many, the constant need for approval is what drives them. Sounds familiar?? Hmmm! This group of people simply think “I hear you God…but not now…” or “I’m not ready for all this” – then when will you be ready?
The last group are those who hear the word, accept it, meditate on it, understand it and go out and put it in action. They are givers, they offer a helping hand, they are forgiving, they are loving, they put their trust in God.
The word of God is not here to condemn us, but to uplift and save us.
John 12:47 “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it”
Let’s encourage one another to make the word of God the standard for our lives. Amen
The Parable of the Sower 13
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a]
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Thank you Doris, may God give us the grace and desire to apply His word daily. After all God is the one who gives the seed to the sower.
Thank you Doris , I pray for all the members of this group , that they may hear the word, accept it, meditate on it, understand it and go out and put it into action , In the mighty name of Jesus , Amen