12.Aug.2009 Thorny Ground

Mark 4:7, 18-19:

And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop…Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Guard your heart, for wherever your heart goes, there your life goes. The things that you allow into your heart are very important. Your heart is the soil for which God will plant His seeds. It is understood now that a heart can be hard or shallow, but Jesus warns in Mark four that a heart can also be full of thorns or “the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things.”

The worries and cares of this world choke all the good that God is trying to plan within you. This is seen many times with fresh new believers. They come into the House, accept Jesus, turn their hearts over to Him, and begin to gain some momentum. They begin to change. Old troubles pass away. The new man begins to emerge. But, suddenly, deeper issues emerge; these are issues that believers would rather leave buried than deal with. The issues are thorns in a believer’s side. The believer despairs over the issue instead of handing it over to God, and the thorns begin to choke the seed.

Change is the overall message of this parable. Jesus asks us to give Him everything. This includes all our old stuff: habits, addictions, traditions, the old man. If we hold onto these things, they choke out our answers. God knows that is is hard for us to let go of our old ways. He understands the challenges we face when trying to change. Believers are born, but disciples are made. Disciples rely on God to change.

God brings revelation into our lives so we can change. He wants us to be fruitful in Him. He wants us to lean on Him so He can be our strength as we work together with Him to uproot the thorns. However, the attitude of “That’s just who I am” stops us from doing so. That attitude is one that says that even God, in all His power and glory, cannot change me. That sort of attitude is a cop-out. It is giving up when change becomes too hard. It is negating the power of the seed before it can take root.

However, with God’s help, we can resit the call to be stubborn and take the alternative route of “I need to change.” It is a great day when you realize you cannot save yourself. Submit yourself to God’s process and watch the changes begin. God is all about the process. The first step is admittance. The second is education. We live in a world of infinite information. Study up on what your problem is and how best to deal with it. God brings revelation through education, and revelation leads to change.

Education puts a spotlight on the problem. It points the way to change. Change is hard, yes, but God is without you through it all. He takes you down the path of deliverance. His Word works. His principles work. If they don’t, that is a personal heart issue and NOT a God issue. Submit your stubborn unwillingness to change to God, educate yourself. God brings revelation. Revelation brings change. And fruitfulness follows.