Blessed

Perseverance 1

Luke 8:11-15 – This is the meaning of the parable; the seed is God’s word. The Seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away for their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face and temptation. The seeds that fall among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life and so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represents honest, good hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

This whole passage basically is the observations. It’s talking about 4 different kinds of people and what happens after they hear the word of God. The first person seed lands on a footpath. A footpath to me makes me think of my homes concrete walk way. If you drop seeds on it, it won’t ever reach the soil.  It just sits there on the top of the concrete. It’s an easy target for a hungry bird. It easily swoops in and snatches it off the surface. The bird here of course represents the devil. The second person seed is planted onto a rocky soil. When I think of rocky soil, I know that the rocks tend to suffocate the seed and take up room. The seed grows at just a face surface level. The rocks represent our daily temptations. If we don’t allow God to get rid of the rocks, we can’t expect to go deeper. The third person seed fall into thorns. The thorns are our selfish desires. We tend to let our desires grow so big that and they end up suffocate and overshadowing the voice of the Lord. So much so, to the point where He gives us what we want. Our flesh. Now the final person, seed lands on good soil. Good soil has no weeds (pure of heart), it has a damp like consistency (nourished by the word), and it’s practically begging for the Gardener to use it any way He desires (clinging to hope of the call). The soil doesn’t care how it’s used, as long as the harvest is plentiful.

My question to you is, of which of these people are you? I know for myself, I would love to be the first on to say the last one! But in all honestly, that would be a lie. I share the same characteristic traits of 3 of these people. My spiritual soil is not only rocky, but also at times filled with thorns. My rocks and thorns consist of being selfish with my time. I do what I want and I do the things that make me happy. I can make excuses to God all day long on why I’m not in His presence and seeking Him. I was too busy talking to this person, or doing this or that. Or I’m too tired to pray at the end of the night, because I’ve been running around all day. I tell myself oh, I’ll just pray later.  Basically I’m telling God, it’s all about me.  But here’s the kicker. He turns my selfishness into a beautiful fruitful garden. God says that if I persevere on, cling to His word, and patiently seek Him, I will have a plentiful garden in the end! 

Application

I’m going to get away from everyone and prioritize to talk to my Father sometime today. Mikaela is going to keep me accountable.