by David Brenneman
"And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Mark 4:13-29, 35-41.
The seeds of faith was the message of that day...as it is in our day.
The seeds of faith are given to the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. Which amounts to everyone on this Earth. It includes everyone right down to you my Dear Reader.
What have you been doing to nurture what you have been given to understand?
It begins with acceptance or denial of God in your life. Everything comes out of that.
It didn't dawn on me until reading that part of Mark 4 that His asking about their faith was related to the parable of the seeds. Wasn't their faith growing? At least 1 certainly wasn't. That of Judas Iscariot.
Noteworthy as well is Jesus's warning to be careful with what you listen to. Who you listen to.
What are you watering that seed of faith with? What nutrients, if any, are you giving it to allow it to grow?
The things and people we listen to that don't grow us in Christ the way He intended for us to have are the reasons why growing in Christ isn't happening.
We can make the most of every single opportunity or we don't.
"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17.
What do you take into your heart and mind? Music, video, other things...that do nothing to spur on your heart towards love and good deeds? It's fine to have a hobby or engage in recreational activities. However when those take over and choke out our own time with Jesus they then are a hindrance.
A breaking point for me was my useless knowledge of fictional people and stories. I knew more of those things than my Bible. For others that I know and have known...they know to the minutiae of details the lives of sports people and yet are ignorant of the truth that their spirit is starving.
Walking with Jesus is serious business. It's a lifetime of commitment.
"So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" Matthew 7:17-23.
It's been rather interesting over the many years since pruning out areas of my life that weren't conducive to growing in Christ. The sad part is my sin nature clings to those wasted years easily.
Being diligent to present yourself approved by Jesus is not something to think is optional.
Your seeds of faith grows with exposure to the Son...not in the absence thereof.
Yes adversity comes to all of us but that's what makes the roots grow deeper.
Are you engaging in futile things that have nothing to do with walking through life in Christ Jesus that are going to grow your faith?
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits." Matthew 7:13-20.
We have more at our fingertips than any generation since the days of Noah. We have exceedingly more distractions than at any point since those days.
Maybe it's pruning time in your life to remove those things that aren't helping your growth in Christ Jesus.
Being busy bodies concerning things to do that could be put off to spend time with Jesus cripples growing in Christ.
Remember that true story of Mary and Martha.
Remember to look for all the times mentioned where Jesus got alone to be with His Father.
An arborist knows well how to remove certain obstacles from a plants environment to help it grow but also what to leave to cause it to grow.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6.
Ask, Seek, Knock.
Pray without ceasing.
Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.
What state is your faith in?
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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