This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing to walk through the parable of the sower. Jesus said:
“The farmer is like someone who plants God’s teaching in people. Sometimes the teaching falls on the path. That is like some people who hear the teaching of God. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.
Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.
And others are like the seed planted on the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce a good crop—sometimes 30 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 100 times more.” (Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
For days we have been studying “the worries of this life”, or as other translations read, “the cares of this world.” Today, as we flow in the same vein, I want us to look at something Jesus said later on in this chapter. Jesus said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29)
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- Jesus likened the Word of God to seed and He likened us to soil. The Word will work, He explains, all by itself. A farmer does not have to have a degree in agriculture to farm. He does not need to understand how the seed produces. All he needs to do is sow the seed and allow the seed and the soil to do what God created them to do. That’s the picture God gives us for His Word. The Word of God will work, if you allow it to work. You don’t have to make it work, but you do have to ensure you are not fighting against it from working. If you give your mind over to the cares of this world, the love of money, or the lust for selfish desires, you are literally creating and feeding weeds that are working against the Word.
- When God sows His Word into your heart He wants you to rest in what He said. If you rest in what He said, then the Word will work, whether you understand how it is going to work or not. You don’t need to know how God is going to do it, you just have to believe that He will. However, if you feed your doubts and meditate on the cares of this world, your heart will produce weeds that will choke out the Word. That’s why your thoughts are so important to God. What you focus on daily is critically important to what you experience in Christ.
- While you are resting, God is working. If you truly rest in what God said, then He will work to ensure it comes to pass. Jesus painted the picture of a farmer who sows seed in the ground and whether the farmer is up or sleeping, the seed and the soil are still working. The farmer does not need to know how, it just produces. That’s exactly what happens when you rest in God’s Word. You don’t take on any pressure make it happen. You make yourself available to God to do something, if He leads you to do it. But otherwise, you are trusting Him to do what He said He would do.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016 by meditating and medicating on Your Word day and night. I put Your Word through my eye-gates, and it gets down in my heart. I put Your Word through my ear-gates, and it gets down in my heart. Now that Your Word has been sown in the soil of my heart, I allow Your Word to work. I don’t need to know how. I don’t need to know when. I just need to trust that You, as the Lord of the Harvest, will see to it that Your Word produces in my life. Even while I’m sleeping, Your Word is working. My part is to ensure I don’t produce weeds that will work against Your Word. So I refuse to take on the cares of this world. For years I worked hard, on my own, with human ability, and I did not give You a chance to work in my life. Now I rest and allow You to work. I will only do what You lead me to do. This is a much better way to live! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
