Today we continue our series entitled, “Expecting the Word to Work!” This is part 31.
We have been studying the parable of the sower for months. Within this study we have looked at the first two types of soil and we are looking at the third: thorny weeds. Let’s get back to it this morning. Jesus said:
“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.” (Mark 4:18,19)
Jesus described three types of weeds in the thorny ground: the cares of this world, the love of money and everything else people want. We have already covered the first two. Friday we started looking at the third. The King James Versions calls it a “lust for other things.” These are things that were birthed in the hearts of men and not in the heart of God. As I thought and prayed about why someone would choose self over God, the Father led me to discuss the fear of losing out.
Many people, believers and non-believers alike, know what the Bible says about certain things. Some even know what God has called them to do. But they choose to either ignore, or even worse, flat-out disobey God’s and His teachings, because they don’t want to “lose out” on whatever their heart is set on at the time. They place their desire above God’s commands because they fear that if they obey God they will miss out on what they want. They see pursuing God as less desirable or less enjoyable than pursuing their own lusts. This is unquestionably a mistake.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. If you know what the Bible says about something or even what God has clearly said to you directly, but you then choose to disobey it in pursuit of a selfish desire, you are placing self over God, pride over purpose, and temporary over eternal. You will reap what you sow. You will reap the harvest of your short sighted decision and you will live to regret it.
2. To truly walk with God you must learn to take the “long view” in life. When you are led of the Holy Spirit you will have to avoid shortcuts, deny yourself quick and ill-gotten gain, and make the hard decisions that build character over the easy ones that eat-away at it. But in the long run, living this way will produce a life that is fulfilling, rewarding, and life-producing for you and for all those you come in contact with.
3. God is not short sighted. When He looks at you He sees your future. Further, He sees your children and your children’s children. So the decisions God is leading you to make are decisions that can have impact on three generations. This is an extremely hard concept for people today to understand. In today’s “microwave generation” people everything now. But if you ever get to the point where you understand how God thinks, choosing the hard right over the easy wrong will be painless. Any supposed pain you think you feel over missing out today because of something God is telling you to do will be dwarfed by the purpose you see in it over the long run.
4. People who choose to disobey God for temporary pleasure are setting themselves up for long term failure. They may enjoy the moment, but they are sowing seeds they will have to reap later.
5. You are never “losing out” when you choose God’s will over a selfish or worldly desire.
a) Anything you sincerely sacrifice for God (placing His will above your own), becomes a seed that will produce a Godly harvest.
b) Don’t ever think you are losing out when you are placing God first. God will never be in debt to you. He will see to it that you reap a harvest on your seeds of sacrifice.
c) You will never lose by choosing God and giving Him first place in your life. Ever!
d) God will see to it that every decision you make that aligns with His will winds up producing His results. Take it from me, His results will always be much greater than yours.
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. My expectation is tied to Your Word and to the plans You made for me before the world began. So I willingly place Your will above my own. I give You and Your Word first place in my life. I yield to Your Spirit. I die to self and selfish desires. I submit to You in all my ways. I will my will to choose Your ways above my own. I live a submitted life. Therefore, I declare, that You see to it that my life produces Your fruit. I prosper in all my ways, because my decisions are Your decisions, my will is Your will, and my life is in Your hands. I sow seeds of sacrifice and obedience and You see to it that I reap a harvest on every seed sown! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
