This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
We have been looking at “The Mother of All Parables.” Let’s get back to it today. Jesus said:
(Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
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.
We have been walking our way through this passage for weeks. So far, we have covered the first two types of soil. This morning we begin to look at the third: thorny weeds. Jesus likened this type of ground to believers who “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.” This type of person is a perfect example of why Today’s Word is so important. God wants your focus, and He wants it every day. Why? Because God wants to use you, but it is hard for Him to do so when you are distracted or focused on things that are not His will for your life. Over the next few days, we will seek to apply what Jesus said about this type of soil to our lives.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. The key to being used by God is simply living in synch with Him. For God to supernaturally operate in your life, all He needs from you is cooperation. If you yield to Him, His purposes, His will, and His ways, He will do the rest. He is not looking for you to perform. He can perform. He is looking for you to cooperate with what He destined for your life.
2. God has boundless power and unsearchable wisdom. There are no limits to God. Our limitless God wants to work through you to do things you could never accomplish on your own. However, you hinder God from moving through you when you fail to yield to Him. You are blocking God’s power when you make your about “other things,” like the cares of this world, the love of money, and selfish desires.
3. The key to being used by God is dying to self and getting out of the way. The less flesh (or carnality) you have in the way, the more God can speak through your vocal cords, think through your mind, and operate through your limbs. That’s what you want. Your goal should be to live as a human conduit of the divine, where God is giving you the words and performing the work!
4. God will not compete with you. If you want to run your own life, make your own decisions, and pursue your own idea of success with your own strength, God will stand by and wait ’till you get tired. When you are tired of living life with human ability alone, He will be ready to step in, but He will only do so at your invitation. If you want to be the lord of your own life, God will let you. But when you are ready to make Him Lord, He will use you.
5. God cannot use the person Jesus describes as “thorny ground” because they are focused on other things. This person allows the cares of this world, the love of money, and personal pursuits to override God’s agenda and purpose. As a result, they live their own lives. Even when they do receive a Word of God, the seed of the Word cannot produce a harvest because the seed is competing with far too many weeds. Don’t let this be you. Make Jesus your Lord. Give Him first place. Rid yourself of all distractions. Prioritize God and His Word over everything else. This way, God’s Word will produce a harvest in your life, and you will become the man/woman God called you to be.
6. If you want the Word to work, you must break free from worldly influence, especially the love of money and materialism. Jesus called money a master, and He said, “You cannot serve two masters.” Money makes an excellent servant but a poor master. Recognize the dangers of allowing the love of money and the tireless pursuit of material possessions to hinder your spiritual growth. Break free from the grip of worldly influence by placing your trust in God’s provision and seeking His Kingdom above all else. Say this: “God is my source!“
7. Becoming a good steward of your earthly resources will help you give the Word of God the priority it requires and deserves. Understand that God has entrusted you with resources, including time, talents, and finances. If you prioritize God and His will over everything else, you will use these resources for God’s glory and to advance His Kingdom plans and purposes on this planet. Make sure the resources you get to “manage” (because God owns everything) are contributing to God’s Kingdom agenda.
8. When you give the Word of God the priority it deserves, you rightfully live your life with a level of expectation because you know divine manifestation can happen at any time. By tapping into God’s wisdom daily, you align yourself with His Word and His Spirit. The Holy Spirit will then lead you to live by faith, fully expecting supernatural results because you prioritized God over everything else.
9. Developing a yielded lifestyle will help you give the Word of God the priority it deserves. What does this mean? It means you not only prioritize God’s Word, but you prioritize His Spirit. You enter into every day with a heart that is OPEN to the Holy Spirit, ready and expecting to be led by Him in all things.
10. When you are yielded to the Holy Spirit every day, you are sensitive to His divine impulses, and you have trained yourself to place whatever He leads you to do OVER the plans you already had (meaning, you are giving God first place), you get to live #TheGraceLife. You will participate in divine appointments (with people you did not expect to meet), experience divine interventions (in ways that far exceed your humanity), benefit from divine breakthroughs (where God frees you from things that would have had you bound), and enjoy the manifestations of God’s glory (where God does things in/with/through you that everyone has to acknowledge was Him). But none of this will happen if you selfishly make your life all about you instead of ALL ABOUT HIM!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
I align my life with Your purposes, will, and ways. I willingly offer myself as a vessel for Your divine plan.
Your power and wisdom have no bounds, Father. I reject worldly distractions and give you unhindered to my heart so that You can deposit Your wisdom in me.
Father, I die to self and make room for You to speak, think, and operate through me. I am a human conduit of the divine!
I choose Your Lordship over my own desires, Father. You are my utmost priority. I place You and Your Word above all else.
You are my source, and I trust in Your provision. Your Kingdom is my focus. Father, I steward the resources You have entrusted to me for Your glory.
I use the time, talents, and treasure You have given me to advance Your Kingdom plans on this earth.
I yield to the leading of Your Holy Spirit every day. I am sensitive to Your divine impulses, placing Your plans above my own.
I live in #TheGraceLife, Father. Divine appointments, interventions, breakthroughs, and manifestations are my reality because of You. It’s all about You! Therefore, GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
