ICS Daily Devotions
Guard the Word in Your Storm
Mark 4:14-19 (NKJV)The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things entering in choke the word and it becomes unfruitful.
In Mark chapter 4 where Jesus calmed the storm, and He said, “Let us cross over to the other side” (v35), it was a promise and a Word given by Him to His disciples. Unfortunately, the Word was stolen from the disciples as they allowed their attention and focus to be turned towards the situation that caused fear. Similarly, the evil one wants to divert our attention from the Word to his lies and the circumstances, so our faith won’t be anchored on the given Word.
Fear and faith cannot co-exist. Fear is to believe in the “what if’s” and it will propel doubt and unbelief in God, but faith helps us to place our trust in God regardless of the circumstances. Faith is built upon the Word of God, whereas fear is built upon lies, uncertainties, the circumstances and meditating on the unknown.
The storm arose suddenly right after Jesus had taught them about the parables of the sower—the importance of the Word, how we should receive it with our hearts, and even advance notice of the enemy’s tactic of trying to steal it immediately. Therefore, the storm was the work of the evil one. He wanted to steal the Word of Jesus given to the disciples including the teaching earlier that day, because he knows that when the Word begins to take root in our hearts, it will be harder to steal it. Because the enemy wants us to lose faith in the Word of God, he will use tribulation and persecution to stumble us so he can rule over us by fear.
Another tactic of the evil one is to place worries and anxieties in us so we will frantically look for a solution rather than rest on the Word of God. When we disregard the Word, it is choked and no longer effective in our lives, and our peace and joy will be gone.
Sermon Series: Free from Anxiety
