Where the Seed is Planted Matters
ICS Daily Devotions
Mark 4:15-20 (NKJV) 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. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Did you know we are the ones who determine how much this parable is going to influence our lives? If we want to witness what the Word of God promises, our hearts must be willing and receptive to the teaching of the Word of God. To be ready to receive and accept the Word is a choice that can only be made by us.
Jesus, through this parable, gives us an early warning regarding the different conditions of men’s hearts that will determine the outcome of the Word of God in their lives. He also pre-empts the enemy’s schemes to try and steal the seed from us by telling us his strategies. Therefore, we need to be wise and vigilant, and always be on the lookout for the devil’s schemes. Jesus wants us to allow the Word to take root in our lives so that we can stand firm during times of tribulation and persecution, and not fall away because we have been shallow in our faith or have no rock-solid conviction.
The first step of faith is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, but thereafter, we have the responsibility to develop and build up our faith by listening to the teaching and preaching of the Word. The opposites of faith are fear, doubt, and unbelief. They are developed on reports, facts, circumstances and lies of the devil to derail our faith in God. The way to counter them is to replace them with the Word of God.
The devil knows the power of the seed and the ability to develop faith when we listen to the Word of God. He will make several attempts to steal the seed that has been sown into our hearts even before it is developed into a conviction or faith in God. Our job is to make sure that our hearts are always ready to receive and accept the Word, and thereafter to meditate on it so the Word can take root and produce up to a hundredfold in our lives.
Sermon Series: Don’t Let It Be Stolen
