Read It: Matthew 13:7; 22
Live it: Living in Arizona; we should have a pretty good picture of what thorns and bushes look like. Some of them are stubborn; and it takes some work to get rid of them. But oh; how nice it is to have a clean yard without any thorns or bushes.
Verse 22 says: “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.”
Unfortunately, always worrying about the troubles of life and chasing stability and success has become a modern way to live our Christian walk. This is something that we have all struggled with at some point in our lives. The interesting thing about this seed that fell among thorns is the application that Jesus gave us. Now that we have the Word of God, it is up to us what we do with it. Are we trusting what God is saying to us, or are we allowing our circumstances to choke up our fruits? I believe the core issue is that we are not fully trusting God in our situations.
Like a clean yard, sometimes it takes intentional effort to make and to keep the yard clean without thorns. We can come and be intentional about trusting God in our circumstances. Sometimes we just have to start to pull the first thorn to create room so we can have fruit. Sometimes we have to start some healthy habits or stop some unhealthy habits. God is calling us to experience his love in such a way that it will not only produce fruit that will bless ourselves but also others as well. Are you experiencing God’s love today? God can do much more than what we think He can. Trust Him. He knows better.
Pastor Rafael