QT 11/6/2023 Mark 4:13-20, What is my response to God's word?

Mark 4:13–20 (ESV) — 13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

 

NOTE: Over the years, I have debated with myself which soils represent believers and which unbelievers. And I think that might be reading into the parable too much. The point of the parable is to show four responses, three negative and one positive. The three negative responses are biblical principles. The first, Satan snatches the seed. Our enemy is Satan. The second response, is a shallow reaction where our flesh and emotions respond, but not fully. Our enemy is the Flesh. The third response is the interaction of our heart where the word is crowded out because of things of the world, things we prefer over walking with God. The third enemy is the world. So we have three enemies: Satan, flesh, and the world. The good soil does not have these issues. It is not hard soil, it is deep soil, and it is not full of weeds. How do we prepare good soil? We prepare good soil by understanding how Satan tempts us, the weakness in our flesh, and the world's lures.

 

PONDER:

1. Have I hardened my heart to any sins, allowing Satan a foothold?
2. Have I responded emotionally, but not willfully? In other words, do I feel I ought to change but I make no specific effort with the Holy Spirit to change? In this case, the person prefers to be shallow.
3. Have I accumulated so much, that God is crowded out of my life? Am I worried about many things because I have many things?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to see how I can improve my soil so that I can be a better witness for you in these last days.