Luke 8: 7, 14: Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, … some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
For the past two weeks, we have been discussing the characteristics of the virtuous woman, the woman of valor. But I feel the need to pause in our explorations and minister to some women who do not see themselves as virtuous, victorious, or strong. I want to minister to my sisters who feel as if they have tried and tried but keep on failing. Those whose prayer lives seem to be a cycle of prayers of confession and pleas for forgiveness, because they seem to be always stumbling and falling down.
As I re-read some of my many journals that I have written over the years, I came across an entry where I had penned at the top of the page, “The environment (condition) of my heart determines the productivity of my life.” At the time, I was studying The Parable of the Sower, and the verses that talked about the seed that fell on thorny ground captured my attention. Let’s look at the verse from Luke’s account of that parable.
Notice a few things about what we learn in this parable:
1. The thorns, although not visible to the naked eye, were present in the soil/ground at the time that the sower scattered the seed on the ground.
2. The good seed fell on and germinated next to already existing thorn seeds.
3. The good seed produced a plant.
4. The plant became an adult plant; a plant capable of reproducing or bearing fruit.
5. While the plant was growing, the thorns were also growing.
6. Soon the area of land where they were both growing became overcrowded.
7. Eventually the thorns began to choke the plant that sprang up from the good seed. It deprived the plant of resources through crowding.
8. The thorns diverted the nutrients the plant needed to, not only produce fruit, but to sustain the growth of the fruit until it came to a place of maturity.
My sisters, part of our self-discovery involves a search for pre-existing thorns in our lives. We must identify those things that were deep-seated in our heart before we heard the call of God. Note, those thorns do not negate the fact that God called us and spoke the seed of His word into our hearts. However, those thorns will limit what we can do with what God has given to us.
For some, the thorns have been growing alongside the word of God in our hearts for years. Now that we have grown to a place in God where He wants to use us to reproduce, that is to make disciples, we are finding that we are not as mature as we thought. We are finding ourselves void of strength and stamina, making it difficult to bear fruit.
According to this passage of scripture, the thorns represent cares (worries and anxieties), deceitfulness of riches (going after making money), and the pleasures of life (going after just having fun). If our lives revolve around these three main areas, then we are causing the strength and life that comes from the word of God in our lives to be depleted, leaving us unable to come to maturity and reproduce much fruit.
As women, if we are not careful, we can allow the cares of life to so fill our days and eventually our hearts that the good seed of God’s word, will not be allowed to do its full work in us. What He says about who we are and what He has given to us will be choked out and not be able to bear any fruit in our lives.
My sisters, know that what God says about us as women is truth. What He has promised to do in us and through us is a certainty. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:24, “He who calls you is faithful who also will do it.” The problem isn’t with the seed, with His word or what He said. The problem is if we received His word in hearts that have not been cleared of the remains of the thorns that were there previously, then what His word produces in us will eventually die out.
You don’t have to allow your life and consequently your heart to become overcrowded with the cares of life. You can be all that God says you are and bear fruit that testify to the same. Take some time to weed out the thorns from the soil of your heart and make room for the word of God spoken in your heart to grow and bring forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundredfold.
DIG DEEPER:
Prayer Room – Be Rid of the Thorns