Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 244

August 31;   Mark 4:19;   32/260(II);   ‘Choking the Word’

Mark 4:19 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.

The Lord Jesus tells us that the parable of the sower and the seed is incredibly important.  Jesus used parables to teach the people.  He would teach spiritual truths with natural examples.  In this parable, the Lord compares the Word of God to seed, capable of growing a crop.  Then He uses types of soil to represent the spirit of people.  In this parable, Jesus uses four types of soil.  A key aspect of the sower and the seed is that three out of four soil types were not fully receptive to the seed.  Our ‘job’ is to share the Word of God with as many people as we can.  Not all we share with will be receptive of what we share.  Their receptivity is not our responsibility.  We are responsible to share God’s Word with everyone we can.  God’s Word is truth and God’s Word is supernatural.  Even though the Word may not produce the desired results when you share it with someone, the Word will ‘linger’ in the mind and spirit of the one who hears, and the Word can bear fruit at a later date.  The soil type in verse 19, represents those who hear the Word, but their priorities are wrong.  Just like weeds can choke the seed crop you desire, the importance you put on anything other than the Word of God can ‘choke’ the Word’s effectiveness, simply because the Word is given little importance in that person’s life.  The things of this world that you worry about or long for, may seem important to you, and in reality could be to a certain extent.  Compared to God’s Word they are insignificant.  If you put God’s Word first, you will find your needs met and your desires, in right priority, there to enjoy. Only  God’s Word makes life work.