Lately, I (Melina Fabian) spent a lot of time weeding my own backyard, as well as others. The Lord reminded me about the parable of the sower, especially when the Word was sown among thorns. I stopped and meditated about this specific seed, sown among thorns.
Jesus is talking about this parable of the sower and said some seed fell on the wayside, some on the rocks, some among thorns and some among good ground. Weeds and thorns can grow anywhere, in any ground.
In Mark 4:18-19 (AMP), Jesus explained this parable to His disciple:
The word “creep in” means negative characteristics or facts, occurring or developing gradually and almost undetectable. Weeds and thorns creep in, and after a while can really kill healthy plants if they are not taking care of.
“Choke” means having severe difficulty breathing because of an obstructed throat, a lack of air. That’s what weeds and thorns do to plants. They take the life out of them if not properly taking care. Weeds and thorns will grow wild and will kill everything around them.
The same can happen in our own life. We are living in an extraordinary time; historical time were things are happening very fast. The beginning of the year started with a pandemic that literally stopped our lives, our nation and even the whole world. We all were in confinement. Fear and anxiety creeped in the hearts of people. A shaking took place and people were dying from left to right as this virus from China invaded the whole world. Then, when a little hope came to reopen our country, riots and looting started to ramp the cities because a couple policemen abused their authority and killed two black men. The mobs are taking advantage of these events to burn stores, buildings, police cars, etc. Election time is coming up. Things are really going fast and there is such division and uncertainty.
However, we must know who the real enemy is. It is Satan who truly knows his time is short. But, remember, God has a plan. He sees what is going on.
How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my
On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the
As we read the parable of the sower, we must ask ourselves what we are allowing to creep in our own life that chocks the Word, chocks our fellowship with God, chocks our peace, our love for God and others.
Jesus named some things that can creep in if we are not aware of them. These things are subtle:
- Fear and anxiety
- Distractions
- Pleasures, delights and false glamour
- Deceitfulness of riches
- Craving and passionate desires for other things
What is it we need to cut off, uproot or prune in this time and age we are living in? What are the weeds and thorns that are choking and suffocating the Life of God in us?
We can all be caught up in fear and anxiety, distractions, pleasures, deceitfulness and cravings for other things and miss the very thing God called us into: cultivating the Word, the seed in us. Cultivated our fellowship with Him, letting Him be the Source of everything in our lives, so we can remain healthy, prosperous and our mind clear and focused on what His plan is for us and for the world.
It’s weeding time so the seed can grow and bring forth fruit. It is time to work out the ground of our heart and cultivate it so we can reap a great harvest.