Practical Wisdom from the Word of God

Mark 4:18-19 (NKJV) ¹⁸ Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 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.

Yesterday we began looking at another one of the things that will clog the flow of the Spirit in our lives. I believe we are in the beginnings of the next great move of God. If we are going to be a part of that move, we need to be open gates for supernatural power. Worry will keep either keep our gates closed altogether or cause them to be clogged with debris so we cannot be effective.

We found yesterday that worry is meditation in fear. The more we fill our mind with the worry thoughts based in fear, the less we will fill our minds with the Word of God. Conversely, when we fill our minds with the Word we cannot worry. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Fear comes by worry. To which are you giving the greater attention?

We also found that worry allows the God of mammon to be a controlling force in our lives. Jesus said we must choose whom we will serve. Worry chooses mammon while meditation in the word of God chooses faith and trust in God.

Today I want to look at one of my favorite teachings from the ministry of Jesus. Mark chapter 4 is often referred to as the parable of the sower. It would be more accurate to call it the parable of the seed and the ground. The seed is the Word of God and the ground is the human heart.

This chapter speaks of different kinds of hearts and how the seed of God’s word reacts in each one. The first two, pathway ground and shallow ground produce no plant at all. I believe the plant in this parable is revelation from the Word. The last kind of ground, good ground, does produce a plant. The plant produces fruit at three different rates but they all produce fruit. It is the third type of ground that I want to look at in relation to worry.

How does worry work and why is it so dangerous? Verse 19 gives us a clear picture. Jesus calls this type of ground “thorny ground”. What makes it different from the other two types of unfruitful ground is that it has a full-grown plant capable of producing fruit. In other words, this type of believer has walked in revelation knowledge. He or she knows the Word. However, something is keeping it from producing. What is it that is choking the power from the Word in their life?

Jesus says that there are thorns that have entered into the ground. Those thorns are other plants beside the fruit bearing plant that occupy the same space. Those plants take the nutrients from the soil and rob the good plant of its ability to produce fruit.

He is not really talking about plants and dirt in this parable. He is talking about the Word of God, its ability to produce faith and our own hearts. When we plant the Word of God in our hearts through study and meditation, it will produce a “revelation” plant. Our hearts were designed by the creator to interact with the Word of God just as soil was designed to interact with seed.

The plant of revelation produces the fruit of faith. Faith connects us to the supernatural power of God. As long as the plant is fed by study and watered with meditation, it will produce faith. However, the scenario Jesus is describing is one that will cause the perfectly good plant to wither and become fruitless.

All of us have experienced this process at some point in life. We received a revelation from God and faith came. It may have been faith for a particular promise or just the sense of knowing God’s presence that active faith produces. After a time, we find that our faith has become cold and ineffective. We wonder what happened. Nothing has changed. God is still God. Why is it so hard for us to make the faith connection? This scripture tells us. Something is choking the Word.

There are three areas listed in verse 19 that will choke the Word of God. I would expect the second and third to be most problematic. The second is the deceitfulness of riches and the third the desire of “other” things. The New Living Translation says the “lure of wealth” and the desire for other things crowd out the message of the Word of God.

The interesting thing is that Jesus does not list those two things first. The first thing in a list is usually the most important. The first thing in this list is the cares of this world or in the words of the NLT, the worries of this life. Worry is the first thing that will choke the life out of the plant of revelation.

Everyone worries. Not everyone is drawn away by the desire of wealth or seeking things other than the will of God. Worry will lead to the other two but even if we do not give in to wealth or lust, worry will choke the Word until it cannot produce fruit.

We all have cares or problems that we face in life. That is unavoidable. There was a time when I thought that if a person had enough faith, nothing bad would ever happen. I found out that was not true. Bad things happen because we make bad choices and because we have a bad enemy, the devil. Pressure and stress come because we are in the world.

Jesus did not say that the cares of this world would choke the Word. He said the cares of this world, as well as the other two, entering in choke the Word. How do they enter into my heart? They enter in when I allow the thoughts of fear to go unchallenged by the Word of God. Worry is what gives the cares we all face the channel to enter into my life and keep the faith that I have from working.

We talked about the process to some degree yesterday but this verse makes it very clear. We have the Word of God in our lives and it is producing faith. The plant of revelation is healthy and growing. However, some challenges arise. Maybe they are financial or physical. Maybe they are in the area of family or relationships. Maybe it is concern for our future and what we will do in life.

Whatever it is, we know that the Lord can take care of the problem. We have seen him move in many ways. However, there are thoughts that begin to enter our minds. At first, they are just things that need our attention concerning natural planning or some such thing. As time goes on the thoughts become darker and more persistent.

“What if the car breaks down? How are we going to pay for it?” Maybe we hear some bad news about where we work. “What am I going to do if I lose my job?” An ache or a pain sparks this thought. “Am I getting sick? I don’t have health insurance. What am I going to do?” You can fill in the blanks any way that applies to you. Before long, the thoughts of fear and worry begin to enter your heart and faith seems very far away.

Let me make a suggestion. When those worry thoughts start, tell the devil, “I doubt that.” “You are going to lose your job.” I doubt that! If I do, my God shall supply my need!” The more we doubt the words of fear and choose to believe the Word of God the more real faith will be and the less power worry will have.

This process will not happen automatically. It is a fight. You must choose to pluck up the thorns as soon as you recognize them. There is a place for natural wisdom and planning. When they proceed from worry and fear, they are not from God. Get back to the place of faith and the life of the Word of God will solve whatever problem you may be facing.