Skip to main content

IBS 11 - Luke 8:11-15

Luke 8:11-15
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are chocked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”

I’ve been all of these.
I’ve had times in my life where I heard, and then the devil came and took away the word from my heart. I didn’t believe and was fully living in the world. I heard the word, but it went in one ear and out the other. I didn’t ever think about it. It wasn’t in my heart. That was when I was growing up and was oblivious to the whole “Jesus” thing. I never listened. 
There’s been times when I received the word with joy, but I didn’t have root. I took in what is said and I’m super excited about it. That usually happens at camps and I get on that “spiritual high”. I would go home all pumped and ready to start new, but then life would start again. God would throw tests at me, and I would fail them. They made me mad and as a result, my heart would turn cold towards the word. It made me mad, not wanting to hear it anymore. 
Then there were those times when I did hear. But just like it says, “life’s worries, riches, and pleasures” would get in the way. I wasn’t strong enough to keep the word in my heart, and I fell for the world. This was the one I struggled with the most. I got so caught up on the way people saw me, thought about me, and everything, that I would dismiss God’s word. I put so much of my attention and identity in things that weren’t Him. He wants me, he’s chasing after me, he’s fighting for me. And I just sat there telling Him no, and looking to others for approval.  
I’m ready now, to hear the word and retain it. To absorb as much as I can. I want to learn the word, to know it. I want it in my heart. If it’s fully in my heart, then it’ll be easier to stay with the word. If I fully believe it and understand I won’t waiver. I will be strong in the Lord. “Keep this book of the law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night…” Joshua 1:8. I have to have the word to stand. To fight the battle. If I retain it, I will become a good warrior. Good warriors have to put on their armor. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:14-17. 

Application: I will memorize Luke 8:11-15. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IBS 41 - Philippians 3:8

Philippians 3:8 “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” Losing all things to gain Christ, considering them garbage. That’s intense. That’s hard to do. It takes a lot of faith and trust to get to that point. It’s one step at a time. Growing up, I’d here this verse. “You have to get rid of everything to have Christ.” That scared me, I didn’t want to get rid of my baby dolls and nail polish. As I got older, I learned the deeper truth to this verse. It’s not just giving up items, it’s giving up bad habits, your wants, your rights. It’s giving it all to God to know Him better.  When God told me to do Potter’s Field, I said no. I didn’t want to give anything up. I wanted to keep control, doing what I wanted to do, following my own dreams, holding on to earthly possessions. As God worked on my heart, it got harder to say no....
Post a Comment
Read more

IBS 54 - 2 Timothy 2:2

2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” Entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. I desire to be someone who can be entrusted. I want people to know they can come to me with anything and trust me. There are always those people who you know you can’t trust with anything. I used to be one of those people. It might not have been that people knew they couldn’t trust me. But I knew they couldn’t. Whatever they told me, I’d go and tell my friends. I wasn’t someone who trustworthy or reliable.  I’ve changed though, thankfully. I’ve learned to be trustworthy. I’ve learned it’s better to have people trust you then not. I’ve learned the hurt and experienced the discipline of not being trustworthy. My eyes have been opened to the damage it causes when someone comes to me wanting to trust me and rely on me, and I turn around and gossip ab...
Post a Comment
Read more

IBS 70 - PSALM 51:8

Psalm 51:8 “Let me hear joy and gladness: let the bones you have crushed rejoice.” For a couple of years, people have talked to me about getting broken by God. About what it means for God to crush me. They’ve shared their stories of God breaking them and it always impacted me. Especially because they were so joyful, bringing praise to God so easily. I craved to have that type of joy and to be able to praise God the way they did. But I never wanted to go through the process of being broken. It’s a painful process that I didn’t want to have to endure. I said I wanted God to change me, but I wasn’t completely willing to change and to let Him break me. I didn’t want to surrender, and it became hard for me to praise God. I realized that my relationship with Christ wasn’t what it needed to be, but I wasn’t willing to let God do His work in me. My spirit craved to be broken and to draw near to God, but my flesh refused and fought God so hard.  Through the years, God put people ...
Post a Comment
Read more