Seeds in the Thorns

I’ve read this passage hundreds of times and probably have heard at least a dozen sermons on this, but I read the parable of the sower in Mark 4 again. I was tempted to brush off this familiar passage and move on, but God had other ideas. He wanted to tell me something. Verses eighteen and nineteen nearly jumped off the page.

I was pretty confident that I was not like the seed on the path that was eaten by birds and never germinated. I have taken God’s word to heart. I probably have some work to do on the deep roots lest I be scorched and falter when trouble comes. The verse that impacted me however was about the thorns or weeds.

“The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it. (Mark 4:18-19, MSG)

Christmas is a time when we hear repeatedly the good news of Jesus’ coming. How awesome it is to be reminded that Immanuel is here: God with us! Meditating on all that this means is mind-boggling. Yet, how quickly I get distracted by the stresses and worries of things to do and things to buy.

My prayer this Christmas is to watch out for thorns so that I can exhibit God’s fruit. May God remind me to be free from the entanglements and revel in His presence. Perhaps you have some thorn watching to do too. Don’t let the cares of the season steal the Christ of the season. Let the fruits of His Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control— flourish as you remain deeply rooted in Him.