Are You Allowing the Message to be Choked Out?

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

Jesus taught many wonderful messages by parables. A good way to think of a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly message”. The Scripture quoted above is from the “parable of the Sower” or as some call it, “the parable of the soils”. The parable has great messages for us and is also found in Matthew 13 and Luke 8. The seed the sower spread was “the word of God” (Luke 8:11).

In this parable, Jesus declares there are four types of “hearts”, but only one receives God’s word, accepts God’s word, and allows God’s word to bear fruit. One of the saddest hearts to me is the one “who hears the word” and then allows “the thorns” to choke it out.

What are the things that choke out the word? Jesus proclaims “the cares of the world” will choke out the message in our lives. When we worry and concern ourselves more over earthly things than God and His will, we are doomed to fail.

“The deceitfulness of riches” will certainly choke out the message in our lives as well. When careers, cars, houses, money, and possessions are our focus, we choke out the word. Material goods do not bring us joy, peace, success, and eternal life! Only believing, obeying, and staying faithful to Christ’s gospel can do that! Please see 1 Timothy 6:6-9 for more on this.

Friends, who are YOU listening to? Is it the world and what it (Satan) teaches? Is it yourself and your wants and desires? Is it God and seeking to do His will? Are you choking the message out? Are you letting the message speak through you as you live every day for God? Choose God and truly ring the message out!

Stay true to the Word,

Brother Travis