You Don’t Have To Settle For Second Best!

– Thorny hearts need miracles too!

Mark 4:7-8 talks about the seeds that were scattered by the farmer, which fell on different types of ground. The last two types of ground is the thorny one and the good ground. We know that thorns choke even the most hardy seed as thorns are aggressive elements that need to be plucked out. There is no other way to rid your garden of thorns. They are very persistent and with patience, determination and effort, you can reclaim that soil.

Likewise, in our lives, the thorns that threaten to choke our dreams and hopes and aspirations, need to be carefully plucked out. There is no other way about it. We need to identify those pesky things that seek to bring us down and root it out. Trimming ‘thorns’ won’t get rid of it. Pull it out from the root so it will not be there anymore.

A good farmer does his work diligently in preparing his soil so that it will produce good food and subsequently yield a good crop. Luke tells us that the seed that fell on good soil yielded a good crop and certain fields yielded a bumper crop, much to the delight of the farmer.

While we cannot determine with accuracy the yield of ‘crop’ we might expect from what we sow, we anticipate a good harvest in return for our labour. This is conditional on us having eliminated the ‘thorns’ that can negatively impact the yield of our crop.

Pause reading for a while and examine the condition of your heart…

Thorns come in different forms.
Heart X-ray:
Anger, jealousy, envy, unforgiveness, bitterness, pride, foul language, slothfulness, judgemental, haughtiness, deceit, gossip, condemning spirit, self-righteous, arrogance, obnoxious behaviour, wickedness, dirty mind… The list goes on… weeds that need uprooting with immediate effect.

Don’t say, “I’m working on it.” Tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone.  A truck could suddenly appear as you are driving and observing the speed limit and BANG! You could find yourself spinning out of control, around and around as your life flashes before your eyes. Only God knows if you will be around to tell the story of that ordeal.

So, weed out those pesky stuff and have your heart ready, in good condition. Who knows where your next moment lies?

Anecdotal
It was a normal morning with the normal routine, a wake-me-up coffee, get the kids in the car and drop them off at school. No rain, no fog, usual traffic, so nothing out of the ordinary. At the intersection, all was fine, then a huge semi trailer appeared out of nowhere. Next thing, you are spinning around. From the corner of your eye you see the house ahead and there’s nothing you can do as the car appears to be heading straight for it. Everyone inside is frozen stiff and so are you. “Oh God, Oh God – HELP!” The airbags don’t go into action. Your life flashes before your eyes… Nothing matters anymore!

What will your heart X-ray show when your life’s number is called?

Read the story of the farmer and the seed here . ◊

Linda Pearl