In today's devotional, we see Jesus teach about 3 broad reasons why people become unproductive with the word of God and what it takes to be productive with the word of God.
"“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Mark 4:3-8 NLT.
In explaining the meaning of the parable, Jesus said;
"The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Mark 4:14-20 NLT.
3 broad reason people fail at the word; satan comes and take the word away from their hearts, those with no depth who give up on the word when problems come because of the word, and those who allow the word to be crowded out by; the worries of these life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things. However, there are those who become productive with the word and Jesus gives us qualities about them, he said; they hear the word (they listen to the word), and then accept it (they understand the word). The accept God's word as the reality even when it is not currently so.
