What category do you fit into?

"18 Therefore, hear the parable of the sower: 
19 When anyone hears the Word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns, is he who hears the Word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the Word and understands it'. Matthew 13:18-23.  NKJV

Many times Jesus spoke in parables and He had to explain them to His disciples. Let's look at His explanation to The Parable of the Sower:

1 Snatched away
Oftentimes, the Word that we hear is scattered away like seed along the wayside. We hear it okay but fail to understand it. While we're struggling with this, the evil one snatches it away. We need to spend more time in the Word, so that the Holy Spirit can open our minds to it, making it easy to understand what God is teaching us.
2 Stony with no root
We often hear the Word and it fills us with joy and understanding. Yet, when tensions come our way, possibly through an argument with a loved one, a large bill that you was not expecting or sudden crisis, we forget this teaching and stumble. God's Word is sent to us so that we can prepare for occasions such as this and be prepared for them. However, the root of the Word does not go deep enough. Again, we need to train ourselves to be able to stand and look after ourselves. Otherwise, we show that we have no staying power.
3 Cares of the world
God's Word can become choked when we find ourselves placing God in second place in our lives. The desire for riches and materialism can tend to take over as does the temptations that come our way. We can so easily lose our focus and leave God out of things. We cannot take a day off. When we try, we leave ourselves vulnerable and then hang our head in shame when reality kicks back in. 
4 Bears good fruit
When we hear God's Word and act on it in every detail, we can guarantee a good harvest. God loves to bless us and we open ourselves up to many of them. Let me ask you again. What category do you fit into? Ensure that you are a category 4 Christian. Get you bible out; write in it; underline things so that you can find them again easily; get the pages worn. Remember, the devil's not amused when a bible's well used!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com