Guard your Ground - Part 1

Mark 4 is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. It's just so chock full of revelation, and so I'm thinking this will be a series of posts on this subject. It's commonly known as the parable of the sower, which is odd because it strikes me that it's so much more about the different types of soil or ground than it is about the sower. That's not too minimize the importance of the sower, it's just that what the sower gives out is always the same-seed. The seed will reproduce what it's designed to produce, it's a matter of it being planted in the right soil.

13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 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. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

One thing I notice is the sower seems to have utter disregard on where he plants the seed, he's just out there scattering. You would think he'd be trying to find the best and most fertile soil to plant his seeds in and ignore the rest, but apparently God isn't like that. For one, He's not going to run out of seed anytime soon, and for another thing he wants everyone to have an opportunity to receive what He's giving. He's only the sower, not the groundskeeper. That would be our job. Proverbs 4:23 says:

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

When God put Adam in the garden, he charged Adam with the duty to tend the ground and keep it. Even so we are to tend to our heart with all diligence. I like how the Amplified Bible well...amplifies this verse.

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

All vigilance...above all that you guard. That's our responsibility, and it's a responsibility we're to put above everything else. Whenever we look into our lives and see a lack of results, it's because we've fallen asleep on the job. It means we haven't guarded our hearts as we ought. Sometimes it can seem innocent enough, but how costly it can become. It's cost many a their marriages, many a relationship, many a ministry, others their health, others their good name.

So how are we to guard our hearts with all vigilance? The word vigilant is defined as being alertly watchful especially to avoid danger. So we can't be watchful for something we're ignorant of happening. We have to know what to be on guard against in order to guard against it, right? To use as an illustration, think about the way airlines flights have changed since 9/11. Things that you used to get by with on a plane are not acceptable anymore, because we've become more aware of little, subtle things that can be possibly used as devices that threaten our safety (almost to the point of extreme paranoia, but that is a rant for somewhere else.) Security is scrutinizes everything these days. Thank God they do. Even so we should scrutinize the condition of our heart, and not allow just anything to come in, even little things that seem harmless.

This all sounds a bit like 1 Peter 5:8, doesn't it? -

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Jesus explains what different things we are to stay on guard against. Read verses 16-19 again and you'll see several things. They are-

• offense that comes as a result of persecution and trouble
  
• cares of this world
• deceitfulness of riches
• desires for other things

At first blush, it would look like the persecutions and afflictions would be the first thing that are the enemies device, and that's not to say that they aren't. They are! The devil will send circumstances and hurtful people your way, but the Word stays the same in every circumstance. But the main thing is that he's just trying to pressure you to let go of the Word and then getting miffed at someone else about it. It is your responsibility to guard your heart against Satan's devices and not be such shallow dirt!

So one of the biggest things we are to guard against is becoming offended when persecution and afflictions come our way. That's just my intro into the subject, I'll talk about how to keep offense free when troubles come our way in part 2.