October 13, 2022 — Why make Satan’s Work Easier?

“After we talked about it yesterday,” I mentioned to Stan, “I was looking at the parable of the sower in Mark’s gospel last night.”

“What’d you see?” Stan asked.

“Several things,” I said, “but there’s a question I had concerning the first  group of people Jesus was talking about.”

“Where Jesus described them as the ones beside the road?” Stan asked.

“Yeah,” I replied, “They’re the ones I was wondering about.”

“What were you wondering?” he asked.

“What’s the point of sowing to them,” I responded. “If Satan is just going to come and take away what’s sown, why bother sowing to them at all?”

“Well,” Stan said, “it seems to me that the point is simply that it’s not up to me, not up to you, and not up to anyone else on this side of eternity to predetermine who is going to have the word taken away by Satan.”

“The way I like to look at this,” he continued, “is that it is my responsibility to sow the word. Period. End of discussion. It’s not up to me to say who’s going to have the word taken away by Satan. I know for a fact that if I don’t sow, Satan doesn’t have to bother taking anything away!”

“Oh,” I said, “sow like it’s going to produce fruit; don’t avoid sowing because you think it might not produce anything. Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan replied. “Sow and leave the results in God’s very capable hands, knowing that if I don’t sow I have made Satan’s work a whole lot easier because he doesn’t have to bother taking anything away!”

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Bible verses to consider:

Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; and it came about that as he was sowing, some fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it. Mark 4:3-4.

The sower sows the word. And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. Mark 4:14-15.

Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:13-15.

Prayer: Thank you Father, for those who sowed the truth of your free and gracious provision of life eternally with you so I could accept it. Thank you that those people sowed the word without predetermining whether or not I would respond. I confess that too often I do not share the truth of the gospel because I think it might be rejected. Please forgive the foolishness of that approach to sowing your word. Please help me to follow every step of your lead so I do, in fact, sow your word wherever, whenever, and however you want, without ever failing to sow because I think it may not do any good. It is not up to me to determine anything like that, and please forgive me for thinking it is. My role is to sow and leave the results in your very capable hands. Please help me to do that in accordance with your will. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you responded to the sowing of the truth of God’s provision so you know you will spend eternity in His presence when it’s time? If no, why is that? Is it because no one has sown or is it because you have rejected the truth? If the latter, why would you do that? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing in sowing the truth of God’s provision so others have the opportunity to accept it? Are there certain people or groups of people who are not the subject of your sowing because you think they will not respond? Isn’t their response up to God, not you?