“The other day,” Stan commented while we were waiting for our breakfast, “I was reading in Luke’s gospel about Jesus’ parable of the sower.”
“That’s an interesting parable,” I replied. “Lots of different parts to it.”
“You’re right,” Stan said. “Jesus was talking about a lot of different people, but I was mainly focused on the first group of people. Maybe later we can talk about other parts of the parable.”
“Okay,” I replied. “Remind me about the first group of people. Who were they?”
They were the ones on the side of the road when the sower came along sowing the word of God. The word that was being sown fell on the side of the road, but then Satan came along.”
“Yeah,” I said, “it seems like Satan always shows up and tries to ruin things!”
“You’re right about that,” Stan replied. “And in this instance, Satan did a whole lot more than just try to ruin things. He actually caused some serious damage.”
“What kind of serious damage?”
“It says that Satan took away the word from the hearts of those people, so that they didn’t believe and weren’t saved.”
“Didn’t believe and weren’t saved,” I replied. “Serious damage indeed!”
“Like for all of eternity,” Stan said. “And that’s a long time to not be saved because of unbelief.”
“Do you think those people could have avoided that?” I asked.
“I do,” Stan replied “As well, it seems to me that it’s the same thing today.”
“What same thing?”
“That people can avoid not believing and not being saved.”
“How?”
“Don’t just stand on the side of the road when the sower of the word of God comes along. They need to hear the word of God and do something about it. They need to do something other than just letting Satan do what he wants to do!”
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Bible verses to consider:
The sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell beside the road; and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. Luke 8:5.
And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. Luke 8:12.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.
If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved, for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9-10.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for sowing the truth of your provision of life eternally with you. Thank you for those who sowed that truth into me so I could accept it. I confess that too often I don’t sow the seed of your word so that others may come to the truth and have their lives and eternal destinations changed forever. Please help me to help them not just stand on the side of the road, but to hear, accept, and live your word in their lives. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Are you no longer standing on the side of the road in the sense that you know you will spend eternity in God’s presence because you have accepted what He sowed? If no, why? Why do you want to stay on the side of the road? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with sowing God’s word so that others can accept it and no longer be on the side of the road? If you sense the need for change, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 