We can often have wilful blindness to the thorns that choke out the word of God from our lives.
When we tune out the word of God around us, we become more and more desensitised to it, and can eventually become enemies of it. This is a very dangerous place to be because we could miss the opportunity to know our Creator. The reverse is also true; that those who engage with the word of God around them, are granted more of it. In one of His parables, Jesus spoke of the thorns that can choke out the word of God from our lives. In this article, I explore what these thorns can look like in our daily lives, and how we can overcome them and receive the mercy that God freely gives us daily.
Self-inflicted Deafness, and the Parable of the Sower
Jesus often spoke in parables and on one occasion (Matthew 13) His disciples asked Him why this was the case, and Jesus went on to explain that the reason for this was to both conceal and reveal matters of the kingdom of heaven. He went on to explain that this was because those who cultivate what they already know of the word of God are given the wisdom to understand more of the things of God, but those who take the word of God lightly will have their senses dulled to anymore of the word of God since they’re not interested anyway. I must admit, this felt a little harsh to me, but I read on. Jesus then goes on to explain that this latter group of people (the ones disinterested in God’s word) are fulfilling a prophecy by Prophet Isaiah:
“And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.””
Isaiah 6:9-10 NLT
Okay, allow me to give some context… When God gave Isaiah the instructions to prophecy these very direct words, it was at a time when the people of Judah were living in such wickedness and idolatry and, quite frankly, God had had enough. The way I understand this is in this way: through their actions, the people were telling God that they did not want to walk with Him in a loving relationship. So, God said ‘so be it… if you don’t want to be with me, you won’t hear from Me’. Essentially, this meant that when the word of the Lord would be spoken, those who were already hostile to Him would become even more hostile. It’s as if God went on their phones and blocked Himself from there so they wouldn’t receive His calls and texts. Sobering. The reality that we can shut ourselves off from the One who loves us most is a grave one.
Now, going back to Jesus and His conversation with the disciples…
The conversation initially came about after Jesus had told the parable of the sower who went to his field to sow some seeds. As the sower sowed, some seed fell on the footpath and was eaten by birds, some fell on rocky ground but couldn’t grow due to a lack of depth. Other seed fell among thorns which choked the seeds out as they grow, and finally, other seed fell on good soil that yielded much grain. Jesus then gave the interpretation of the parable, explaining what it meant:
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [regarding salvation] and does not understand and grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy; yet he has no [substantial]root in himself, but is only temporary, and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away [abandoning the One who is the source of salvation]. And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.”
Matthew 13:19-23 AMP
God in the Periphery
I would like to focus on the the seed that feel among the thorns and delve into what might be meant by ‘the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness … of riches choke the word’. These are the very things that deafen us to the word of God and make us lose our sensitivity and even desire for Him.
In my testimony, I explained how God was always in the periphery of my life, and I didn’t really know Him. For me to be aware of Him, I must have heard of and about Him from those around me for over two decades, but it wasn’t until the past two years that I gave my life to Him and truly received Him into my heart and surrendered. Going back to the parable, the seeds were constantly being sowed, but they were not taking root and being allowed to deepen. Why is that? Because, put bluntly, I did not want to let the seeds grow, and it was not a priority for one reason or another at those earlier times of my life.
There are at least three moments in my life when I responded to an alter call, but there was no real change within me or in my life… I would make a start but could not sustain it. In hindsight, I’ve come to realise that the Holy Spirit of God did not dwell within me because I didn’t truly invite Him in. I had tried to walk a life of faith in my own strength, which is impossible to do because we live in a world that is against it. I now know that in order to live a life that is worthy of your calling, you need the One who calls. What I had done is respond to a call but did not ask what I was being called to and from what. I assumed that all I needed to do from that point on was abstain from the things I assumed God didn’t like and hope for the best. At the time, I had no concept of relationship with God. I honestly can’t remember if I was taught about it in church (when I did attend), but either way, my heart was not yet receptive because I didn’t truly want it to be. I didn’t ask God for help, because, maybe low-key, I wanted to fail so I could continue enjoying the things I knew He didn’t like. And because I had an idea of His forgiveness, I sort of just hoped that it would all be okay.
Pride & Pain: A Thorny Duo
Pride:
Pain and pride were doing a number in their duet dance within me. Experiences from the past led me into being a person who wanted to take matters into their own hands, become hyper-independent, self-made, and with 6 figures in their bank account. All so that I could say ‘Look at me, I did it all by myself with all this talent I have’. I’m not slating material achievements at all, listen I also want to be successful, and look fine while doing it too. The issue comes when the thing that drives us is the fear of failure or the desire to prove others wrong. Thought processes such as this are not of God and will deceive you into thinking that you are all that you need. This is a lie and a distraction – a thorn designed to cause dullness to the word of God.
In the midst of material success achieved in trying to rescue myself, there were moments where I was convinced that I was doing pretty good, and I had figured it all out. More often than not though, I was aware of the undeniable feeling that something lacked, and the extras I did for pleasure to drown it out simply did not cut it for me anymore.
Eventually, something became clear: God gives us the very talent and ability that would enable the 6 figures and what not, and it is imperative that I do all of those things under His guidance and covering. And in doing so, I walk in His will, in His way. Pride will lead us to believe that we are self-made and self sufficient. We are not: the very talent we have to do what we do in order to feel like we don’t need God, it comes from the same God.
Pain:
What also prevented a heartfelt pursuit for God was the resentment I had for Him about areas of my life that I know He could have prevented hurt. I did not trust and believe in His goodness because it hadn’t manifested in my life in the way I would have had it. Because of this, I was dull and unreceptive to the simple truth that He is still good even when that goodness doesn’t look like what I expect it to. Thorny.
God pursues us in different ways, and I cannot speak on them all, but for me, it was the unshakeable feeling that something was lacking – a void. This sometimes manifested in sadness and tears that I couldn’t explain. Although I had a good job, health, and lived a relatively nice life and all the things, there was a deep sense of something being amiss. This feeling led me down a journey of self-help and therapy which was okay for a little bit, until it wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I got some insight and answers from that journey, but there was more to learn about myself. However, the perspective had to be through the eyes of the One who made me. I honestly think we all need Jesus AND a side of counselling – yes, with Jesus being the main meal. I use ‘counselling’ to refer to anything that helps you explore your behaviour, thought processes and the reasons for them, including books etc. Anyway, I have digressed.
The revelation I had was this: pain is a gateway to God, the One who heals. If I am a created being (and I am), surely the One who created me is the only one who knows how to fix me. I could only do so much. Think of a computer, it has troubleshooting capabilities that are built into it, but even those have limitations and eventually the person who built it must be consulted.
A Mercy we Might Miss
The void I felt was actually mercy from God. In His own way, He was calling me to Him because He knew that the void would force me down a journey that would ultimately lead me to Him. Some of the most painful things that happen to us can be repurposed in God’s presence. Please understand I’m not trying to downplay the pain that people experience – there is real evil in this world. It doesn’t please God, and He will deal with it. The point is that God is merciful even when it doesn’t feel like it and our circumstances are beyond our understanding. However, this doesn’t make His mercy any less true.
What can happen to many of us is this: pain, bitterness, unforgiveness and anger towards God are masked by a drive for success and achievements which very easily become the thorns that choke out the very word of God that we need to heal us. As humans, we are vessels – cars that are driven if you will. We are either being driven by God, or something else. I don’t want to wait till the end to find out who the driver was and have Jesus tell me that He never knew me (Matthew 7: 21-23).
If we ignore the call because we don’t like what has led to the call, or even how the call came about, we are doing ourselves a huge disservice. We miss the opportunity to see the thorns in our lives and to be granted the strength to root them out.
Thankfully, He didn’t give up on me and my senses did not completely diminish. God kept calling me, and for that I am eternally grateful. He calls everyone, for it’s His desire that everyone should come to know Him, and for the wounds caused by the thorns in our lives to be healed.
If you are reading this, and have not surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, I believe that you being here, in this moment, reading this is, is one of the ways through which God is pursuing you and asking you to get to know Him. Don’t let your senses diminish, He has a purpose for you.