The "Thorny Soil" Path

Scripture Reading

“Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them...As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”  (Matt. 13:7, 22 ESV)

“And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it...And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”  (Luke 8:7, 14 ESV)

A Heart of Thorny Soil

There is again some soil, maybe even some rocks have been pulled out and so there is maybe some growth, but the soil is not good because weeds are already growing in it. Weeds rob the soil of nutrients and water the good plant needs and so it is, once again, malnourished and dies out. When something good is being added to something bad it kills off and/or distorts the good it’s joint with. Due to this, weeds grow, produce nothing of value, and rob everything good from the soil.
A person who has a “thorny soil heart” simply “adds” the words of the Father to their current life and ideology. As a result, the words of the Father are moved to a lower priority. We can define weeds or “cares of the world” as: “the deceitfulness of riches, riches, and pleasures of life.” While the old-growth needed to be pulled up and removed from their heart, this person allows it to grow. They maintain a  self-destructive thought process by attempting to just “add” God to their life. Believing, “I can keep the old and the new.” When in reality, the cares of the world will become the driver of life someday; draining every part of themselves in the process of maintaining the life they are trying to build.

Stories Around the Campfire

“I went to camp for the National Guard. It was a training exercise where you go and you do your best but, you really want to be done with them so you can get home. I'm very justice driven, very “treat people the way you want to be treated” and when people disrespect that or people are disrespecting each other or not putting in the full effort I get very frustrated. One day at camp I was put in a leadership position and we were trying to do a class and no one was putting in the effort. We had been at camp for two weeks and everybody was just over it. What they would do is they just wouldn't do anything and when you made a mistake or when there was an opportunity to be the “hero” they would do it in such a way that it was disrespectful to whoever was in leadership. So I was trying to teach a class and people were doing this to each other and me and I snapped. At the beginning of camp, I knew that I was supposed to be an example here to these people and at that moment I thought, “What example am I showing them of my character and heart. At that moment the charge and commission I had to show them how someone can live as a Son of God in that environment was snuffed out because of the way I handled them handling being at camp. Afterward, I apologized and moved on but, it’s something I do even outside of camp. I do it to my brothers where I think they are not acting the way I think they should and I snap or pick at people. I realize that when I do that I am snuffing out my example to them as a son of God.”

Calibration

- Can you relate to Judah’s story of when he had a heart of thorny soil? How so?
- What is an example of a time in your life when you had a heart of thorny soil?
- Do you often have a heart of thorny soil? How so? And Why?
- Ask your heavenly Father to help you pull the weeds out of your heart!