FROM THORNY GROUND TO GOOD SOIL

Matthew 13:7–8, 22–23

7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it.

Everyone has regrets. We often think, "I shouldn't have done that," or "Why did I allow this into my life?" These regrets become thorns that fill our hearts with worry, guilt, and deception, preventing us from living the fruitful life God intends.

In the Parable of the Sower, the first two groups—the wayside and the rocky ground—represent hard-hearted people who reject God's Word. The other two groups—the thorny ground and the good soil—represent people who sincerely receive the Word and desire to follow God.

If both groups have accepted the Word, why does one bear fruit while the other remains unfruitful? What are the thorns preventing them from taking root?

Where did the thorns come from?

Genesis 1:31 (ESV)

[31] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

Everything God created in the Garden of Eden was good. He created it for our enjoyment. Thorns were not part of His original creation.

Genesis 3:6 (ESV)

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some of its fruit and ate.

Eve believed the devil's definition of what was "good." She listened, looked, desired, and finally ate.

Genesis 3:18

[18] It will produce thorns and thistles for you.

Because of sin, the ground began to produce thorns and thistles. They were the result of the Fall, not God's original design.

By nature, everyone desires good things. God Himself created many good things for us to enjoy. When we enjoy God and the gifts He gives, those blessings never choke us. When we become friends of God, we delight in what delights Him.

But like Eve, we often pursue the things the devil presents as good. When we embrace those false "goods," they eventually become thorns and thistles in our lives.

Thorns always choke.

When we pursue what God never intended for us, we often end up angry, disappointed, anxious, guilty, or hurt. We allow those voices to choke our spiritual life, and sometimes we ourselves become thorns in the lives of others.

Set Free in Christ

Christ came to set us free. He wants us to soar like an eagle, high above the thorns.

Exodus 3:8 (ESV)

[8] I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Egypt was a place of suffering for Israel. Although God led them into a land filled with blessings, they still carried spiritual thorns in their hearts. Because of that, they lacked the strength to follow Him wholeheartedly and repeatedly fell into sin and idolatry.

When the people wanted to crown Jesus as king, He withdrew because He knew it was not the crown His Father had prepared for Him.

Instead, Jesus accepted a crown of thorns.

He wore our thorns so that we could be free from them. Through His suffering, sinful people were given the opportunity to be reconciled to God.

Why do we still have thorns in our lives?

Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd." A shepherd lovingly guides, protects, and trains his sheep. He leads to GREEN PASTURE and also through DARK VALLEY. God's primary concern is to shape our hearts into complete submission to Him.

Know the "Good in the Thorns"

Speaking of His crucifixion, Jesus said, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified."

Although the cross was painful beyond imagination, Jesus called it glory because it fulfilled the Father's will.

Likewise, Paul regarded imprisonment, beatings, persecution, and suffering as glory because they drew him closer to Christ.

When God Himself becomes the greatest good in our lives, every circumstance He allows ultimately serves a good purpose.

Under the New Covenant, God Himself is our greatest good.

Sometimes blessings come wrapped in painful circumstances. Even bitter experiences become instruments of blessing when they come from the hand of a good God.

True goodness is not found in the world. God alone is truly good.

The thorns of persecution, trials, and suffering become good when they bring us nearer to Him. Just as Moses encountered God in the burning bush, the very thorns that hurt us may become the place where we meet God.

All Things for Good

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

God works all things—our wrong choices, foolish decisions, and regrets—for good.

Under the New Covenant, the curse is when our hearts turn away from God. The blessing is when our hearts are turned toward Him.

No more regrets!

Other Important Thoughts

Don't crown yourself with the crown of the world, but with the crown that God gives.

If we are filled with worldly fruit, our hearts become filled with thorns and thistles.

Eve simply looked at the fruit before it led to a great sin. Likewise, a serious sin often begins with something that appears harmless before it grows into a painful thorn.

Eden belonged to God, but Adam and Eve were entrusted to care for it. When we recognize that every blessing belongs to God and that we are only stewards of His gifts while we are on earth, we are able to enjoy them rightly.

If the Father has allowed something into your life and you are unable to understand its purpose, ask Him to reveal it to you.

God's goodness toward us is eternal.

God's good produces fruit. The devil's "good" produces thorns and thistles.