As we continue in our study of the Parable of the Sower, we are learning the phases our hearts go through to become good ground for GOD’S WORDS to grow and manifest.
We are currently learning about the phase of the THORNS, or the SCHEMES the enemy uses to choke out our growing persuasion of the promises of God. We learned last time that we will become enticed to entertain distractions instead of keeping our gaze fixed on Jesus, Who is the Word and Author of our faith.
In this devotional, we will discuss another scheme of the enemy…DECEPTION!
As I mentioned in an earlier devotional, satan stays busy sowing HIS OWN SEEDS of thought into our hearts. These “tares,” as the Bible calls them, look and seem like real faith. As our fruit begins to mature, however, these weeds are revealed for what they really are…twisted truth (subtle lies) which has sown deception in our heart.
We are deceived when we are duped to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid. The scary thing about deception is we don’t realize we are deceived until it is revealed to us!
Our maturing fruit represents the outward evidences of our believing. The Bible calls these evidences “works.” Works are expressed through our words and actions.
Works are a vital part of our faith. The Bible says in James 2:20 that “faith without works is dead,” meaning that true faith will always have corresponding action.
Deception, however, will produce works that SEEM legitimate, but in the end fail to produce any results, leaving us frustrated, burned out, and tempted to give up.
When it comes to the subject of works, satan desires to deceive us into thinking WE MUST WORK TO APPEASE God to act on our behalf. This sets us up to think, “I am pleasing God by the things I do, so He will do for me. I am reading the word, praying, and fasting so surely the Lord will move on my behalf!”
This kind of “working” is produced out of deception because according to 2 Peter 1:3, GOD HAS ALREADY GIVEN US EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness! All the promises of God have ALREADY been fulfilled in Christ! (2 Corinthians 1:20)
In Ephesians 1:3, it says “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who HAS BLESSED us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.”
Did you notice in the verse above the reason these things have been given to us? It is because we are united with Christ, not because we do things to please God!
Christianity is a relationship where you do not have to work for your salvation. Remember though, these blessings have been given to us in SPIRITUAL form. Our BELIEVING is the bridge that brings them from the spiritual realm into the natural. “According to your faith, be it done unto you.” Matthew 9:29
Spend some time the following meditating the following verses declaring the abundance of our spiritual blessings. There are many more than these. There are over 6000 promises in the Word of God!
*We are forgiven and made holy, righteous, and blameless before our Father. (Colossians 1:22)
*We are healed! (Matthew 8:17)
*We are free from shame and condemnation! (Romans 8:1)
*We are free from the power of bondage and addiction! (Colossians 1:13)
*We are abundantly provided for! (2 Corinthians 9:8)
*We are free from mental torment! (Isaiah 53:5)
So, if faith without works is dead, “what must WE DO to work the works of God?” (John 6:28) The people who saw Jesus performing miracles asked Him this question. Jesus answered their question in the next verse: “this is the work of God: to BELIEVE in the One He has sent.” (John 6:29)
The Bible says we are to labor, but our labor is not in trying to please God so He will move on our behalf. Our “work” is to bring our mind which is hostile to God into alignment to BELIEVE what has already been given to us. It is the Holy Spirit who shows us the things that have been “freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12)
We labor to enter the rest of God, which is the place of believing. (Hebrews 4:3) We labor by MEDITATING on the things God has spoken to us through reading the Word, praying in the Spirit, fasting, etc.
Instead of moving God, meditating moves US, as our minds are brought into a place of stillness before Him, knowing HE is all we need. Joshua 1:8 tells us the necessity of speaking to ourselves and thinking deeply on what God says…
“This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. FOR THEN, you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.”
Mark 4:24 AMPC says, “be careful what you are hearing. The MEASURE OF THOUGHT AND STUDY you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of VIRTUE AND KNOWLEDGE that comes back to you—and more will be given to you who hear.”
Now THIS is an amazing verse! It’s saying that the proportion to which we study and think deeply on the words of God will be the returning amount of virtue, or POWER, and KNOWLEDGE of those truths, bringing our spiritual freedom into physical reality!
Meditating and obeying everything Jesus tells us to do will guide us into fully matured faith without doubt. When we are fully persuaded in what God has spoken over us, the “works of God” that war against our circumstances will be expressed with ease. What is in abundance in our heart will flow out of us naturally, fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit instead of our own strength!
THEN:
We will pray and ask without doubt because when we are fully persuaded, our fears have been dissolved. (James 1:6-7)
We will speak boldly and declare our belief because God says “we believe, therefore we speak.” (2 Corinthians 4:13)
We will act as though we believe. (Think about it: if we truly believed our house was going up in flames, we would be running for an exit!) (James 2:18)
We will command the obstacles in our paths to move out of our way because we are confident God has revealed His will to us, and we will not settle for anything less! (Mark 11:23)
We will praise God in joy and peace because we have our spiritual eyes fixed on the final outcome, even before we can see it with our physical eyes. (Romans 15:13)
All of these “works” will be expressed as a natural byproduct of our absolute belief in what God has told us.
Jesus said He could do NOTHING of HIMSELF. If Jesus could do nothing in His own strength, what makes us think we can? DECEPTION! It is in this phase of the thorns that the thoughts and intentions of our heart (the WHY behind what we are doing) is revealed.
We must ask ourselves, “Am I doing things to try and get God to move on my behalf?” Or, is it because of a CONFIDENCE that He has ALREADY moved and purchased EVERYTHING I need for this life and enables me to be godly.
As the Holy Spirit guides us into the truths that reveal the tares for what they are, He is then able to set us free from the enemy’s deception and lead us into all triumph! While listening to this song, ask Holy Spirit to reveal any thorns of deception choking out God’s truth in your heart.