"The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 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. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience." Luke 8:11-15
The disciples wanted an explanation of the parable of the seed. It is about those who are not Christians, those who are but fall away in the race, and those who are faithful and finish the race run well - faithful to the One who has called them. There is much more to be said about the parable, but I will save that for another time.
There are many people who start out strong with their faith and then their interest in living a sanctified life seems to fade away. I used to run a lot - a long time ago. 10K's and 8 mile runs. I remember there would be some in those runs who would take off like rabbits at the sound of the starting pistol. About 2 miles into the race, I would often see them walking or pulled on the side of the road. They had great intentions.
I would run 5 miles a day and 10 miles on Saturdays to prepare for those "fun runs". My goal was to finish, not first, but doing the best that I could do. Keeping my eyes fixed on the finish line. Run my pace, and as we used to say in the Army - "rock steady". The preparation required sacrifice on my part. Blisters, shin splints, rain or shine, hot or cold. Setting time aside to run. With respect to our faith, if you don't discipline yourself, if you don't accept that running in the race of faith is going to require sacrifice, you may not finish well.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." - Hebrews 12:1
What is it that is weighing you down? Preventing from running well? You need to cast it off. Your old nature will push back. Human reasoning will step in and try to convince you that you must hang on to that something because you really need it. That only means that you are in a spiritual struggle. It is a battle for the devotion of your heart. As I told a friend, if you are not getting shot at, spiritually speaking, you are not in the battle or the race. You are merely a by-stander. My hope for me is that I can say with Paul at the end of my days on this earth.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2 Timothy 4:7
That is my hope for you as well!
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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