That which beareth thorns and briers is rejected

Heb 6:7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.


When the earth gives us food, we are blessed. Try depending upon a garden and have that garden ruined by drought. The devastation for those who depend upon the earth, the rain, to bring forth their sustenance is life threatening. We who go to grocery stores to fill our cupboards with food have little concept of depending upon the earth for our very lives. I might be disappointed that my tomatoes were ruined, that my beets never took, that my zucchinis produced only one deformed zucchini and my carrots were a complete wash out but that disappointment is short lived when I know I can go to a store and get what I need to live. Someone who depends upon the ground around them, someone who depends upon the rain and the sun to give them a full garden of food so they can canned and store that food for the winter months because they have NO other food, truly understands the blessings that God gives to them when their gardening is a success. When all a garden bears is thorns and briers, weeds and deformed fruits and vegetables that garden is a failure and worth NOTHING. That garden might as well be burned because it has nothing of value in it what so ever.


Again we're reminded of the parable of the sower. Seed is sown and various things happen to the seed to ruin it, but seed sown correctly brings forth good fruit.


If God's word is the seed being sown it will bring forth good fruit IF it is sown correctly. The ground that receives it has to be tilled correctly- the rocks removed, the seed planted deeply enough, the thorns dug up. If we HEAR the word of the Lord and RECEIVE it, then the result is good fruit unto God.


We have to HEAR and RECEIVE, you can hear without receiving. I can hear you tell me a story but not really listen and be able to only tell you bits and pieces of what you said. Or I can hear you tell me a story and really listen and be able to repeat that story back to you. If I truly receive the words you are saying they will stay with me, I will remember them for a long time. We have to HEAR and RECEIVE.


Heb 6:7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.


The result of not growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord, the result of not growing up from spiritual babes to spiritual adults, the result of hearing but not receiving the word of God is a painful death that is eternal in its results.


We have to receive, we have to constantly grow, we have to live our lives for our Savior in word and deed, in all we do.


Satan wants to stop us and he will use every trick in his book to do so. If he can't stop you from being God's with an outright attack he'll change tactics and sneak in to slowly degrade your walk with Christ- the end result will be the same. He doesn't care HOW it's done, as long as it's done. He doesn't care if his methods meet any stereotypical actions he's supposed to use- he's just as pleased to see you stop growing and stagnate as a babe forever drinking milk and never growing in knowledge, growing in grace as he is to see you brought down with one fell chop of disappointment in life and have you blame God for it. Sometimes we can see people brought low- people who have walked with God and grown with Him are suddenly and with great spiritual violence wrested from Him and we can cry out against Satan's blatant attack. Other times we barely notice it happening.


We have to constantly grow in grace and knowledge. If we're not growing we're dying and quite possibly dead.


Mar 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
Mar 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
Mar 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
Mar 4:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
Mar 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Mar 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.


Mar 4:14 The sower soweth the word.
Mar 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
Mar 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
Mar 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
Mar 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
Mar 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Mar 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.


By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we become spiritual adults and keep spiritually growing in HIS grace and knowledge, bringing forth good fruit.


In His love! By His forgiveness, In His righteousness!


Amen.