Numbers 3-6, Mark 4

The beginning of Mark 4 is the Parable of the Sower. The story says that there is a farmer who sows seed. Some gets eaten by birds, some is sown in shallow soil, some is choked by weeds, and some fell on fertile soil that grew and produced a crop and multiplied. This story is about our hearts, and how receptive we are to the word.

Mark 4:18-19 says "Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful."

I find this interesting in. The seed doesn't die, like the seed eaten by the bird or in shallow soil. It's still there, it's just doing nothing. It is unfruitful. And what makes it unfruitful? Being distracted by things that are temporary. What does it mean to be fruitful? I looked up "fruit" to see other references to it in the bible. Some that are explanatory to me are:

Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Ephesians 5:8-9 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)."

Colossians 1:6 All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.

It seems that there are two kinds of fruit: internal and external. Internal fruit being the fruits of the spirit, being a better person as you could only be as brought about by the Spirit of the Lord. The external fruit is spreading the gospel and growing the church.

I think it's interesting that money is brought up here - again. The deceitfulness of wealth. What does this mean? How is wealth deceitful? In my opinion, wealth promises things will be easier, things will be better, the more money you have the happier you are. So we pursue it. We want the stuff. If only my house was bigger, my car was better, my clothes were nicer; maybe then. In my time in public accounting I saw many wealthy people. Some of them were happy and had great families and friends and others had very messed up family lives. Money does not create or prevent happiness. It's easy to get caught in the trap that if we just had more stuff we'd be happier so be careful when you think about money.

Dear Lord, help me to hear the word and accept it. Please help me to bear fruit: thirtyfold, sixty, or a hundred.