“A farmer planted seed… Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.”  Mark 4:3, 5–6 (MSG)  Satan knows that meditating in God’s Word is crucial for believers to grow. It’s why he invests so much effort trying to keep believers out of it!  One technique he uses is bringing trouble and persecution against you to get you offended and angry. Jesus explained that this tactic works well because many immature believers “fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word” (Mark 4:16–17, NLT).   You see, the more you grow in the Word, the greater threat you become to the enemy. So, Satan will try …

We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ.  2 Corinthians 10:5 (GW)  Have you ever played racquetball? I rarely win because I can never tell where the ball will go. By the time I think it’s headed in one direction, it has already bounced off two walls and is somewhere else!  Many people’s thought lives are like that, going in a thousand different directions at once. However, to meditate and allow God’s Word to sink in, we need to shut out distractions and focus. How do we do that? We follow the wisdom found in today’s verse and discipline our minds by taking distracting thoughts captive.   Now, that involves work and isn’t always easy. It reminds me of videos I’ve watched of …

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.”  Mark 4:3–4 (NLT)  Satan’s worst fear is that you get God’s Word rooted into your heart where it can begin to grow and produce a harvest. There is no greater threat to the enemy than a believer who knows who they are in Christ and isn’t afraid to pursue God’s plans for their life. The enemy uses several tactics to keep that from happening.   One way he tries to steal God’s Word from you is through distraction. If he can keep you busy, entertained or focused on anything else, he can keep you from spending …