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“And others are the ones sown with seed among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful" (Mark 4:18,19).  "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple" (Psalm 27:4). "One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13,14).

In the last two messages we have been considering three choking thorns (weeds) that Jesus taught about in the parable of the sower; the first two being the worries of the world (Wednesday's message) and the deceitfulness of wealth (Thursday's message).

The final thorn (weed) Jesus mentioned that has a choking impact on the newly germinated seed is “the desires for other things". All throughout history mankind has had a desire for these “other things”, beginning at the Fall when the desired "other thing" was the forbidden fruit.

Jesus does not specify what these other things are and the lack of specificity assures that this is a timeless message applying to all generations. I can’t smugly read the passage and feel "that sure doesn’t apply to me". Indeed I regularly deal with the desires for other things and expect this will continue to be a challenge for the rest of my life!

Spurgeon asserts that "all things except the things of Christ and of the Father are ‘other things’.  If anybody spends his life on any object, however good, short of the glory of God, the good seed is choked by the 'inferior' object."

F.B Meyer sees these other things as the "strong and inordinate desires for what may be right in itself, but which we follow with extravagant zest. What is right in itself may become wrong if we put it in God’s place, and allow it to monopolize us unduly."

Let us be thankful for our material blessings, abilities, learned skills, and variety of interests and whatever the "other things" may be that God has given to each of us. It certainly makes our lives here below more comfortable and pleasurable. It also gives us common ground with others who share similar interests.

At the same time we must be careful to submit our desires for these "other things" to Christ so that He will help us with proper prioritization, lest the other things become choking weeds. Above all, may the pursuit of following Jesus be the passion and desire of our hearts, as these "other things" fit into His plan for our lives in their proper place.

David in Psalm 27 expresses the singular focus that honors God, "One thing I ask from the Lord". Paul in Philippians 3 writes of his focus, "One thing I do".

Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber