Block I

Luke 8:⁵ [NIV] “A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.” [with emphasis]

Jesus explains Luke 8:⁵ in Luke 8:¹² “Those along the footpath are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes along and takes away the word from their hearts, so they cannot believe and be saved.” In order to hear the voice of God, the first thing we must do is to cultivate an open mind. Just like a closed fist, a closed mind cannot receive from God. So what exactly is a closed mind? The hardened path is a closed mind. But what makes the soil hardened? On a farm, typically the pathway is where the farmer and his workers walk through. It is the path on which work equipment, farm supplies, fertilizers and so on are carried to and from the farm. Over time, the trampling of their feet and weight of their bodies causes the soil to become hardened. That is what the Bible refers to as the hard pathway.

When a farmer is scattering his seeds, some seeds will inevitably fall on that hard pathway. The soil in that area has become so compacted that the seeds cannot germinate, such seeds become food for birds. Similarly, some people’s minds have become like that pathway – hard and narrow. Some people are so narrow minded that even when they hear the Word of God, they cannot even see what God is saying. His or her mind is so closed, hard, and does not have the capacity to embrace what God is saying. Many times, we never even give God a chance to talk. Our minds are closed and our hearts are hardened and we are unwilling to listen. If you are unwilling to listen, you are hardened and you cannot tune to God. There are three main things that cause us to have a closed mind. These three mental blocks are; Pride, Fear and Bitterness.

#1. Pride is a major mental block. It is pride that makes certain people question the need for God or for God’s help. You hear statements like, “When I can take care of myself, provide my water, provide my food, take care of my children, who needs God? Sometimes we do not verbalize it but that is what our actions suggest. You do not see the need to thank God for the food in front of you; all you want to do is eat.  What do your actions say?

Prayer [song]: Change my heart O God, make it ever true. Change my heart O God, may I be like You. You are the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, this is what I pray. Amen!