The pathway we choose for our thinking determines the direction we travel. Faith and Action walk hand in hand. Belief always affects behavior.
Let’s face it. Sometimes choosing to think God’s way and not our own can be a fierce battle.
Jesus knew we would face battles and taught kingdom principles to equip us to navigate through this world—his way. He often used parables to teach, but the parable of the seeds seemed to prepare the way for the others…
Understanding the Lesson in the Seeds
Jesus told his disciples if they did not understand the parable of the seeds, they would not be able to understand the parables that would follow (Mark 4:13). The lessons it contained on hearing and receiving God’s Word would lay a foundation for their new life in Christ.
The seed of God’s Word endures forever. Truth is truth and it never changes, but we can choose to accept it or reject it.
Hearing and receiving God’s Word in our heart sounds so simple, yet as Jesus taught his disciples in the seed parable in Mark 4, sometimes the harvest does not come easily.
“The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away.” (Mark 4:14–15).
As sure as there is a God who loves us and wants to plant seeds of truth for an abundant harvest in our life, there is also an enemy of our soul whose lies can prevent the seed from taking root. He knows our thought life is powerful and would love nothing more than to fill our head with lies and turn us from God’s path.
This scripture passage says those seeds Satan took had fallen along a “footpath.” The Greek word for path is hodos and literally means “a traveled way.” Metaphorically, hodos also means “a course of conduct or a manner of thinking.”
Negative experiences in our life can create pathways and patterns of thinking that do not line up with God’s truth. We often stay on the old paths because they are comfortable and familiar—even though they are destructive to our life. Traveling down footpaths overtime can make them familiar and deeply ingrained in our subconsciousness.
Satan has observed your footpath and knows your ingrained patterns.
- He knows your history.
- He understands how wounds have affected your thinking.
- He knows just the right lies to feed you to play on your past hurts and block the truth God wants to plant in your heart.
Ahhh—but Jesus will help you take the road less traveled to create a harvest in your life! God’s Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Psalm 119:105). When you bring the lamp of his Word into your life, it exposes pathways of wrong thinking and gives you a new road map to follow (Mark 4:21–25).
Creating New Pathways by Changing Your Thought Life
Each moment is a new opportunity to create new pathways of thinking by hearing and accepting the truth. This is a process that takes time. It took time to create the destructive paths of wrong thinking in your life, and it will take time for you to renew your mind to God’s truth. But this is time worth taking.
As we renew our minds to the truths in his Word, those truths will begin to transform our minds.
This is why step three in the Nourish Bible Study Method is devoted to renewing your mind to truth. When I walked through the most difficult season of my life four years ago, I learned renewing my mind was an essential part of healing and had to become a part of my everyday routine.
Choosing the pathway of your thinking determines the direction you will travel. God’s truth often requires you to take the road less traveled in your thinking but leads to the journey you were created to live.
Nourish Scripture: Mark 4
Download Nourishing Your Heart to learn how to connect with God’s Word and change your thought life for the better!
Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.
