"And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop." — Mark 4:7 · NKJV
"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." — Mark 4:18–19 · NKJV
Thorny soil is where other growing seeds stunt the Word Seed. It grows but does not reach fruit-bearing maturity. The soil has good depth for good roots, but the other growing plants choke the growing Word Seed. The relationship of the soil to the Word Seed is that of divided attention, anxiety, greed, conflicting pursuits, and busyness — choking the Word until it is stunted and without fruit. This soil looks alive and good, but ends in sorrow with a harvest of only thorns.
The thorns of worry and competing pursuits lose their grip when we stop trying to control the outcome ourselves — the surrender at the heart of Strategy 5: TRUST. Letting go of what only the Spirit can do is what clears the ground for fruit.
