Reflect today on the many ways the Devil can come and take God's Word away from you

"Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes the word from their hearts so that they may not believe and be saved." Luke 8:12

This family story identifies four possible ways in which we hear God's Word. Some are like a beaten path, others like stony ground, others like a bed of thorns, and some are like fertile ground.

In each of these images there is a possibility of growth with the Word of God. The fertile ground is when the Word is received and bears fruit. The seed among the thorns is when the Word grows but the fruit is suffocated by daily difficulties and temptations. The seed sown in the rocky ground makes the Word grow, but eventually dies when life gets tough. The first image of the seed that falls on the path, however, is the least desirable of all. In this case, the seed does not even grow. The earth is so hard that it cannot sink. The path itself provides no nourishment, and as the above passage reveals, the Devil steals the Word before it can grow.

Unfortunately, this "path" is becoming more and more popular nowadays. In fact, many have a hard time really listening. We can hear, but listening is not the same as actually listening. We often have a lot to do, places to go and things to keep our attention. As a result, it can be difficult for many people to actually receive God's Word into their hearts where it can grow.

Reflect today on the many ways the Devil can come and take God's Word away from you. It can be as simple as keeping yourself so busy that you are too distracted to absorb it. Or it may be that you allow the constant noise of the world to contradict what you hear before it sinks in. Whatever the case may be, it is essential that you try to take, at least, the first step of listening and understanding. Once you have completed the first step, you can then work to remove the "rocks" and "thorns" from the soil of your soul.

Lord, help me to listen to Your Word, to listen to it, to understand it and to believe it. Help my heart eventually become a fertile ground that you enter to bear abundant good fruit. Jesus I believe in you.