Men:
Wow, today's verse seems a harsh indictment, doesn't it?
"They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand".
How do you suppose a man gets to a place like that? What path of dark descent takes him there? The better question might be: how can I make sure that description never applies to me?
The scary truth is that it's easy to get there; in fact this world encourages you to be spiritually blind and stupid: allow a little sin here, it won't hurt you, nobody will know, close your eyes to that, it's just this once, if it feels good - do it! Jesus calls these things thorns in the Parable of the Sower, and explains that thorns stand for the deceits of life. And what do thorns do? Allow enough of them to grow, and they choke out the good growth. Not only that; they become snares and snags that will hinder your progress and even stop you altogether...and then you arrive in that dismal place that Isaiah describes: knowing nothing, unable to see, not even capable of understanding...unaware of your spiritual peril.
Guys, know this: if you get to that dark place, the hard truth is that you've allowed it and you've no one to blame but yourself. Jesus was clear in His explanation: thorns (deceits, sin) WILL imperil your Christian walk and cause you to be unfruitful.
Myself and several friends hunt a large property every year. There is a block of several acres that are absolutely clotted with multiflora rose. It is impenetrable. It's also where the deer hang out. The only way to access that area is by cutting trails through it with a walk-behind brush hog. It is hot, exhausting, and usually bloody work. Mowing down those thorns is very tough (I dread it!)...but because we do it, we almost never fail to take several deer out of there.
You see the parallel, of course. Men, we cannot allow thorns to populate the soil of our hearts. If there are thorns growing there already, do the hard work and cut them out.... before they steal your knowledge, blind you, and render you incapable of understanding.
Your Brothers in Christ,
Guywire Ministry
Copyright 2020
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