马太福音 13:22 撒在荆棘里的，就是人听了道，后来有世上的思虑、钱财的迷惑把道挤住了，不能结实。
如果你曾经有过在花园里种植的经验，你就会知道杂草生长得有多快，它会把你种下的好的植物都挤的水泄不通。例如小胡萝卜种子被野草和带刺的蓟所压垮。主耶稣用这幅画面来说明，神的道如何进入人的心里，却很快被“今生的忧虑和钱财的迷惑”所压倒。
我曾见过在繁忙的运动日程中长大的孩子，以至于你想知道他们在运动之外是否还有真正的生活。这成了令他们痴迷的事情。或许这是他们父母的执念。如果你进不了球队呢? 如果你从未被一所好大学录取?如果这已经成为你考虑的最多的事情，那么撒旦已经让你丧失了对上帝的信心。
或者，一个成年人把自己的事业作为人生中最重要的事情。晚餐后，会拿出笔记本电脑急忙回复一些电子邮件或阅读一些文件，以便提前完成明天的工作。长时间在办公室工作会让人精疲力尽，一天结束时大脑几乎停止运转。人们由于太爱这个世界的财富，以至于心里没有空间来容纳对耶稣的信仰。
耶稣把这称为财富的“欺骗”。无论是你在公司里成功晋升，还是你在运动中取得傲人成绩，潜在的谎言是，如果你成功了，你到达了顶峰，你就会很快乐。但是，当你到达顶端时，唯一的方向就是向下。但事实是，我们只有通过对主耶稣的信心，才能带给我们盼望和未来。
如果简单的生活能给我更多的时间和我的救世主在一起，那么这就是我的生活。我发现这是我必须不断提醒自己的事情。看看你这周的时间表。你可以在哪里做出简化，为耶稣和他的话语留下更多的空间呢?
祷告：亲爱的主耶稣，我祈祷我生命的焦点将与你一起开始和结束！当我把这个世界的忧愁抛在脑后，在你身上找到我的快乐和力量时，生活会变得更美好。当我的生活对你来说变得太忙乱时，请帮助我对这个世界的烦恼说“不”，而不是对你说“不”。奉主耶稣的名求。阿们！
Matthew 13:22:22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but ess of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
If you’ve ever planted a garden, you know how quickly weeds can spring up and crowd out the good plants which you have planted. Small carrot seeds are overwhelmed by quack grass and thistles. Jesus uses that picture to demonstrate how the Word of God can come into a person’s heart only to have faith quickly overwhelmed “by the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth.”
I see children growing up today with such busy sports schedules that you wonder if they have a real life outside of sports. It becomes their obsession. Or maybe it is really their parents’ obsession. And if you don’t make the team? If you never get recruited by a good college? If that has become the thing that you think about the most, then Satan has set you up for despair.
Or it may be an adult who makes his or her business the most important thing in life. The laptop comes out after dinner to answer some emails or read some reports to get ahead of tomorrow’s work. Long hours at the office leaves a person drained and almost brain dead by the end of the day. There is not enough room in a person’s heart for faith in Jesus and love for the wealth of this world.
And Jesus calls it the “deceitfulness” of wealth. Whether it is climbing the company ladder or being successful in your sport, the underlying lie is that if you make it to the top, you will be happy. Except, when you get to the top, the only direction is down. Only Jesus can offer us a hope and a future through faith in him.
If a simple life gives me more time with my Savior, then that’s the life for me. I find that it’s something I have to remind myself constantly. Look at your schedule for this week. Where can you simplify and leave more room for Jesus and his Word?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I pray that the focus of my life will begin and end with you! Life is better when I leave the cares and worries of this world behind and find my joy and strength in you. When my life becomes too crowded for you, then help me to say “no” to the worries of this world instead of saying “no” to you. I ask this in your name. Amen.