The sower sows the word. (Mark 4:14)  God is faithful about sending us His word.  It reaches us in various ways.  Most people I know don’t think they could ever lose God’s word.  How could anyone lose the words of God.  Could you lose Shakespeare or Plato?  I have some stuff that’s gotten into my head that I wish would go away.  Jesus is making the case in this passage that you can lose the revelation of the Lord.  Wow!  In fact, Jesus gives a short discourse on how this process takes place in our lives.  So God’s word to us does have a shelf life unless it is acted upon quickly. Jesus offers four different scenarios in Mark 4.   

1. The word is actually stolen from us.  ¹⁵ These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.  I don’t ever remember feeling like Satan was stealing God’s word from me.  Of course, you never realize your being stolen from unless the person is caught.  I have never caught him.  In reality, I  don’t think he goes into our minds and retracts God’s word.  I do believe he speaks lies and falsehoods that counter what truths we are given.  As long as he can negate the word of God, he wins and we continue in disbelief.  Unless we believe and tuck God’s word away in our belief system, Satan can come into our life like a bird and eat our seed.  This probably happens in the first 24 hours of a revelation. 
2. The word is challenged and we give up on it.  ¹⁶ In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; ¹⁷ and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.  I can relate to this scenario.  When I was a newbie believer, I was so excited about everything I learned.  Like Jesus suggests, I was shallow.  When someone would challenge what I was learning, many times I caved in and lost the word.  After several times of starting over, I began to develop a root system.  This probably happens in the first two or three days of receiving a revelation. 
3. The word is choked out of our lives because of worldly cares and concerns.  ¹⁸ And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, ¹⁹ but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  The word of God cannot thrive when it has to constantly compete with other worldly issues in our life.  Our mind, heart, and spirit resemble a natural garden.  If you allow weeds to take over your garden, they will eventually outgrow your plantings.  Weeds grow faster than plants.  This is why you have to do something about them early and often.  It is a fact….weeds will take over!  Unless we deal with the worldly weeds in our life, God’s revelations will be choked out.  This happens within the first week of receiving a word from God. 
4.  The Word is given the right place to grow.   20 And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”   Just as the three examples are so bad, this fourth one is equally as good.  Our mind, heart, spirit, and soul can be perfect places for the Lord to place His revelation.  There is a promise attached to the good soil.  The good soil gets to bear fruit because the word is accepted right from the beginning! 

      There is hope in this passage.  The first three scenarios can be corrected.  I know because I have had to correct these issues in my life.  You can too!  The date on God’s word to you doesn’t have to expire.  Purpose today to make yourself the perfect place for God’s word. 

Blessings!