““A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.” Luke 8:5 ESV
Reflection: why is the devil compared with birds of the air?
During the winter months in Oklahoma, we have large flocks of black birds. I am no bird expert, but my understanding is that these are migrant birds, moving across most of North America. They hang out where they can find food, and are excellent at spotting food. Once they see it, they quickly swoop in and can pick a field or a tree clean in a very short time. And then move on to the next.
In the parable of the sower and the seed, the first group of people receiving the seed, the Word of God, Jesus explains as “fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.” Fell along the path could indicate those who, somewhat by accident hears the good news of the gospel. Not planned, but it falls anyhow. And instead of valuing this seed for what it is, it gets trampled down. Ignored. Ridiculed. Put on the back burner. Tucked away.
Now, notice that the seed still has a chance to grow. It is still there, in the soil. And the devil knows this. He knows very well the seed might take root. So he does what? Let’s read how Jesus explained it, “The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”Luke 8:12 ESV. Wow! Take the word from their hearts!! Did you know that the devil might have access to someone’s hearts?
The visual of the birds swooping in to devour the seeds is just stunning, when you think about it. Now, as followers of Christ, we tend to think of this part of the parable for those who have not accepted Christ yet. rBut let’s think about this for a moment, before we push this thought off that it is not relevant for us. Let me ask you to consider this. Have you ever heard a sermon, or someone giving you a word from the Lord, or even read something that in the moment resonated with you in a powerful way, but soon after the word somehow got lost? It didn’t bear fruit in your life? k
Sometimes our hearts can feel a bit “picked over”, as if seeds planted by the Lord have been taken away. But are we leaving our hearts open for being picked over, or are we properly “guarding our hearts”? We read, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 NIV.
Let’s keep in mind that our hearts are the garden fields the Lord is sowing His seeds of life into. Our enemy is watching, and waiting, trying to swoop in. We must guard our fields, every seed planted, so that we can bear fruit.