Luke 8:5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.”
Jesus tells a parable about people who hear the Word of God, and how they respond. His hearers likely expected something quite different from Him. They had come to hear great things, and heard a story about the limited number of them who would actually hear the truth and take it to heart. They wanted a wonder, and instead received a warning.
In this first verse of the parable Jesus describes seed that fell in the wrong place. This is when the Word of God is given to those who the bearer knows will not hear. The chance of taking root is non-existent. Thus, this group will hear, yes, but nothing at all will come of it. The enemy makes quick work of making sure this seed has no chance to get implanted.
It will be helpful here to note that most of the activity of the devil is revealed in this parable. The vast majority of his time is spent preventing the implantation of the seed of the Word, or choking it in the lives of those who have received it. There is very little else for him to do. Humanity without the word will by their very nature fall for his most basic traps and are fairly simple to manage. It is those who have tasted of the heavenly gift that he must watch for. It gets very difficult to deal with saints that can each produce an exponential yield. Thus, he has to focus on the prevention of that at all costs.
Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us the truth. You don’t hide from us the way things really are. I am glad to know. May I always be a planter. The seed of the Word is our most precious commodity, and we must be faithful with it. You have given this task, thank You for it! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.