Having a living faith

“Some seed fell by the wayside; and

the birds came and devoured them.”
Matthew 13:4

How is it that some men hear the Word of God gladly, while others allow the birds—that is, wicked spirits—to devour their good seed?

The Old Testament Joseph was told a dream by Pharaoh’s baker with whom he was in prison: “There were three white baskets on my head. In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head” (Genesis 40: 16, 17). Joseph interpreted the dream to mean that the baker would be hanged on a tree.

The renowned rabbi of Dubna was asked how Joseph could have known this. He answered, “A painter once painted a man with a basket of bread on his head. Birds came to eat from the picture, believing that it was real bread. A man said, ‘What a good painter! How natural he made the bread look!’ He was not a good painter. He did not make the man look natural enough to frighten the birds, or they would not have come. Likewise, Joseph understood that if the birds dared come to the baker, then he must be a dead man.”

The wicked spirits cannot take away the seeds of the Word of God from a living Christian, but only from one who looks rather like a scarecrow. Scarecrows don’t scare spirits. Be sure your faith is a living faith.

Excerpted from Reaching Toward the Heights by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, VOM’s founder.

Want to read more? Reaching Toward the Heights is 365-day devotional in which Pastor Wurmbrand draws upon his own experience in prison and the testimonies of other persecuted Christians to encourage us to elevate our relationship with the Lord. See what 365 days of immersion in God’s love can do for your soul. Order your devotional for $10 today!