THE STONE OF AFFLICTION
Mark 4:16–17 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
Affliction is something that Jesus said can get into your heart, your soil, and keep you from seeing the promises of God come to pass in your life. Proverbs 4:20–24 tells us how the issues of life, or what we can receive in life, flow from our heart, the center of us, which makes it very important what is going on in your heart, what is happening in your spirit. Proverbs 4 tells us about the gates to our heart, the eye gate, the ear gate, and the mouth gate. These gates are where we put the seed of the Word of God into our hearts, but they are also the doors and windows to our hearts that let in these stones, one of those stones being the stone of affliction.
What is affliction? It is something that causes pain or suffering. The devil loves to afflict with pain and suffering. It is part of his stealing, killing, and destroying. Those things bring affliction. If we let those challenges get in our heart, if we let that affliction that the devil sent get in and stay in our heart, it becomes a stone. Jesus said that if you have that in your heart, you will not be able to produce the result of the seed of the Word of God. The Word people receive is perfect; it is able to produce the desired results; it never returns void. Never! So it is the soil that is receiving this perfect seed that needs to change; and the good news is, it can be changed. And remember, even if you in the past have successfully removed these stones from your soil, you don’t want to let them back in.
When affliction tries to come to you, the best thing you can do is turn it around on the devil. You can overcome it, endure through it, and then use the victory to go further in the Lord. Job is a great example of someone who overcame great affliction, almost too much to imagine in such a short time. That affliction didn’t stop him. The devil tried to destroy him, but Job persevered and overcame. James 5:10–11 says, “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” You don’t have to let the affliction get in your heart and become a stone. Instead, you can turn it around and receive the promises of God. Job got double for his trouble, and so can you!