For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

But for some of you folks here - But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Matthew 13:15-17

Some of you have seen things that most preachers and pastors haven't seen yet!

Here at Touchet, we HAVE tasted that the Lord is gracious!
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
I Peter 2:1-3

If you have not yet "tasted the Lord," it is not that God hasn't tried to feed you here! Maybe you still just haven't laid aside ALL malice, and ALL guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and ALL evil speakings...

Typical whine of most people in Bible Believing churches - even if the food has been put on the table, they complain that they haven't been fed!  Well, in more and more churches, food is NOT being put on the table like it should be.  They are changing the food so it will be eaten!!!

Jesus answers them well!
And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?  Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?  When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.  And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.  And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

Are you  still eating from the world?
Luke 4:3,4  And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Let's look at:

Could it be that your 'thorns' are just growing pains to keep you humble, etc.?

Colossians 3:12-15  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.  Do you have pains and little or no peace - and yet you are doing God's work in your life, etc.?

I Peter 5:5b-7  Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Be willing to grow - it hurts at times, but it is great!

There won't be many with you these days!!!
10: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
11: Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
12: And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
13: The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
14: Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
15: Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.

It gets pretty lonely at first...
16: At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

But the Lord is there with you!
17: Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
18: And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:18,19   And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Inhabitants - Numbers 33:55  But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

Nations - Joshua 23:11-13   Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.  Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:  Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

gods - Judges 2:1-3  And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.  And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?  Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.  And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

We are made free already - (not set yet - we must 'set' us free today)  John 8:32: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

You could even...
Perish off this good land...
(spiritual application, of course - no fellowship and all that goes with it...)

Proverbs 15:19  The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

...otherwise "your way" is full of thorns!  Proverbs 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

The way of the world with the thorns will make you...

• unfruitful
• no fruit being brought to perfection
• you won't see
• your daily walk will hurt - pain in the side...
• you will be caught the snare & trap of the world and it's their gods!

Proverbs 22:3: A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
Proverbs 22:4: By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

P.S.  Don't be afraid of doing right, either!
Ezekiel 2:6-8  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.  And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.  But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.