Fertile Soil

Read: Mark 4: 14-20

In the parable in Mark 4:14-20 the farmer sows the seed of the Word of God. The seeds fall on four types of soil: upon the path, among the thorns, within the rocks and then on the good soil. The main emphasis of this parable is that the seed needs a place to send down its roots. If the ground is hard, thorny or rocky, there is no room for the roots. Only in the garden of prepared soil can the plant take hold and grow to full maturity.

Unless people avail themselves of the spiritual food provided in every Bible teaching, evangelical church they will wither up and die like the first three seeds in this parable. This is why these churches also offer Wednesday and Sunday night Bible studies, as well as extra classes for men, women, children and youth on Sunday mornings and during the week. The only way to withstand the winds of adversity or the scorching trials and temptations we encounter in this life is to have our roots sunk deeply into spiritually fertile earth.

Jesus said that we know His disciples by their fruit. If people are to produce fruit, they need good, rich, tilled, fertilized soil. Many churches are barren wastelands with nothing nutritious to offer the Believer. They focus on providing glitz and glitter to attract people, and then they supply only spiritual junk food, rather than wholesome provisions.

Once we receive God’s Word with conviction and repentance, we are ready to receive the proper nourishment. God raises up an army of teachers with every generation - those who faithfully sow the seeds of the truth of God’s Word. Find a Bible teaching, evangelical church, prepare your soil and start blooming.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, cause a hunger to blossom in our soul to search for and to find a disciple-making church. Provide us with teachers who share Your Word after seeking You in prayer. Lead us to a caring and loving fellowship of Believers. Even in these end times, please keep a remnant of these spiritual places where we can go and feast upon Biblical principles and in turn bear much fruit.

Thought for the Day:
A true relationship with the Living and Holy God is not a one-time event or a single prayer. It is a lifetime commitment.

Eternally Minded

Read: Luke 18:29-30

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

 - Hebrews 11:1

 

As I sat on my lanai, drinking a cup of hot cocoa and reveling in the cool breeze blending with the warm sunshine in southern most Florida, I reflected on the fact that I live so far away from my grandchildren who live in Missouri. I despise the fact that I rarely get to see them. Even when I plan a visit, their schedule and mine do not always coincide. I miss them, and they tell me all the time that they miss me.

I know I cannot live in more than one place at one time; so I petitioned God for some way to change my perspective. I did not want to feel this intense anguish over the great gulf of time and space that separates me from my cherished children. I could not do anything to change the situation; so I put it in God’s capable hands.

True to form, God clearly answered me, “Your grandchildren have Godly parents and you will have your grandchildren and their parents with you throughout eternity. I moved you to the southern tip of Florida, because there are people here who will not be in Heaven, if they do not have your and your husband's influence in their lives.”

My initial response was overwhelming joy at this insightful concept. I felt awed and privileged that my Lord and King would use me in such a way. Yet, in spite of the profound nature of God’s reply, I still struggled with submission to His will. This was yet another area of “self” that I needed to lay down on the brazen altar. I did not want to give up quantity time on this earth with my little munchkins. I longed to be involved in their lives on a daily basis. I did not want to be satisfied with an eternal perspective on this issue. I wanted to be with them now, as well as in eternity.

As I observed my response to God’s words, I realize that yet another level of attachment to this world remained entrenched in my soul. This caused the Holy Spirit to drench me with a double dose of conviction. Here lay in me an added area of carnal-mindedness. After over 40 years of walking with God on an intimate basis, I found one more area of my life still way too attached to this earthly realm. Sure, I have no affection for material possessions, worldly success, or recognition of any kind. Now, however, I realized that part of me is still very much bound to this world ~ the grandma part of me.

God is not as interested in our natural family as He is in our spiritual family. Mark 10:29-30, Luke 18: 29-30, and Matthew 19:29 all share this same concept. Luke 21:16,17 even states that some of our natural friends and family may actually deliver us up for persecution and death. Jesus makes it very clear that we will not always get along with, or be physically close to people in our own friend and family circle, due to our relationship and calling in the Lord. Jesus felt this same distance from His own friends and family; and the servant is not greater than her Lord (John 15:20).

The more I thought about it, therefore; the more spiritual excitement filled my soul. In eternity God will free us from all of these natural barriers and conditions that strap us to this earthly sphere. The moment we are absent from this body, we will be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8) and we will know and be known (1 Corinthians 13:12) for eternity.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I am not happy with this situation. I am struggling with laying down my need to enjoy my own dear grandchildren’s company more often. I rely on You to give me both the desire and the power to live out Your will for me in this earthly realm, regardless of the circumstances in my life (Philippians 2:13).

Thought for the Day:

God’s reality looks nothing like our earthly existence.

Volcanic Anger

Read: Proverbs 15:1-2

"Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” - Eph 4:26-27 NKJV

I get so frustrated when I say something and people don't pay any attention to me. In the past, I felt like I was walking around with a bag over my head. I resorted to anger to get my point across. I acted like a volcano, bursting forth with a huge eruption and then cooling quickly. The only problem with this is that just as a volcano leaves scars on the earth, I also left scars on human hearts.

There is nothing wrong with feeling angry. God gave us anger as a legitimate emotion to protect us. The problem arises when we use anger inappropriately. I struggled for years, blowing up and then feeling sad that I hurt the people that I love. Several years ago, I learned a simple remedy.

Now I make sure to get the person's undivided attention before speaking. I ascertain all the facts before I form an opinion. I try to understand the other person’s viewpoint. Then, I voice my opinion, feelings or needs. I very rarely ever feel angry any more, because people usually take me seriously. I do not always get my way, but I do always agree with the decision that we ultimately choose.

Prayer:

Lord, remind me that You did not speak to Elijah in the wind, the earthquake or in the fire. Help me to have the incorruptible beauty of a tender and soothing spirit, which is a treasure in Your sight.

Thought for the Day:

The still, small voice still receives the most attention.

Playing Catch Up!

Read: Leviticus 23:26-32

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1: 9)

The older I get, the more mistakes I make. I used to multi-task with the best of them, but now I forget the simplest things. I find myself running around after myself, playing catch up rather than follow the leader. As flawed humans, our only hope of salvation comes from our atonement, paid for by Jesus Christ. We live best as we follow His lead.

Thankfully, He no longer requires us to prove our allegiance through dietary restrictions and religious works as He did in the Old Testament. He simply asks us to repent of our sins, to accept Him as our personal Redeemer and Lord, and to allow His Spirit to transform our lives. He nailed our failings to Calvary's cross, and He sets us free to serve Him with all of our hearts. Then He gave us the commission to lead others to Him, and to encourage others to follow us as we follow Him. He even gives us grace to do this on each new day.  

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, lead me by Your Spirit so that I may accomplish Your will for me in leading others to know You more completely.

Thought for the Day:

The bleeding, dying, risen Savior gives hope to all of mankind.

Alone in Silence

Read: Matt 14:22-23

“Let him sit alone and keep silent, because God has laid it on him;" - Lamentations 3:28

So often we rush through life meeting deadlines and using up every ounce of human effort we possess. We slug caffeine to wake us up, and then some pills to quell the headaches produced by a hectic lifestyle, and yet another pill at night to put us to sleep. We depend on self-effort to deal with whatever life throws at us. We mistakenly think that nothing will ever get done if we do not do it. We forget that God does not leave us abandoned in this world. He does not call us to work for Him, but rather for us to allow Him to work in and through us.

When we sit alone, we are never lonely as long as the Spirit of God resides within our spirit. When we craft deliberate times during our day to be alone - "all-one"- with the Lord, He readily meets us right where we are. We can be united with Him, engulfed by Him and filled through all of our being with Him. We can be one with Him while walking on the sunny beach listening to the lulling cadenced of the swishing surf and the call of gulls floating on the breeze, or while driving in rush hour traffic commuting to and from work, and also as we move through the routine of our daily life. God is always within us, ready to commune with us whenever we give Him the chance. All it takes is for us to silence the cacophony within and without; and then to focus all of our attention on His Spirit in us.

It is evening now, and all of my chores are done. I hear my husband’s contented snoring in the bedroom. Crickets chirp outside of our office window with an occasional frog adding his opinion to the conversation. Once I finish writing this blog, I look forward to nestling into my fluffy recliner, wrapping in my furry afghan and taking time to enjoy concentrated “all-one” time with Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, my soul waits silently for You, because You are the source of all of my joy. My soul finds rest in You alone; my salvation comes from You (Psalm 62:5). Help me to enter that quiet place within my spirit all throughout the day, no matter what responsibilities claim my time, so that I can focus on You and enjoy fellowship with You every moment of my life.

Thought for the Day:
The essential ingredient for growing closer to Christ is silent time alone with Him.

Our Christian Hope

Read: Romans 5:2-5

“The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, which is the gospel.” - - Colossians 1: 5

Why is a Christian hopeful? To start with, we hope in our salvation through Jesus Christ. We do not have any physical proof that this occurred, but hope that is seen is no hope at all. No one hopes for what he already has. God gives us this hope when we are saved (Romans 8: 24). It is the seal of the Holy Spirit who lives in our born again spirit from the moment of our conversion.

Our salvation gives us confidence in a better hope of heaven, which draws us ever nearer to the heart of God (Hebrews 7:19). He cares about everything in our life and encourages us to cast all of our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). He is the God of our hope and He fills us with all joy and peace, as we trust in Him. The power of His Spirit in us makes us overflow with hope (Romans 15: 13).

God gave us this promise before time began and prior to the formation of the world (Titus 1:2). It is our hope of eternal life that commences on the day we believe God and continues throughout infinity (Titus 1:2). God raised Christ from the dead and restored Him to His former glory on His throne in heaven. Soon, God will also raise us from the dead, or rapture us from the earth, and bring us into His glorious presence (1 Peter 1:21) for eternity.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross to insure that we can enjoy eternal life both now and throughout eternity. We hope in Your salvation and look forward to living with You in the new heaven and the new earth (2 Peter 3:13).

Thought for the Day:
Faith and love spring from the hope that is stored up for us in heaven.

Let God Be God

Read: Hebrews 11: 1-40

 

“Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee.” Ps 143:8 KJV

People curry God’s favor for many reasons and in many different ways. Most of us agree that we need God, but the way in which we relate to Him tells a great deal about our relationship with Him.

Some people treat Him like a genie in a lamp and entreat Him for what He can do for them. They trust in Him as their “fire insurance” to keep them from going to hell. They blame Him when things do not go their way, especially in the way in which they expected them to transpire.

Others create God in their own image. They ignore Him or curse His name in their everyday conversation. If pressed, they would say they and God have an understanding: He won’t bother them and they won’t bother Him. They only call on God when they make a bargain with Him to bail them out of some type of trouble they got themselves into; although, they never seem to keep their end of the promise in the bargain.

Then there are those who deny God’s existence. They do not blame Him, nor do they go to Him in their time of need. They may take His name in vain, but they do not believe that He has any more reality than the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.

Finally, there are those who believe in God by faith. They actually stake their existence on the validity of His authenticity. They live a life of faith in His will and obedience to it. They let God be God in His own timing, wisdom, and manner in their lives. They trust in Him alone, regardless of what He provides or promises. Their faith rarely waivers, because it is built on the Rock of Christ, rather than on the sand of life’s circumstances and the behavior of others.

I suppose you can say that I held a membership in each of these groups. I shared all of these viewpoints for a short span in my lifetime. Then, I joined the ranks of Hall of Faith in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. I came face to face with the Savior. Now, His abundant holiness leaves me awestruck. His graciousness humbles me. His loving kindness meets me anew every morning and blesses me all through my day. His peace holds me above troubled waters and His joy is my only source of strength.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for authoring and finishing our faith. Guide us each day, and help us to trust You more. Let our light so shine that others will see our good works and glorify You as their Father also. Commission us to do Your will each day of our lives and use us to further Your Kingdom in the earth.

Thought for the Day:

Faith alone, without works to back it up, is dead.