Spiritual Sowers

In Mark 4, Jesus talks with us about the meaning of parables.  A couple parables shared include topics of soils and seeds.  This is a timely topic, as I often see current farmers in the fields harvesting, those of us with small planter boxes still collecting various tomatoes that seem to never stop coming, and all of us who can reflect on how are the seeds of Jesus landing and/or spreading in and through us?

Jesus said in verse 9, “Those who have ears, let them hear” – now I imagine, (especially if you have children) you may ask at times the phrase,  “Now, are listening or hearing me? ” This hearing Jesus is talking about is more than the physical kind.  It’s a hearing with your mind, your heart, and soul.  This hearing will be more than the typical, “In one ear and out the other”.  When hearing the words of Jesus it’s through the eyes of miracles performed that can’t be explained, it’s hearing the amazing words at a baptism that bring a tear of joy to my eye each time,  what Jesus does for all of us through His living words is changes our heart, from an selfish and earthly ours, to Christ-like eternally His.

Just recently,  in our small group we talked about Mark 4 and the parable of four soils.  We discussed our daily choices and the influences we can have when making them.  In our conversations,  we compared the parable of the four soils with our own hearts soil for His word.  I personally, reflected on how many times I can let my selfish earthly decisions choke out the seeds being planted in me. In addition to, limiting any seeds I have the opportunity to share.  (It was really convicting and timely as I had turned for my first time after this discussion to my Bible Journal scriptures and saw I would be writing this topic… I simply thanked God for His simple ways of speaking to us through His timing and words.)

This past weekend our family went to the family farm to allow the our children the opportunity to ride in the combine and tractor.  As we were riding through the field harvesting the corn I asked their aunt Linda how the harvest was looking? Linda had said their Uncle Gary was hoping for 260 but was only getting about 240 in this particular field. ( All of which I didn’t truly understand, except the number was less than what he wanted) The part that stood out to me next was when she said, “It just truly depended on the soil! “

This is how Jesus is for us!  What is your current soil sample?  Are the seeds landing just hitting the soil surface not allowing any penetration with birds coming by to scoop them up? Is your soil surface rocky with minimal dirt allowing a plant to start but whither quickly because it has no roots? Does your soil contain thorns or weeds that can choke out the plant as it first starts to grow?

Jesus said,  8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

I pray that not only in this harvest season, but also in our daily lives and choices with are thinking of the soil in our hearts.  Here are the next few verses.

10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

In the beginning we talked about listening and hearing.  Today, will you truly listen to the words of Jesus? He wants us to hear them not like background music, but believe them, apply them to our lives.

In my minimal farming knowledge as we drove in a GPS installed combine I thought about the original farmers who planted by hand, harvested by hand.  I thought about Jesus and Mark 4 how he is calling us all to be “spiritual sowers” of the seed in our own lives and others.  That as we spread His word it can have different impacts depending on if they are willing to hear.  Maybe the time is right to plant, maybe your just working the soil for a seed that will later be planted?  Linda didn’t use the GPS in this field on this day, she said their were various factors including it being a short field with various obstacles and odd rows.  It made me think of our lives…  We have various obstacles, odd wordily influences, and life will be short based on the eternal perspective.  Take off the GPS.  Intentionally spend each day being “spiritual sowers”, tend to your soil and others, believe in His words, use His words to make decisions and control our attitude.  Strive to be like good soil in every area of all our lives.

God promises that His harvest will be great! Happy harvest season!

Psalm 85:12

 

Looking and Listening

1/3/2017

Matthew 2

“And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”

Looking and listening.  The wise man searched for a star that rose and would guide them to our King.  This light would be the light that would guide their lives and ours for the rest of our lives.  As I reflect on Chapter two of Matthew, I found a timely quote. It said, “Those who live at the greatest distance from the means of grace often use the most diligence to find it, and learn to know Christ and his salvation.” (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary)  I think this can also be true as the wise man and we search for his light. This light in the form of a star can be thought of as the same light we should look for each day as we search for Jesus.  John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Joseph was told by the Lord in a dream to believe in his marriage to Mary. He believed. He was asked to have faith in a decision to move his family to Egypt. He moved. The Lord tells Joseph how to keep his family safe. He listened.

In this new year I pray to help us to be more like Joseph and less like “me” when asked to do something. Where we listen for the Lord and not just what we want to hear. Where we make our decisions to go or stay when the Lord tells us to and not just when it feels right to us. Often, we make decisions based only on our accord and not what the Lord may be asking you to do.  (I’ve been here often..) I realize we may not get an angel telling us what to do, but it may be someone else. It may be a timely verse read, a friend from small group, a stranger you share your faith with. It’s all part of God’s plan.  Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

My prayer for 2017 is that I listen closer to God. I pray you do too. May he open doors, may he close them, sometimes we will be told to move, sometimes told to stay. Either way we listen. Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

In addition, Joseph followed through. I can be a good listener at times, I’ve also been told that I have “selective hearing” just like our children. At either listening level, what do we do next. (This is my self confession, submission part, I ask you help me with. Pray to follow through with God’s plans.) Do we follow through for our Lord or do I stay because it feels more comfortable, less scary, more worldly, or just less conflict. Unfortunately for me it’s the latter.

Lord help us to listen. To make decisions based on what you want and not what we want. Help us to trust in your word and believe in the plan you have for us even if it seems uncertain, scary, bigger or smaller than we ever imagined. That even when it seems like King Herod is out get us, you provide the people and protection we need to keep us safe. Not because of decisions we made. But because we listened, followed through, and had faith in you. Amen

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.  Matthew 2:11