As I drove to work, I felt a sense of urgency in my heart to trust what my day will bring, to be open to whatever drops in my path. I am learning how to manage differently, not through effort or habit, but trusting and going to God.
There was a time when effort and working on habits to change “me” were a full time job. Now, I am seeking God more and in the process, I am changing. I am not saying that it is a passive approach. I am actively coming to the Lord and expecting Him to engage with me.
I have come to realize that it is through His work in me, ONLY, that allows the changes to occur. For several days now, I have been chewing on Matthew 13 – most of us are familiar with the parable of the Sower – and think of the three types of ground that the see will fall. “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” ~Matthew 13:3-9
As a follower of Christ, it is my desire to be of that good crop. And what I have been pondering so deeply is the fact that even though there is good soil, the enemy will sow his seeds too. And, as we look out over the field, we see a beautiful crop, but there are tares among the wheat. This is no surprise, Jesus told of these seeds – weeds will look like wheat, will act like wheat – and looks are deceiving and yet are poison, if swallowed.
“Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’” ~Matthew 13:24-28
And, that is so like me, wanting to “fix me”, and today I am grateful for this lesson, for now I know that I must keep encouraging others and working with my eyes on the Lord, rather than on what others are doing. I am grateful that I can see this passage and be “ok” with growing among the tares and that our Sower is responsible for the harvest. And understand that no matter how “in-tune” to God I become, I have my job, and Jesus has His.
“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” ~Matthew 13:29-30
Father, I thank You for extending wisdom and giving this truth, that among the tares we will grow, and we will all look the same – but there are those who are poison in our midst – false teaching, bitterness – the enemy scattered within our field – Lord, it is Your protection and Your nurturing we seek and crave. Help us to have deeply seated roots and to be used to help those who cannot see the difference between the tares and the wheat to help them grow deeply as well. Help us Lord, to be that beautiful harvest.
© 2011 Giving Thanks Daily, Shawn Boreta
Web: http://shawnsgivingthanksdaily.blogspot.com/
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The New International Version was used for this entry.
The New International Version was used for this entry.
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