DAILY REMINDER – Today, October 27’s Bible reading is Luke 8-9.
NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, October 28’s Bible reading is Luke 10-11.
May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.
LUKE MOMENT – (27OCT19) “’A
farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some
seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other
seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for
lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked
out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew
and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!’ When
he had said this, he called out, ‘Anyone with ears to hear should listen and
understand’” (Luke 8:5-8). Jesus gave a lot of parables during His
ministry to help people to understand the Kingdom of God. Within this parable
of the farmer who is the sower and the seed, which is the Word, Jesus was
helping the people to understand the four basic types of people to whom the Gospel
is presented and their acceptance level of it.
The first group which the Word is
given to along the path hears it, but they do not believe the Word when it is
presented to them. These are the lost who have rejected God totally and refuse
to have any part in the ways of righteousness. Therefore, they continue to live
in their sins and enjoy the pleasures that they seem to think it offers. The Bible
says: “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the
Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who
worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice
homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive,
or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Those who
continue to live down this road will be ate up by the enemy just like the birds
in this parable that ate the seeds along the path.
The second group are the people to
which the Word has been given and gladly receive it at first. But they have not
allowed the Holy Spirit to create in them a firm foundation; therefore, as soon
as a trial come their way, they throw up their hands and return to the
lifestyle that they were formerly living. These people are also the ones who
come to the altar at church, but as soon as they exit the doors, all that they received
in service has left them. The Bible says: “It would be better if they had never known the way to
righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to
live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: ‘A
dog returns to its vomit.’ And another says, ‘A washed pig returns to the mud’”
(2 Peter 2:21-22). These people cannot say that they had not heard the
truth and did not know, but they rejected it and decided to turn away from what
they learned. These are the ones whose seeds fell on rocky ground but withered when
they sprang up.
The third group of people who receive
the Word are those who hear it, but they get caught up in the everyday cares of
life. They do not make time to mature in Christ but are always too busy to
nurture their relationship with Him. They allow jobs, school, family, friends,
entertainment, and other cares of the world to prevent them from spending time
in prayer, study, and cultivating their spiritual ground. Therefore, their
spiritual life never grows past a certain point. The Bible says: “Don’t
store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them,
and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where
moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever
your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be… Seek the
Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you
everything you need” (Matthew 6:19-21, 33). When we make God first in
our lives, He will give us the desires of our heart in accordance to His will.
Those who fail to do so are like the plants that grew among the thorns and were
choked out.
The fourth group of people who
receives the Word are those who not only hear the Word, but they make it
applicable in their life. They allow the Word to take root in their lives and cultivate
their spiritual growth by being in relationship with God. They devote time to
prayer and study as well as live out what they have learned. Their every waking
moment is about pleasing God first and foremost as well as allowing the Word to
be manifested in every aspect of their being. They are also careful to model
the Word in front of others and at homes so that they can represent Christ well
in the testimony of their lives. The Bible says: “Finally, brothers,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there
is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned
and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of
peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9). Those who practice what
they have heard are like the seeds that fell on good soil and produced a bountiful
crop. Their spiritual lives are prosperous because they have allowed the Holy
Spirit to take root and become the Tiller of their gardens. Which group do you
belong to? If you are planting seeds in others, the Holy Spirit is the only One
who can make them grow. Our job is only to plant, but His job is to grow. Something
to ponder….
No comments:
Post a Comment