This is a passage of hope, restoration, with transformed lives. We cannot come to Jesus and remain as we were. We cannot lay all our problems and concerns at his feet in faith, feeling the same as when we carried the load. When we come to Jesus, miraculous nothing, absolutely nothing looks the same. The sky is a different color. We actually look up to notice there is a sky! Our surroundings that seem like they were closing in on us suddenly open up to miles and miles of peaceful green pastures. We have been given His touch of life everlasting and it makes us feel good from the inside out and outside in.
We are free to walk, run, go, tell and smile again while living life a free person all because of Jesus! In the background of my mind when I read this short passage of miraculous God in flesh, Jesus, I rejoice and sing, giving Him praise again and again!
I AM FREE, The Newboys
Through You the blind will see Through You the mute will sing Through You the dead will rise Through You all hearts will praise Through You the darkness flees Through You my heart sings
I am free I am free Let me hear you
And I am free to run (I am free to run) And I am free to dance (I am free to dance) And I am free to live for You (I am free to live for You) I am free (I am free) Yes I am free (yes, I am free) Come on
And I am free to run (I am free to run) I am free to dance (I am free to dance) I am free to live for you (I am free to live for you) I am free (I am free) I am free (I am free)
Through You the kingdom comes Through You the battle’s won Through You I’m not afraid Through You The price is paid Through You there’s victory Because of You my soul sings I am free Do you believe in freedom? Come on
And I am free to run (I am free to run) And I am free to dance (I am free to dance) And I am free to live for You (I am free to live for You) I am free (I am free) Yes I am free (I am free)
Matthew—God’s Law Fulfilled
Matthew 15:29-31, NLT
Jesus Heals Many People
Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. 30 A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. 31 The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel. (Emphasis mine.)
PAUSE TO PRAY AND PRAISE!
Am I free, truly free?
Do I feel free to run, dance and truly live for Jesus?
Do I really believe that what I believe about God really real?
Do my actions and behaviors daily show what I believe to be true?
Abba, Father in Heaven,
I do believe! I am free! Even though the enemy is constantly trying to trap me with his net to drag me off, I run to be free with You! I’m free to dance with my feet or in my mind as the enemy loses each time to You in me. That is the secret, right Lord? You in me and me in You. All that I am and all that I have belongs to You. I love you and realize the depth of your love for me. That alone sets me free to run, dance and live for you!
We cannot begin to imagine the pain and suffering of one who is tormented day and night by demons of darkness. But this mom in our passage today does! She will do anything to get help for her daughter. She isn’t a Jew, but that doesn’t stop her from having faith in the One and Only who she fully believes can save her daughter. Do we have and hold onto that kind of faith?
The only goal of these kinds of demons is to destroy precious souls created by God. This mom knows that what is torturing her daughter is not from God! We can come close to understanding when we see our own loved one fall into deep holes of darkness that are hard to climb up and out. We care and are very concerned about those who are in deep depressions, those who struggle with anxieties of all kinds that are life debilitating. We pray for them but sometimes we also judge them with harmful advice such as, “If only you would” …but that does not make it better, only bitter. This kind of caring sends the tormented deeper still.
Be quiet, go to God and ask Him for His healing. If God leads them to seek the help of a qualified doctor, then support them by standing by them with love, mercy and grace. Remind them that are not in this alone. Most of all, bring their name to the Father daily for healing and restoration. Don’t give up. God knows what each person needs. Rely and trust on Him. In times of frustration, agony, and helplessness, we must be like the desperate mom who KNEW Jesus could heal her daughter. This precious mom was not beneath begging Jesus to heal her daughter.
Finally, it was mom’s great faith in Jesus that healed her daughter. Imagine going home to her healed daughter who is no longer tormented by the demons of darkness! Yes, God moves on great faith such as this!
Matthew—The Law Fulfilled
Matthew 15:21-28, NLT
The Faith of a Gentile Woman
21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”
23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”
24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”
25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”
26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”
27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”
28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.
PAUSE TO PRAY (Prayer: conversation of talking AND listening to God)
How great is our faith?
What do we bring to God expecting to fully receive an answer?
Do we hold back some issues that we think God shouldn’t be bothered with or cannot handle?
Are we too ashamed to bring some troubles to God?
How great is our faith?
Do we really believe that what we say we believe to be really real? (Take time to answer this one. I am.)
We sing “How Great is our God” but do we really believe it and live it out loud in our behavior? Do we often think first of how great are our problems?
Do we wallow and stew before taking all to God? (And leaving it all with Him?)
Remember…
Jesus went to cross to pay for all sin for all God’s created. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3;16). Jesus came first to God’s chosen, the Jews but Jesus is now for all who believe on Him and trust in His power, love, mercy and grace for each soul.
ALL. Paul solidifies this inclusiveness as he writes, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
Abba, Father,
We come to you with extreme gratitude for all you have done to set us free from sin. You have set many free from the demons who dance around our minds seeking to take control so they can bring destruction to our being that you created. You fight for our hearts, minds and souls and for that I am so grateful for his love that is unconditional and relentless. Thank you for saving the woman’s daughter because of her great faith. This example of great faith in You is good for us to ponder. Thank you for building our faith through life’s circumstances as we turn all to you in your Name for your glory.
Are you humming the “tradition” song from Fiddler on the Roof? There are many traditional behaviors of this world, both inside and outside the church, that are the result of one person being offended by another so “laws” are made up to make sure they are not offended again. Man-made laws are created that become traditions to protect power and positions held by certain men who do not want to lose what they have gained. County lines, for instance, were drawn up many years ago for the protection of the political men in charge at the time. Go back in history of our own country and you will find the “backstories” of how state and county lines were decided and changed over the years. Some will say it has to do with population and for the most part that would be true, but we have to consider who has the final vote and that would be the powerful who we put into office to govern over us.
The church has many traditions that have little to nothing to do with God’s Word with His Commandments (not suggestions) to love Him and each other, honor your parents, etc. Many traditions are built and sustained as “laws” for certain churches that must not be broken or there will be punishment in the way of broken relationships. Too harsh, you say? My husband was pastor of a church full of traditions. Being the new people to the area and to that particular church, we had to be schooled in those traditions by trial and error. We heard often, “Well, everybody knows that.” One such tradition was that a large cross stored in the basement was to be put on display with a purple sash draped on it 3-4 weeks before Easter. It was to remain there after Easter for effect for a few more weeks. No one told us. “Everybody knows that…”
Church lady, who sat in the back in her pew with her family only, was seething with anger before, during and after Easter that year. We couldn’t figure out why. She wouldn’t make eye contact with us much less talk with us. She would pass out programs at the door, but not to my family. I prayed about what to do. And God gave me something that I knew would please her to give to her as an offering of peace. She finally relaxed her tense shoulders and formed a smile. The relationship took months of loving work to rebuild. Finally, her heart softened and peace came. It was months later that we found out at a board meeting what we did wrong. We hadn’t brought the cross up from the basement. Tradition.
Jesus teaches His followers (and we who follow today) about our heart conditions. Man-made laws and addendums to God’s Law established to please mankind are not what He desires. God looks at our hearts, knowing that what is in our hearts will spill out into our behaviors. The Pharisees, couldn’t “see” that they were working harder to keep traditions intact to please each other and gain power and position over people versus keeping their hearts pure to please God. They were also seething with anger because Jesus did not follow traditions of ceremonial hand washing. Jesus, Son of God, already pure and perfect. But they did not accept Him.
Jesus quotes Isaiah as He explains the original intent of God’s Law,
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”
Yikes! The traditional wooden cross kept in the basement and brought out during the season of Easter did not save souls. Only Jesus saves souls for eternity. Jesus—the most important relationship we will ever have. All other pure and great relationships begin with Him. I’m reminded of the contemporary song, “I Don’t Want to Leave a Legacy—Only Jesus” …
PAUSE TO PRAY
What traditions are we holding onto as “law”?
Who is our Savior of our souls and Lord of our lives?
What IS the condition of my heart? What is my behavior showing?
Lord, what do you want from me today?
Shine your light on my heart and my behavior.
Lord, fill my heart with all of you and wash away all that is not of you.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Matthew—The Law Fulfilled
Matthew 15:1-20, NLT
Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity
Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”
10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”
13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”
15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”
16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”
Abba, Father in Heaven,
Hallowed is Your Name. May Your Kingdom come, may YOUR will be done in every detail of our lives here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day your wisdom to discern what You want and what is mere tradition. Help us to follow you well as your servants who long for intimate relationship with you. May all other relationships be built based on our relationship with you first. And forgive us when we slip into manmade traditions within your church as habit. Help us to evaluate all that we do and get rid of all that isn’t you. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil and evil’s schemes to get us to worship traditions instead of you. I know you will help us for with you nothing is impossible! To you be all glory, honor and praise for all that is good.
In Jesus Name, Amen
And I’m singing…
Purify My Heart by Brian Doerksen
Purify my heart Let me be as gold and precious silver Purify my heart Let me be as gold, pure gold
Refiner’s fire, My heart’s one desire Is to be holy Set apart for You, Lord I choose to be holy Set apart for You, my Master Ready to do Your will
Purify my heart Cleanse me from within And make me holy Purify my heart Cleanse me from my sin, deep within…
Immediately after powerful, miraculous times of God showing his glory through ministry in and through us, the devil comes in with his limited power to stir the pot. It happens to me and it happens to you. Satan plants seeds of doubt in our minds, convincing us what happened didn’t really happen. Satan’s desires our thoughts to stay human, weak and fallible. Satan wants us to “explain” God’s power and glorious work as coincidences or freaks of nature. If all that doesn’t work, evil and his demons plant ideas of self into the mix, causing us to take credit for all that just happened. Yikes!
Oh, Friends, avoid these thoughts at all costs through prayers for help from the Creator of the seas. Crashing waves of fear, anger, doubt, unrest, mistrust with tons of anxiety roll in like a storm causing sleepless nights of worry when we succumb to Satan’s limited tricks and manipulating lies. Feeling helpless and hopeless is exactly where the evil one wants us to be. Don’t fall for it, instead—walk on water with the Master of the Sea!
Remember…
The disciples just helped Jesus feed over 5000 men and their families on the mountainside in a remote area. Every one of the twelve carried the weight of their own basket of leftovers, (good call, Jesus!) after feeding the crowd with only a few loaves of bread and a few fish. Jesus, still grieving the death of John the Baptist, showed compassion on the crowd that day while teaching His Twelve and important life lesson. Trust God. Do what God wants. God provides where He guides.
IMMEDIATELY after this miraculous ministry of compassion, Jesus sent the disciples back across the lake so He can finally slip away to pray to the Father who sent Him. I can only imagine the devil stirring the pot of lake waters into a surprising storm that challenged the pro fishermen’s abilities. The waves caused doubts and fear as they fought to keep their boat from being overturned or destroyed. But there is and always will be One who is more powerful and glorious and always wins over evil!
Jesus walks on water to their rescue. He invites Peter, who stills acts before he thinks, to walk with Him. Peter, bold enough to at least get out of the boat, demonstrates faith over fear, but then turns his eyes back to what made him afraid and begins to sink. Jesus pulls him up from the tossing sea and climbs into the boat with His Twelve. I imagine Jesus and Peter laughing as Peter is grabbing on to the side of the tossing boat, sputtering to gain composure, while spitting out lake water. Peace on the sea is the immediate result. “Why, did you doubt Me?”, says the Son of God, Jesus, the One and Only who has all power to rescue and save us for eternity.
Why, then do we doubt? Pause to pray.
Matthew—The Law Fulfilled
Matthew 14:22-36, NLT
Jesus Walks on Water
22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
34 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. 36 They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.
Abba, Father in Heaven,
You have proved to me over and over again the power and authority You have over all. You are in all. You are all we need! You come to our rescue when the evil one stirs the pot of our lives with attacks of fear, doubt and anxiety. You are God and we definitely are not. You are God and Satan is not and never will be. Jesus, you are our victory forever! Yes, all battles are fought with You as the Victor over our souls! You walk on stormy seas of restlessness that were meant by evil to bring us down! You are King of kings and Lord of lords! I will praise you along as I have breath on earth and then forevermore with you! I will praise you in the morning, noon and night. You are forever my Savior and my Lord. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Continue to steady my lifeboat as the storms come and go. All my life is in You. I really believe in what you say and do is really real!
There are days when you mourn in ministry and through ministry. There is no greater example of this as we read what Matthew has to say about Jesus when he heard about the news of John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way for Jesus and the one who was a family member. Jesus, human and God in the flesh, tried to go away to a remote place to mourn but the crowds “heard where he was headed” and followed Him there.
True compassion knows no bounds. Seeing their needs, his own grief over John was displayed in loving ministry to heal the sick. Jesus knows what we need when we mourn and sends us right back into ministry, too. Serving others while helping them find and follow Jesus is a great way to handle our own losses in life. What we gain in losing is more spiritual knowledge as we strive to be more and more like Him.
Do we dwell in our mourning or continue in ministry? That is the mark of a true believer in Jesus who seeks to be more and more like Him and less like our selfish selves who seek pity and pats on the back for attention in our mourning.
Jesus went right back to work, doing what God had asked Him to do. Thank you, Jesus.
Matthew—The Law Fulfilled
Matthew 14:1-21, NLT
The Death of John the Baptist
14 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus, 2 he said to his advisers, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles.”
3 For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). 4 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.
6 But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, 7 so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. 8 At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!” 9 Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. 10 So John was beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 12 Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
13 As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. 14 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”
16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”
17 “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.
18 “Bring them here,” he said. 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21 About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!
Abba, Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be your Name. May Your Kingdom come and reign in us and all around us. May Your Will be done in everyday life, in all the details of life on earth as it is in heaven. Take charge of my life. Transform me. Change my mind to think more like you so I will behave more like you. Yes, give us this day words that tell us what you want from us for today. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from the evil one who seeks to destroy who we are and who we follow. For you have all power. To you be all glory, honor and praise forevermore!
As Randy and I age, it is becoming somewhat irritating and comical at the same time as we try to communicate with each other with less than perfect hearing. If you don’t laugh at yourself, aging will be a “bear” to navigate. There is now a lot of , “I thought you said…”statements and actions that lead to miscommunication. I’m sure you can relate. Sometimes age has nothing to do with it. Right?
If we do not love unconditionally, marriage communication will become much harder. If we do not stop to really listen to understand and not presume or assume what we think we heard, life will be much harder to live each day. So, we have come to the agreement that we will stop to listen, look into each other’s eyes while seeking to truly understand the words trying to be communicated. God’s Love, which began our relationship more than fifty years ago, will always be behind our eyes of compassion with a desire to hear not only with our less than perfect ears but with our hearts.
SPEAKING OF LOVE…
People who know God know love, says John the beloved disciple of Jesus. (1 John 4:7-8). People who do not know God do not know love or how to express in ways that are understood and cherished. Yes, it is cherishing and endearing to be lovingly understood! The Kingdom of Heaven, teaches Jesus, does not have a place for those who do not know God. Jesus has been explaining what Heaven is along with what God will accept as entrance to Life forever with Him. He has also explained who God is in previous parables, using illustrations that related to the people really listening to learn. His words are not that hard to figure out. The final “net” will be thrown at judgement. All the “fish” will be gathered by His angels. Sorting will take place. The wicked will die. Those who believe, love and follow Jesus to the throne of God in a growing relationship with Him are saved in the sorting and live forever with Him. Imagine being loved now and for eternity!
“Do you understand all these things?” This was asked of Jesus then and is asked of us now. Do we really understand and live out loud what we believe? Do you get it? Do I? Can we answer, without pause, “YES, we do.”?
Matthew—The Law Fulfilled
Matthew 13:47-51, NLT
Parable of the Fishing Net
47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. 48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. 49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Do you understand all these things?”
“Yes,” they said, “we do.”
LET THESE TRUTHS DWELL AND SIMMER WITHIN US…
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16, NIV
Paul says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). He says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
What salvation requires us to believe is, instead of working for this salvation, that he has done what needs to be done. We receive it. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
Do we really believe what we say we believe about God really real? Pause to pray.
Abba, Father in Heaven,
Thank you for stopping us to consider the two choices. These words are a matter of life and death for each one of us. For me. Do I really believe? Do I understand what is at stake here? Do I get it? YES, I do. I love you with all my heart, mind and soul. I believe in the salvation you have given to me. This believing state of mind desires even more of you each day I live. I want to understand more and more, so I come to you with an open heart and mind with a soul that needs to be filled with all of you. Wash away all that offends you that is worldly and unrighteous. Transform me to be all you intended for to be.
By your power working in me, in Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.
There are only two choices. Choose wisely. Choose life.
Nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible with God. Say that as many times as it takes to believe it from the inside out. What valuable information to have and to cling to in time of distress, confusion, and concerned worry about our futures, right? But do we really believe this statement of Truth? Do we really believe what we say we know about God to be really real? What we truly believe seems to show up in the dark.
What are we seeking? Who are we seeking? How much time is spent in the seeking? These are all good questions for thought when we stop to evaluate where we are going and who we are really following in this life. Who do we trust with our lives? “If my life depended on it, I would trust ________ first and only.” Fill in the blank with your first thought.
When our kids were very young, we visited a cave in Missouri with friends from that part of the country. We followed a guide who took us many steps down into a wide crevice underground where there was a small lake. Lights were glowing all around so we could find our way down. We were warned by our friends that in the guide’s “talk” he will turn off the power switch and all will go dark for a few moments so we could experience total darkness. We warned our kids. Randy lifted the youngest one up in his arms to hold. I took the hands of the other two before it all went dark. It was only for a few seconds but the darkness was eerie. Absolutely no light was visible in depths of the earth. I could feel the hands of our kids go from limply holding on to grasping my hands tightly and felt their bodies move as close as possible to mine. Our kids clung to us in those moments, trusting us to keep them safe.
In our dark moments, who do we run to, reach for, cling to and trust? There is Someone who wants you to trust Him completely. When all does dark in our lives and we can’t see the light, reach for the Hand who loves us most, has compassion for what we’re are going through like no one else can, and is already at work providing for all your needs—if you allow Him.
IN OTHER WORDS…
If we knew of someone who had all power, all knowledge, all ability to transform creation to all that is good and right with the wave of His hand or the mere sound of His voice wouldn’t we give all we had to know him? Wouldn’t we move where we are in life closer and closer to be nearer to feel His touch and hear the still small whisper of His voice to us? Wouldn’t we give everything we have to gain access to the One who’s greatest desire is to save us from death and give us life for eternity?
Think about it…take all the time you need.
Matthew—The Law Fulfilled
Matthew 13:44-45, NLT
Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
Our dark times reveal what we are feeding our minds and storing up in our hearts and souls as we reach for help to guide us. Get ready for dark times by storing up complete trust in God. Love God and others like your life depended on it—because it does. Run from the enemy who wants to destroy our seeking and deplete our storehouse. Give everything we now hold on to and cling to in tight fists as we reach for the Hand of God. We will not regret taking His hand as we walk through dark times, reveling in the Light of His love, mercy and grace, while celebrating our freedom and joy in finding the treasure who keeps on giving.
Jesus is indeed the “pearl of great price”, God’s Son who shows us The Way to God’s Truth with the bonus of Life eternal. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
Abba, Father in Heaven,
Thank you for taking my hand in dark times and leading me to your Light. You do this over and over again. When we are unsure of what is going on around us, you reveal who you are to us and lead us out of trouble and confusion with Truth and clarity. You provide wisdom when we need it most along with more understanding and insight because of your teaching lessons along the life’s journey.
You are indeed the “pearl” of great price AND the price has already been paid in full for all of us! Amazing! I am forever grateful to you for giving me life now and for eternity. I’m yours. I’m never letting go. All that I am and all that I have belongs to you. I live expectantly for where you will take me, what you will do in me and through me as I take Your Hand. I will hold on a little tighter when darkness comes, but you expect that, don’t you? I love you with all my heart, mind and soul, Lord.
A few days ago, I planted a new crop of seeds in a new place. I tilled the fresh ground, making it ready for new growth. I was so hopeful and expectant! There were no weeds in and around where I planted the seeds. Perfect! I then protected the seeds with mulch, placed around them. I watered and waited. I’m impatient. I actually expected to see change in day or two! Then heavy rains came to our area. The steady rain didn’t hurt the seeds or wash them away as feared. Instead, the rain provided quick growth to the seeds who grew into tiny plants, clinging together, all in a row like soldiers. I was thrilled to see their progress as if I had anything to do with it! God provided the soil, the seeds and the rain. I just planted them.
The rains also spurred the growth of weeds! Ugh, where did they come from? They weren’t there before I planted! Weeds seem to come out of nowhere to choke out and take over the soil that was meant for the beautiful growth of all that is good. I can pull them out but I have to be careful that I don’t hurt or pull out the baby plant that is trying to grow taller and stronger. You see, the roots of my plants can get tangled with the root of the weeds! Frustrating.
In much larger fields, wheat that is planted over miles of acreage, weeds are there, even with the best of pesticides. The farmer does not take time to pull out the weeds, that would be time wasted and futile because you would most certainly pull out the good with the bad. So, it is sorted at harvest.
Here in lies the parable of the farmer of our souls, explained simply and perfectly by Jesus…
Matthew—The Law Fulfilled
Matthew 13:36-43, NLT
Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained
36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.
40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
TWO CHOICES
Are we weeds or seeds? Sometimes we behave in weedy ways. We don’t like it when we do. So, we ask ourselves, do we belong to Jesus, or not? Do we follow what He teaches for our best life? Do we hear with understanding what He is saying to each one of us? Do we really believe what we say we believe about God and His Kingdom living really real? Our daily lives will reflect what is in our hearts. Every. Time. Guard what’s been planted within us.
Friends, in other words, we must guard our hearts of the weeds thrown into our lives by the evil one meant to choke out our faith, hinder our walk and destroy what we have with God—a loving, unconditional, relentless, forever relationship. Mm, it might be time to do a little “weeding” personally to get rid of what might be trying to choke the life from us. Be alert to what are weeds and what are growing plants of beauty and grace.
Pray. Let God do His work in us. Don’t worry about other weeds growing among the good seeds in the field of the world. That is not our work as growing plants. In the end, the Farmer (Jesus) will sort it all out. For now, the seeds will grow into plants among the weeds and will bear the fruit intended. The weeds? Well, they will later be torn away and cast into the fire.
We have only two ways to go as Jesus explained. One way is life eternal. The other direction leads to death eternal. Who do you belong to, right now, at this moment? We must cling to the Farmer of our souls, as if our lives depended on it, (because they do!), and grow mightily among the weeds until He comes for the final harvest. Weeds or seeds? That is the question we must wrestle with daily.
Seed of Promise
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (I John 4:4, NIV)
Abba, Father in Heaven,
I’m yours and you are mine. I cling to you for nourishment. I need you every hour of every day to help me grow into who you intended for me to be. Not a weed, but a growing plant of your love, mercy and grace that reflects the fruits of Your growing character in this willing heart. Sometimes, weeds try to entangle me. Prune all that is not right and good and make me holy before you. Then help me to live upright among the weeds until you come to harvest. My life goal is you. Teach me and I will grow in your ways.
I love making bread! It is a hobby, not a routine, so I’m hardly a professional. Homemade bread takes a lot of time when made from scratch. It all begins with a good dough. The dough is made from all kinds of flour varieties you can choose. Then you add heated butter, milk, a bit of salt, sugar and the most important ingredient of all—yeast. You will not have bread that “rises to the occasion” into beautiful golden loaves to slice if you don’t add the yeast. It only takes a relatively small amount but it effects every part of the dough. The yeast is the catalyst for success!
Jesus must have watched his earthly mom, Mary, as she made the daily bread for the family. He related quickly to his female audience by adding this parable about yeast to his repertoire of illustrations. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast…it permeates EVERY part of the dough. Every. Part. Mixing and kneading is also an important process in bread making. If the yeast is not mixed into the dough, the dough will not rise to become bread to eat that is good and tasty.
So, it is with our lives. EVERY part of our life belongs to God. We must give it all to Him so He can transform us from dough to sliced bread! It is a process of allowing Him to mix in His growing character traits of mercy, grace, humility, gentleness, kindness, compassion and most of all His love. Love is the basis of our faith in Him. His love for us is the yeast that causes our faith to grow to be more and more like Him. His love in us and our faith in Him will permeate our lives if we allow it. We will be transformed! No loafing around!
I have observed that too many of us compartmentalize faith. We only pull out the “faith card” one day a week, if that. We completely turn our lives over to Jesus ONLY when we have problems that we cannot solve with questions we cannot answer. What if we stop putting our faith in a box and let it permeate every part of our lives—like yeast in the dough? What would that look like? I have learned that it begins each morning as we wake for the day. Paul explains how to add the “yeast” to daily living;
“Place Your Life Before God” – “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:1-2, The Message
We give ALL our lives to Him. Not in part but the whole. Then we allow God to permeate every part of our being. Walk with Him, talk with Him, listen to Him. Allow all of God to permeate all of us. Every. Part.
Matthew—The Law Fulfilled
Matthew 13:33-35, NLT
Parable of the Yeast
33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:
“I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”
Abba, Father in Heaven,
If I want to think and behave more and more like You, I must give all of me to You. Here I am, doing just that. I cannot do anything of significance in this life without You. You are my everything so I give every part of me back to you. Transform me to be and do all you want which I know will be Your best for me. Help me to love like you love. Change me from the inside out by permeating every part of my life. May your glory be seen in my life so others will know you, too.
“Well, she won’t account for much.” “She must be the runt of the family.” “Look how small she is.” “Her family will probably have to care for her all her life.”
“He is not very good looking; he will have a harder time in life.”
“She is so shy; it will be a miracle if she finds work or even marries someday.”
“He has the attention span of a gnat!” “He’s going to have a rough go at life.”
“She is afraid of her own shadow!” “Her fear will hinder her.”
“They married way too early in life; they will never make it.”
“He can’t catch or throw a ball to save him; he will have a hard time making any team.”
These are just a few of the small seeds that are planted in our minds as children. We can either believe what others say about us with their limited worldview of what they can only see on the outside or go with God’s words, His Ways, with His Voice that tells us the complete opposite of what “they” say. He has plants a small seed on the inside that can grow into fulfilling His purpose in us. It begins with our small faith that is willing to be nurtured with growth.
Our attention and focus must be on the size of our faith? Jesus teaches that our faith, even as small as a mustard seed, can blossom into all that God wants for us, all they HE wants to do in us and through us for His purpose and glory! Stop and read this again, I am. Spend all day long on this thought. What God has planted in you can be accomplished with just a small seed of faith in Him–the size of a mustard seed! Have faith in the One who created all, is in all, controls all and wants His best for all. Have faith in the One and Only who died to save us and rose again to prove He lives and stand ready to help us! Use this small size of faith to move mountains of problems that overwhelm us. Use small seeds of faith to pray, believing God WILL indeed answer. Small seeds of faith can and will bring us closer to God through Jesus, His Son in the most important relationship we will ever have. In fact, all relationships we will have on earth with others are affected by the relationship we first have with God, the Father that Jesus provided by way of the cross.
Be one with the Father in Heaven by believing in Jesus Christ, His Son and be saved. Faith in Him will open our eyes to “seeing” and understanding Who God really is and what He can do. Mustard size seeds of Faith grow into mighty trees of lifegiving wisdom that help others find and follow Him, too! Come to God’s garden where seeds grow into giant trees of faith. Ah, the Garden of Life! “Come”, says Jesus. “Bring your small seeds of faith and I will grow it.”
Reminds me the old hymn…In the Garden…
I come to the garden alone While the dew is still on the roses And the voice I hear falling on my ear The Son of God discloses
And He walks with me And He talks with me And He tells me I am his own And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known
He speaks and the sound of His voice Is so sweet the birds hush their singing And the melody that He gave to me Within my heart is ringing…
What is the size of our faith? Wrong question.
Is our faith growing? Right question.
Matthew—The Law Fulfilled
Matthew 13:31-32, NLT
Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”
Abba, Father in Heaven,
You have reminded us again that it is not the size of our faith so much as it is in the growing of our faith. Growing faith can indeed move mountains of worry and concern, problems and circumstances beyond our control. Growing faith is a result of a growing intimacy with you in relationship where you talk and we listen. You show us the way and we trust it is the right way. You warn us of trouble ahead and we heed your words. When we fall, our small faith in You calls out to you and You hear us. Yes, we are grateful for Your Holy Spirit that feeds and grows our small faith that lies within us. Thank you, thank you, thank you! May your glory be seen in us and all around us even today.
