"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up and yielded a crop a hundredfold." (Luke 8:5-8)
"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved, But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. And the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience." (Luke 8:11-15)
The seed in the field ... the word of God in our hearts.
God does not want His word to simply lie on the path of our life, whereby you walk over it, concerning yourselves only with personal cares and riches and pleasures to obtain. He wants His word to take root, gain a foothold, continue to grow, hungering more and more for Him and His word.
As the word or the memory of a beloved person lives in your heart, that is how God wants His word to live within you. God does not replace your beloved's heart love, but builds upon it.
The pain of losing a loved one.
God understands your loss.
He knows what you feel, what you can't always put into words.
He was there.
He brought His Son into the world
to save us from our sin.
He allowed His Son to be sentenced to death
to save us from our sin.
He watched
He waited
He looked away
He forgave us
of our sin ...
Because of His Son.
God was there.
God is still there. Always.
When a loved one dies
When a relationship fails
When we cry out in pain
over our losses
our dreams
our hopes
our mistakes
To take so long
to find Him
To hear
To really hear
God calling
Do you answer Him?
How long do you take
May be years
decades
forever it seems.
So much time -
many years perhaps
you spend holed up
in your own personal world
of glum and gloom.
Questions bombard you from every corner -
why,
when,
how,
who,
where,
what
Questions you struggle to answer.
Questions
like
What on earth am I here for
Questions that only grow,
consuming more of your day,
so you feel you are
not living.
not doing.
not being.
Absent.
I was there.
Your life - filled with remorse,
misgivings,
questions with no answers,
only your own seemingly worthless thoughts.
Maybe not so worthless,
but they were getting you nowhere.
You didn't know where to turn.
You wanted to hide,
yet not.
You wanted answers.
You wanted love.
I found my way to Jesus.
Not quite that simply.
An individual comes into my life. Someone who asks about me, who is interested in me, who becomes my friend, who teaches me about Jesus, who becomes my mentor, who guides me, but doesn't judge me, doesn't tell me what I should do, who prays for me.
The seed is planted. My choice what to do.
Your choice too.
I sought a Bible-believing and teaching church. I found. I learned. I felt God's tug at my heart strings. I believed. I accepted. I allowed God's seed, His word, to penetrate my being. I grew. My faith grew and grows - up and down, in and out. Sometimes my growing seems stagnant. Sometimes it bursts wide open and I am awestruck - filled with wonder and excitement.
Every day is a new beginning, a chance to build upon past experiences, to see where God will lead you, what missions He has for you and you alone.
The road is winding and still rough. But I'm not on it alone. God is beside me, behind me, in front of me.
I still have pity parties, I still cry with pain and sadness, I still have moments of feeling alone.
But the seed was planted. And the seed has grown. And has remained and does not fall away.
He is patient. I not so much. But I learn and I strive to be obedient to the Master - my Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who saved me from eternal damnation
The one who loved me and loves me still
The one who was and is and is to come
The one who brings hope and love and peace and joy ... to me and to you ... JESUS!
Information on how you too can be a child of the King: http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/ReflectionsOnJesus.html
or for an interactive presentation of the gospel: http://www.thekristo.com/
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