What kind of soil?...

 

Mark 4:4-8  (parable of the soils)  "Some...fell on the path, and the birds came down and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places...sprang up quickly...scorched and then withered...some fell among thorns...choked the plants and didn't bear grain...some fell on good soil...produced a crop."  (NIV)

I think that each of us has some of all four soils in us.  God's word falls on us in all four soils and we react with all four responses.  

Hard ground:  Sometimes we hear part of God's word and we just flat out ignore it or let it be "eaten up".  We don't want to hear it and close our ears and minds.

Rocky soil:  Sometimes we catch an exciting glimmer of what God is saying and we really want to know more and explore it and put it to use, but we let the excitement die down and very quickly lose that momentary enthusiasm, and we don't nourish it.

Thorns:  Other times we really strive to hold onto the word and study it and do something with it, but despite our serious intentions it becomes choked out by all the other things going on in our lives.  We feel we are in a losing battle to move forward.

Good soil:  And, thankfully, there are the times when it all goes right and we take the word and act on it and produce a harvest.

Lord of the harvest, please increase my times of "good soil" and help me fight off the hardness of resistance, and the rocks of shallowness, and the thorns of worldly interference.  I can only bear fruit through my life in Christ.  The best soil of all!

Give thanks, find peace...

 1 Thessalonian 5:18  "Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  (NIV)

"When you thank Me during a difficult day, you are assuming the proper stance for a child of God.  If you persevere in this thankfulness, resisting the temptation to grumble, you can find Joy and Peace in the midst of your struggle4s."   Sarah Young

We find peace in thankfulness, even when circumstances are tough.  Sometimes we feel that saying thanks is too hard when the world is hurting us and we are full of worry and tension.  But the act of saying thanks, of acknowledging that God is still in this situation and has a plan even if you don't understand it---or feel it---is a game changer.  

As we try to figure out how we can be thankful, God shows us the good things he is still doing for us in the midst of the tragedy.  He shows us his presence most of all.   He gives us his firm right hand to hang on to.  He shows us others who are supporting us.  He helps to bring a calmness to the situation that wasn't there before because we are now focused on him.  

We acknowledge our weakness along with our thanks and our trust that he will heal the situation.  Peace comes as we let go and put our trust in our God who has been faithful and will continue to be faithful.  Thanks flows as the peace envelops us.  Peace flows as we express our thanks.  It's a cycle of hope and faith and peace and thanks wrapped up in the knowledge of God's presence---God with us---Immanuel.

Thank you Father for your faithfulness in all of our circumstances.  Give me a heart of thanks always.  Immanuel, God with us, Prince of Peace, Jesus...thank you!