Good Soil

Father, neither Karen nor I are feeling our best tonight. We would ask for a good sleep, that we may wake well rested and ready for the tasks ahead. Amen.

Mark 4:10-20 (<<click to read the passage)

My Life Application Study Bible gives me a different way to think about this passage. It says,

“The four soils represent four different ways people respond to God’s message. Usually we think that Jesus was talking about different kinds of people. But he may also have been talking about…how we willingly apply God’s message to some areas of our life but resist applying it to others. For example, you may be open to God about your future but closed concerning how you spend your money. You may respond like good soil to God’s demand for worship but respond like rocky soil to his demand to give to people in need. Strive to be like good like good soil in every area of your life at all times.”

We realize that we are very complex individuals. Some things are easy to address. Some things we can say no – or yes – to very readily. I don’t have to deal with murder – or hate, I don’t have to deal with stealing, or lying. But I struggle with anger. I struggle with taking proper care of the “temple” God has given me – I really (I mean really) like to eat! And in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 the Apostle Paul states,

¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body._NLT

Do I do that when I eat more than I should or more often than I should? Being diabetic I need to be careful of how many carbohydrates I consume but my will quite often rules the day and then I rue the day… I am sorry that I did what I did…

Lord Jesus, You know and You understand my struggles – and there are many. I would ask that more and more I would just find those things unacceptable and that I would stop making excuses – everybody does it, I only live once, how can one more peanut M&M hurt? May I see me as You see me. May things like anger and diet and time management and all the other things become a point of concerted effort to bring under Your control. For with Your help I can do so. Amen.

Feb 28^th, 2019, Thurs, 8:14 pm