Mark 4:1-20
"Again Jesus began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 'Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.' "
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If you have not yet figured it out, faithful reader, I am amazed and deeply thankful for how much God has blessed my life.
The simple beauty of God's blessings, is that they are all around us, all the time. But sometimes, because we are too busy, to wrapped up in the things of this world, we don't allow ourselves to be open to the blessings that come our way. When we look down at the ground, scowling because we are frustrated, angry or discouraged, our eyes are not looking up and around, giving us the ability to become aware of the good things that can come our way. It is also easy to be so focused on what is going wrong in our lives at a particular moment, we are unable to see the good things.
I have a friend who, almost every time I talk to him, tells me about all the bad things that are going on in his life. This thing he owns is broken...traffic was bad and it took him an hour to get home from work...some person in his life said a hurtful thing to him...he lives with regret and sadness over the ways things could have been, or should have been. I try to be encouraging to this friend, but at times our conversations can be dominated by doom and gloom. Some days, it feels like he has closed himself off to receiving and recognizing the blessings which are all around him.
We humans are funny creatures. Our mood and attitude is such a powerful thing, it can affect our physical being. When we allow ourselves to descend into that spiral of despair, the feelings of doubt, fear and sadness abound. We can become physically ill due to anger, hatred or pain which has permeated our soul. When we do this, our nature can become almost poisonous and the blessings which could grow and flourish, wither and die, or never even take root. I believe this is the true pain of sin; not that, when unconfessed and unrepented, it keeps us from entering Heaven, but that it closes us off to the grace of God, because we simmer in our self-perceived unworthiness.
Every once in awhile, I find myself in this state. I can become so caught up with how busy my schedule is, how much work is set before me, I walk around in a constant state of stress, unable to enjoy simple pleasures...a laugh...a smile...a sunrise. But, every single time I take a moment to turn my eyes to heaven, thank God for the work He is doing in my life, peace sooths me like a warm, gentle, spring rain. I am refreshed and renewed, my heart becoming a rich ground in which the multitude of God's blessings can grow and bear fruit.
So, are you fertile soil? Is your heart, your soul and your mind prepared to receive the blessings God showers down upon you? Open up your being to the potential of His gifts, allow them to take root and permit yourself to taste and enjoy the sweet fruit of His work in your life
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