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Finding Peace
Andrea Lende • December 7, 2020
Matthew 12:22
Finding Peace
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Finding-Peace-enf2ki
Matthew 12:22
“As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit.”
Jesus was teaching and sharing parables with the multitudes.
This parable, of course, is the one about seeds sown in different kinds of soil.
The words that stood out to me in our passage were, “the cares of the world choke and suffocate the Word”.
We have many worries these days.
We cannot look at the television, listen to the radio, and interact on social media without being bombarded with bad news.
We cannot talk with friends or family without hearing more bad news.
And each of us is dealing with very difficult things of our own.
While the losses are tremendous, we must find peace.
Our passage says the burdens we carry and the difficulties we face can choke out the Lord – the Holy Spirit.
Just two chapters earlier – in Matthew 11:29 – Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]”
The only answer to relieve our burdens and bring peace to our souls amidst the cares of this world is Jesus.
We can allow Him to intercede for us and cover us in peace.
The Lord has already won every battle.
I must trust Him with the battles in front of me.
As I put my trust in Him and rely on Him to take care of me, I feel the burdens lighten.
I feel the darkness turn to light.
My spirit changes and I am able to praise the Lord.
My worries no longer keep me and the Lord at arm’s length.
He has full access to my heart.
Today I choose to give my cares to the Lord and allow Him to work out everything according to His plan.
May you find the Lord will carry your burdens, ease your mind, and lift your spirit to Him.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me that worry keeps me from sitting in Your presence. Thank You for reminding me the cares of this world puts a distance between You and me. I give all my cares to You, Father. I give my burdens to You. I give my fears to You. May You lift the burdens from my spirit and grant me peace today. Help me know You have every detail of my life in Your hands. Help me see You work in every circumstance that surrounds me so I can praise You for Your mighty works. Help me release all the negativity I feel inside of me. May Your grace pour over my spirit. May Your mercy cover me when I am weak. May Your strength fill my spirit so I am able to do Your will. Help me do all You ask me to do and serve You in every way. Strengthen me, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the great I AM, and I AM working everything out for your good and My glory.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and All-Powerful Lord and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.