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Patience and Maturity
Andrea Lende • June 19, 2021
Luke 8:15
Patience and Maturity
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Patience-and-Maturity-e132569
Luke 8:15
“But as for the [seed] in the good soil, these are [the people] who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just (noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience.”
Of course, this is the parable of the sower who sowed the seeds.
While Jesus told His disciples the meaning of this parable, He did not share it with the others.
He told them there were four kinds of people.
Those whom the enemy steals the message of God from.
Those who fall away during trials and temptations.
Those who care for the riches of this world more than seeking a rich relationship with God.
And finally, the believers who experience maturity in their faith over time.
As I read this parable today, I found myself being thankful.
Thankful God didn’t let the enemy steal me away from Him.
Thankful God didn’t let go of me during the trials and difficult times in my life.
Thankful the Lord turned my attention to Him when I was tempted to chase riches instead of Him.
And thankful the Lord continues to teach me more about Him and His ways.
The second think I took notice of in our passage is the word patience.
Patience is an attribute which has taken years for me to understand and will likely take a lifetime to possess.
Jesus said maturity is steadily brought forth with patience.
Slow and steady wins the race just like the children’s story of the tortoise and the hare.
So, I pray for patience.
I also pray for peace because slow and steady is not my normal pace.
I pray the Lord leads me in this dance called life as I find myself wanting to take the lead.
Only the Lord can change my nature.
And I believe He is able.
Able to wrangle my spirit and my heart to bring forth fruit as my faith matures.
Today I choose to bend my will to the Lord and ask for patience as He teaches me more about Him and His ways.
May you find the Lord’s will is done in your life and your faith is maturing in God’s perfect timing.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me just how gracious You are to me. Thank You for choosing me to know You. Thank You for showing me You are growing my faith and maturing my spirit in Your perfect timing. Bend my will to Yours, Lord. Help me completely give my will to You, so You can do a work in me. Keep me holding You close to my heart. May You grant me patience to allow You to complete the good work You started. Help me give myself grace as I fail. Forgive me for my shortcomings, Father, and help me see how to do better in the future. Help me rise above my mistakes and grow closer to You and Your best for me. Thank You for all You do for me and all You are. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM doing a good work in you My child and will continue to show You more of Me and My ways.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and merciful Lord.
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.