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The Cares Of The World
Andrea Lende • July 23, 2020
Matthew 13:22
The Cares Of The World
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Cares-of-the-World-eh5gcn
Daily Word:
Matthew 13:22
“As for what was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit.”
Jesus told many parables.
He gave so much wisdom in the form of stories.
Those who were blessed received and understood His messages.
Those who were not meant to understand and partake of His Wisdom did not.
One of the more elaborate parables He told was the one where the sower went out to sow seed.
Most of the seeds that were sown did not ultimately produce any fruit.
The enemy is keen to snatch away the seeds that would yield Power to God’s people.
The verse today was particularly meaningful for me as I read it once again.
During these days and times, we are bombarded with the cares of this world from every direction.
We cannot get away from constant information and the overload that comes with it.
If the information overload were positive, it would yield completely different results than what is currently happening.
And unless we make intentional choices about what we allow into our listening ears and feed our minds we are bombarded with negativity which breeds fear.
As I read our verse today it clearly says that there can be no fruit yielded from or by us when we are wrought up in the cares of the world.
It also says that when we are consumed with money and issues around money, we cannot yield good fruit – the Lord’s fruit.
There are many of us who have been financially impacted by the current circumstances of our world.
But what if we knew – really knew – that the Lord has a plan and His plans include taking care of us and providing for us?
What if we had no care about money or the lack of it?
What could we do for the Lord?
What fruit would our lives yield?
The Lord’s primary goal is to have everyone come to know Him and love Him.
He desires relationship with everyone that He has created.
He wants to care for each and every person that He created.
Just as we care for our children, the Lord cares for us.
Just as we take care of all of our children’s needs, the Lord takes care of us.
I began thinking about how our little children wake up in the morning.
They wake up every morning with wonder and delight excited about what their day will be like – what new adventures their day will hold.
What would happen if we would wake up the same way?
What would happen if we would simply ask God what He wants us to do today?
What if He will do the heavy lifting in our life so that there becomes an opening for us to serve Him and further His plan for His people?
Today I choose to allow the Lord to take care of me in every way so that I can be of service to Him and help grow His kingdom.
May you find that His care for you is whole and complete and that you will yield much fruit for the kingdom of God.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me that You desire my heart. Thank You for showing me that my life is not about what I can do for myself, but what I can do for You. Help me give You the cares and burdens that I carry completely knowing that You desire to care for me in every way. Help me be ready to do Your work, Lord. As I give my concerns to You, I settle down and can hear You. I hear Your gentle whispers lead and guide me so that I can do Your will. Help me lean entirely upon You as I move in Your direction. Strengthen me in every way so that I can complete the tasks You give to me. Help me do Your work. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM taking care of your needs, My child, so that you will take care of My people.
Response: I humbly sit in Your presence and wait upon You, Almighty God 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.