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With Patience
Andrea Lende • April 22, 2020
Luke 8:8 and 15
With Patience
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/With-Patience-ed4jgs.
Daily Word:
Luke 8:8 and 15
“And some seed fell into good soil, and grew up and yielded a crop a hundred times [as great]. As He said these things, He called out, He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and understand by hearing!”
“But as for that [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.”
The parable of the sower and the seed shows us some interesting truths.
As I read it this morning, I was struck by the last number words, “steadily bring forth fruit with patience”.
We live in such a fast-paced society.
We tend to want things quickly.
We are trained for it in all of our modern conveniences.
I am so prone to this because fast is just part of my personality.
It is part of my winning formula.
I try and get as many things as possible done as I can in the shortest amount of time.
I often find myself tripping through the day.
In fact, I was just thinking about this this morning.
I was reminding myself that Jesus didn’t run His race with a fast-paced stride.
He wasn’t running all around like I do.
He was peaceful.
He was methodical.
He kept going day after day but wasn’t in a race.
The Man Who truly was a super-hero saving the world in just three days, wasn’t running around as busy and crazy as I am.
And then I find these simple few words in my reading this morning, “steadily bring forth fruit with patience.”
I must intentionally put on patience.
I must ask the Lord to help me slow down and not demand perfection instantly.
He continues to work on me, my personality, and my life purpose.
While I think I should already be doing what He has put on my heart to do, I know that His timing is perfect.
I need to wait upon Him.
And I need to allow Him to change me and help me become who He wants me to be.
As He works on me there is more fruit.
I am truly blessed by His leading and guidance.
Today I choose to put on patience and know that in good time there will be more fruit as He has determined there to be.
May you find that God is working on you and working things out in your life so that you may bear fruit in the right season for His purpose.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me that I must be patient as You change my heart and mind. You are working out all things for my good and for Your purpose. Help me be thankful for the fruit that is already present in my life and wait expectantly for more fruit as the right season approaches. Thank You, Father, for choosing me to know You. Thank You for choosing me to be Yours. May You continually work in me so that I draw closer and closer to perfection as You have planned. Help me be obedient to Your calling as You show me more about what has to change in me and my life. Help me be quick to change and grow in Your direction. Help me also not carry shame as You show me my faults and weaknesses. Help me give up all that I need to in order to do Your will. Forgive me for my shortcomings and my sins. Keep me looking to You to be better in all ways, Lord. Keep me at Your feet. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM working in you and your life to fulfill My purpose for you, My child.
Response: Help me do all that You ask, 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.