Matthew 13:1-9

Sunday Morning Devotions ~ August 20, 2023

/ The Pastor

SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 13:1-9 and Isaiah 55

LET US PRAY:
For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to You, oh God, without watering the earth, making it bring forth and spout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall Your Word be that goes forth from Your mouth.
It shall not return to You empty.
It shall not return to You void.
It shall not return to You having failed.
Your Word, mighty God, is powerful and therefore it shall accomplish that which You purpose.
Your Word, my awesome God, shall succeed in whatever You send it to do.
Your Word, Creator God, is the only word that can breathe life into dry bones.
As for me, because of Jesus Your Son and my Lord, my bones have life and thus I shall go out in joy and peace.
May the mountains and hills break forth in singing.
May Your people bow down in worship.
May Your works be made known to all people.
May Your servant be faithful with Your seed.
For Your Word has rained down and has given me living and daily bread, and thus seed for this sower. Therefore,
May the words of my mouth sing Your praises.
May the words of my mouth spew Good Seed.
May the words of my mouth be carried and blessed by the Spirit to create New Life; beautiful fruit from rich soil, growth that can only come from You.
Oh God, You are a faithful God and thus all glory belongs to You. In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.

Work the Soil

/ The Pastor

Over the years, I have heard people lament the lack of faith in their children/grandchildren. Sometimes the lament is centered on themselves as a parent, that there is something deficient in their own faith or practice thereof. Sometimes the lament is centered on what they did or did not do to teach them the faith. They wonder if their message was deficient or did they not support the church enough in teaching their children. Sometimes the lament is the influence of the world on their children, that the world’s voice was just too loud. Whatever the case, people are confused as to why some believe so readily and some are so resistant. For those whose children are not Christians, it is sometimes a badge of shame they wear.

But we must not blame ourselves, for salvation is something that is out of our control. The Parable of the Sower begins to teach us that (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23). Here, Jesus teaches about a sower who went out to sow seeds. Some of the seeds took root and some did not. But what is of note is that the sower nor the seed is deficient, it is the soil. As a parent, if you taught the Word of God to your children, if you brought them to a solid, biblical church, if you lived your faith in the home, it is not you or your message. But do not get me wrong. I am not throwing your children under the bus. The problem is the soil of their heart. So do not give up. A farmer who has a bad crop one year does not pack it in and quit. They work the land. Keep working the soil of their heart, being faithful with God’s Word and leave the rest up to the Holy Spirit and entrust your children to the Lord.