“The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them. And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news, but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it. But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.” (Mark 4:14-20 The Message Bible)
Good morning, friend! Before I write what we refer to as our Monday Short, let me ask you two questions. You can answer this if you fall in the category of worshippers, classified as, “He that has ears, let him/her hear.” The questions: (1) “What was the title of the sermon you heard at your place of worship yesterday? Don’t look at your notes or replay the virtual broadcast. Answer it without reference to anything except the specific message send by God by His specific messenger yesterday, with a specific purpose in mind. (2) Name two of the main points in that message. I know you are saying, “We have pop quizzes now?” Don’t think of it that way, but see it as time well spent. Afterall, the reason Mark Writes Monday meditations are short is so you can focus on he word, assuring that it does not fall into the not so great categories of soil in Jesus’ parable above.
The Monday Short: Long before the pandemic years, I was a regular viewer of the TV shows that feature designing homes, decorating homes, and flipping houses. I am always amazed at the end results when a couple on some of these shows decides to buy a fixer-upper and after the remodeling work by masterful, skilled professionals, the reveal at the end is so spectacular. Oh, they may have run into some obstacles during the re-design and re-building process, but the end result was one that brought about these words from the mouths of homeowners, “Oh, my God.” I wish each one of them that use this expression really saw it as a blessing from God and were uttering this familiar phrase to forward praise to our Creator. But I doubt that is always the case.
Our Lord is “The Great I Am” and the greatest fixer-upper project lead Person in all our lives. Just think of what he has done to fix you and me up! And while you are thinking, consider how the remake was done with patience, no complaining, but rather compassion, and there was no obstacle that was too impossible for Him to overcome. Think about how He’s taken the worst in us and made it the best! And then ponder on how He takes the best in us and makes it better. Yes, He is still working on you and working on me. I won’t ask you, “Won’t He do it?” For you know that He will if you turn the remake project over to Him; put it all in His masterful hands. So, instead of shouting out, “Won’t He do it?”, stop for a moment an express some gratefulness to God for what He has done to make you better. Amazing…amazing grace! And then, knowing that He is not done with you yet, rejoice that “The Great I Am” is still working on you as a special project because He loves you! You have to say, “Thank you Lord” right now!
Have a great Monday! Did I miss the “short” goal. Perhaps I did. But nevertheless, I wrote what the Lord put on my heart. Be blessed!
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 NASB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King