Hearing in the Harvest

I'm in an interesting place in my quiet times. I'm going through Psalm 119 for the second time this year. Over and over David mentions God's word & statutes & commands. He was in trouble and had lots of enemies, but he focused his mind and heart on the word.

In the middle of the harvest it is more important than anywhere else, to hear God. Not just for opportunities, but to keep our hearts fresh in His love and alive in faith & joy & hope & trust. I know how easy it is to slip into reading the Bible in a sort of mindless way. That's bad enough, but then I got convicted.

Reading in the gospels I came to the parable of the sower. This isn't a portion I've “dwelt” on in the past 35 years. I sort of know it and since I'm already saved, it only, sort of, applies to me. Along with this parable is Jesus' insistence that "he who has will get more and he who has not will lose what he thinks he has." Jesus really seems serious about the necessity to strain to understand. But is that only for belief, and then afterward we're allowed to let down and not treat His Word (listening and understanding everyday) seriously? It's been all cooking together in my mind.

So I'm really feeling bad because, like the fool in Proverbs, I'm seeing that I am he and me is in every seed. And don't laugh, you may be too.

The first seed falls on the path and is trodden under foot and then (in that order) the birds come and eat it. I always felt bad for this guy because, in his helplessness, the birds came so quick, but not so. First it got disregarded. Earlier Jesus warns about putting the word before dogs and pigs….they will "trod" the truth. Salt that has no salt also gets the "trod." The "trod" is hearing the Word, hearing what God is pointing to, and not hearing, just disregarding, allowing disinterest and distraction to let what He's saying become useless. Oh, I know this seed in the parable is definitely a lost guy, but now, even as a child of God, I'm guilty of the same thing. If Satan snatches the word from my heart, it's because I disregarded it first. I'm sitting during my quiet time noticing how little real concentration I give what I'm reading. If I was in Iraq and needed those words to keep me alive today, I'd pay closer attention. Actually, I'm somewhere, spiritually, worse than that and people are depending on me. Lord forgive me for being such a dipstick.

Then there is the second seed, deep in what others think and what pleases them, but not deep in himself. At least, that's how I process this guy and see it in myself. The next seed is lost to idols and stuff, but this seed is lost to a definition of himself in others. Who am I? I am he who pleases you. What, you don't like this? What, you'll hurt me? What, you'll take my job? What, you'll call me a booger-head? Ok, I'll worship Jesus underground, silently, invisibly (doesn't He say something about going in the closet [KJV]?). I don't know about you, but I'm fighting this one all the time. If I really believed the truth of what God says is true, I have to believe I wouldn't spend as much time cowering from what people think of me while people are walking over the edge into hell.

The third seed, I really hate this one because…. I can't help thinking about what to do with the van, probably just give it away because is it really worth fixing?…even when I'm reading something I know I should pay attention to…I wish I knew if we were staying in this house because there are things I'd like to do, like getting that radiant gas heater at the antique store, but they want $60 for it and it looks great but I really think they should come down on the price. Lord, if they would bring it down to about $30 I might see that as your will….ah, ok, where was I?....oh yeah,…even when I'm reading something I know I should pay attention to it seems that my concentration is not really focused for long enough to get something in my….oh, nuts, I forgot about the sale Office Depot was having on Norton…I hate that….and when am I going to get the Christmas lights up? Last year I was kind of down because of the church situation and had to force myself to get them up and it was kind of late but you know, "better late than never." Oh well, this year will probably be the same. Need I write more?

The fourth seed is where I want to live. I see now, after following Christ for 35 years, this is what I'm after and will always be after. But the trick is, it is not the duty to bear fruit as much as it is the love of the Savior and the desire to hear Him. Look at these words:

Luke 8:15 And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Bearing fruit is part of hearing properly. Are those words much different than these? Luke 6:47 Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like:

Or these? John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

I feel like the Lord has done some major surgery though His Word and I'm sore, but I'm hearing what He's telling me and sensing that this is a good thing and exactly what I need in the harvest.