May 22, 2018

May 22, 2018

Judy Hollaway

February 9

Running with Jesus 2015

Luke 8:15 "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the

Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

                 Continuing to listen to Jesus teach his parable as we run this morning, He tells about the seeds that fall on good soil. He compares to someone who hears. In the Greek hear is defined properly, to hear (listen); (figuratively) to hear God's voice which prompts Him to birth faith within. 

                I wish I could say every time I approach God's Word to hear His voice I was listening, don't you! Sometimes I read a text and think where was my mind?! Oh I know where it was absorbed with all my activities and to do list. What helps me to get back to a listening ear is to first pray and then get a note pad and pen and start jotting down these things about the text:

  • Who is the author? 

  • Who is he writing to?

  • What is his message?

  • How does this apply to my life?

                At some point in your run with Jesus you have to stop depending on others to help you keep running.  This would be like you having to feed your adult child with a bottle. 

                We have to develop our listening abilities. Our listening should be with intent for God to birth our faith and change us. It's hard to change but when God's voice reaches our hearts we want to change! Our Sunday School lesson said faith seeks understanding through regular and reverent hearing of God's Word!

                So if your faith is low today what is it a sign of? You got it! You need to run to His Word! The Word builds our faith. Faith helps us trust God and then we can deal with the stresses life brings our way. 

                So how do we keep good soil! We have to work and till the soil and place ourselves in an environment to be able to learn. Good runners will practice on the type of terrain they plan to run on.

 Father, help us have ears to hear with and eyes to see so we can develop a deep faith that is able to run this race we are on. 

Let's take a ride in a boat with Jesus tomorrow and let our feet rest.