The Lord Trusts Us to Sow Good Seed for a Good Harvest

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. Matthew 13:24, 25, NRSV.
The Lord has a work to do in our world, but He will not trust His work in the hands of people who know nothing of the Bible or of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The Lord presents in parables the rise and progress of the work that results from the preaching of His Word, the present truth for this time. He brings before us the fashioning of a church that shall stand before the world as chosen and faithful. The parable of the sower shows the manner in which we should work. The work of the gospel ministry is the sowing of the seed….
The parable of the wheat and the tares shows the mystery of the divine and the satanic agencies working in direct opposition, in vital conflict. The conflict continues till the close of this earth’s history. The incorruptible seed is the living Word of God, which works in the personal sanctification of the receivers, elevating them by bringing them into the participation of the divine nature.
Many matters need to be considered. Those who have all their lifetime been the servants of sin, desiring to act in direct opposition to the divine will, need to be most thoroughly converted. Otherwise the leaven of evil will work under cover, as Satan appearing like an angel of light tempted Christ to oppose the divine will. God’s great standard of righteousness is obnoxious to the tastes and appetites of sinful men and women. The active energy of the Saviour and that of the destroyer are in conflict.
The wheat is to be gathered for Christ’s garner. The tares have the appearance of wheat, but when the harvest comes they must be rejected. Yet there is an imitation of the wheat through a long period of time. Satan puts forth a determined effort to deceive and lead into strange paths those who have any connection with the Word of God, and he will devise every possible scheme to lengthen the period of his control. The Lord God of heaven gives no sanction to mix and corrupt church associations. The Lord would have His work in the preaching of the gospel so done that there will be no encouragement to evil workers, no toleration of evil associations in Christian assemblies.—Manuscript 7, 1900.
Christ Triumphant p. 236
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Prayer Requests
—-My middle son just had serious oral surgery so please keep him in your prayers. Alisha
—-Please pray for Esther and her children as they are battling a stomach bug and need to travel home Sunday and Monday. Pray that they get well before they need to travel and that they will have a good trip home. Rose
—-Please pray for Willie, he’s my friends brother, he has cancer and is so so weak.. please pray for him to Make it to his cancer trial it starts next week and for healing. Shannon
—-Asking for prayer for a close friend and mentor. He’s suffering from shingles and balance issues. I’m praying that God will restore his health. Erik
—-Please pray for my friend’s children who have been relocated against court order. Tanya
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Dear Friends,
When I was a little girl, my mother used to take me to the carnival when it would come to town. The fair grounds were at that time only about a mile north of my grandparents’ house, so it was not far to walk. I always looked forward to the carnival. There were rides, that I would never think of going on, looming overhead, little kiddie rides that I enjoyed, booths where I could go “fishing” for a prize or watch my mother shoot a rifle after which she let me get choose the prize she won, rough looking men hawking their wares, watching the sword swallower, and many other wonders captivated my attention.
One time, as we were walking along, we passed the House of Mirrors. This was the first time we had seen such an attraction so my mother paid the entrance fee and we walked through the dark green door. When we got inside, there were mirrors of all types. When we stood in front of one, we looked very tall and skinny (the only time I’ve been tall or skinny). Another one made us look very short and fat. Still another made us look misshapen. I laughed and laughed at that one.
Then we entered a corridor of mirrors and soon we became lost in a maze. It was impossible to find our way out by sight. The mirrors were set up in such a way that we could see many reflections of ourselves, but not the way out. I felt panic-stricken! After attempting to find the exit for what seemed like an eternity, my mother began to panic too. Then I was terrified! Finally, she stopped and began to think of what to do. She began feeling her way along the maze. That worked! Once on the outside, we determined never to enter a maze of mirrors again.
How often our life is like that maze of mirrors. Without God’s special leading, we can get ourselves into circumstances where there seems to be no way out. Without our Great Redeemer’s guidance, we become lost in a tangle of trials and troubles by listening to the evil “hawker” who wants us to lose our way. The more we try to extricate ourselves from the situation, the deeper we get in the devil’s trap.
There is only one way of escape. If we ask Him, Jesus will help us disentangle ourselves from the mess we have gotten into. All we need to do is ask. Our Dear Saviour promises, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Psa 32:8; Isa 30:21 He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! (John 14:6) No matter what our circumstance, no matter how deeply we are ensnared in our own “house of mirrors, “if we cry unto the Lord in our trouble, He will save us out of all of our distresses, deliver us from self- destruction, teach us His way, and make a plain path for our feet. ( Psa 107:19,20; 27:11)
May we, while the door of mercy is still open, ask our Loving Saviour to take complete control of our life. May we declare as did David, “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” Psa 73:24 May we “ponder the path of [our] feet, and let all [our] ways be established [turning] not to the right hand nor to the left: [but removing our] foot from evil.” Prov 4:26, 27
Rose