| “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” |
| —Matthew 13:22 |
Do you ever let the trials and difficulties of this life get you down? Does it interfere with your relationship with God? Do your concerns keep you from reading God’s written Word and from offering your prayers to Him? If so, you are in a large company of others. From time to time, most of us feel completely weighed down by issues in our lives.
After living 15 years in a house that was designed to our very detailed specifications, my wife and I moved to a senior living community. Moving was quite traumatic. We had to very significantly downsize. As an example, my new home office is one-fourth the size of my old home office. I had to sort through and discard more than 80% of the files, books, and other possessions that I had accumulated over my working life. This was a heart-wrenching experience.
But, the kind of issues I’ve had to deal with of late pale in comparison to a number of friends and acquaintances who are facing major health issues. The word “cancer” used to seem like a distant threat. But now, many people I know are dealing with one form of this insidious disease or another. I continue to pray for God to bring total healing for each one fighting some health issue.
I also observe a number of people in my life, some from the distant past, some from the not-too-distant present, who are in the throes of a divorce, or who have a family member hooked on drugs, or who have lost a loved one to death, or who are experiencing some other traumatic situation. I grieve for these dear ones and pray for God’s mercy to surround them in their time of need.
In every single one of these cases, in addition to the difficulty of the particular circumstances, the people involved have to deal with the worries that naturally flow out of their problems. It is so important for those of us who follow Christ to heed His words found in Matthew 13:22:
“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”
As the Holy Spirit comes alongside us and gives us supernatural ability to face the problems in our lives, we must put aside our worries and focus on taking one step at a time along the pathway that God has laid out for us. Therefore, as we begin a new day, let’s pray for those we know who are struggling with issues in their lives. Let’s also determine to allow the Holy Spirit to lift the burden of worry from our hearts and minds. And, let’s put our faith and trust in the God who never fails us. Let’s allow His love to enfold us in a strong sense of His Presence and His peace.
Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2017
