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Monday, July 21, 2014

Monday Morning Devo--The Kingom of Heaven is Like... (Part 1)


Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” (Matthew 13:24-30)


This is the first in the series on the things Jesus said about the Kingdom of Heaven. I hadn't really done a study on this until just recently. I've been surprised about what I'm learning. Isn't it weird how you can read the same passage a dozen times when all of a sudden the light comes on?

Like this passage. I brushed past it somehow thinking it related to being a good Christian--you know, not letting the cares (tares) of this world distract you. So now I'm noticing something. What if these tares are just a part of life? The illnesses, hurts, insults, ugliness, working difficult jobs, not making enough money, being dumped by that special guy (or gal)--you know, all the hits you take while in the process of living. It can make you forget about all the good parts of your life (the good grain).

Do you shed those tares like water off your back? No. We carry them around like hidden foxtails infesting our socks.

But when the Kingdom of Heaven comes (and that doesn't have to be at your death, by the way), God is able to remove those tares. Isn't that fabulous? Who wouldn't want to be a part of His Kingdom?

So how can you become a part? Just by asking. Yes, it's as simple as that. Jesus is the gate to the Kingdom. Entrance is through Him. When you ask Him to come into your life and remove the tares, He does. He always waits for the invitation. Some tares are harder to remove than others, and sometimes those stickers hurt coming out. Still--it feels great when they're gone, right?

Lord, Master of the Kingdom of Heaven, You can see the tares in my life better than I can. Please, would You come into my life and pull out the bad things? Thanks, Lord. Amen.

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