Thursday, June 4, 2009

Stepping Stones: Will You Accept His Invitation?

Transformational Tip
It is written in scripture, that Jesus predicted that not all will respond to His invitation. That only those seeds that fall on fertile soil will produce fruit. He tells us in that same parable in Mathew 13 that "He who has ears, let him hear." Will you answer his call? Do you have ears that hear? Many times the seed God offers to plant in us does not take root because we are asking the wrong question. Many times those respond to the invitation by asking the question: "What shall I do?" The question you should be asking yourself is; "How shall I be?"...."Am I fertile?"...."Do I have ears that hear?". If I am not responding well in life and "doing", then I am not really hearing correctly.
Remember, in John 15 we are told we do not choose God, He chooses us. Some accept God's invitation, some do not...may the seed He plants in you bear His fruit.
What is interfering with you being fertile soil to God's calling today?.... fear, pride, busyness.... hurts, lack of forgiveness, guilt....lack of contentment with what you have.... entitlement for more....your ________. How has holding on to these been working for you?

Prayer
Dear Father,
I accept Your invitation, I desire to follow You, and I want to do the right thing. I know that You and only You can make the impossible possible.
How humble I feel when I read Your word and know that Jesus calls me His friend. He calls me friend because He has told me everything through the scriptures that He has heard from You, His Father. I Pray Father that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I may have eyes that see, ears that hear, and a discerning heart that responds.
I pray this in the name of my Savior and friend, Jesus - AMEN

The Truth
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear."
Matthew 13:1-9

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
John 15:15-16