This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
We have been looking at “The Mother of All Parables.” Let’s get back to it today. Jesus said:
(Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
The farmer is like someone who plants God’s teaching in people. Sometimes the teaching falls on the path. That is like some people who hear the teaching of God. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.
Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.
And others are like the seed planted on the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce a good crop—sometimes 30 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 100 times more.
Yesterday I focused on the words “the love of money.” I will flow in the same vein again today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Put Your Trust in God, Not Money!
In Matthew 10, Jesus sent His disciples out with these instructions: “Don’t go to the non-Jewish people. And don’t go into any town where the Samaritans live. But go to the people of Israel. They are like sheep that are lost. When you go, tell them this: ‘God’s kingdom is now very near.’ Heal the sick. Bring the dead back to life. Heal the people who have leprosy. And force demons out of people. I give you these powers freely, so help others freely. Don’t carry any money with you—gold or silver or copper. Don’t carry a bag. Take only the clothes and sandals you are wearing. And don’t take a walking stick. A worker should be given what he needs.”
— When Jesus sent His disciples out to do ministry, He forbade them from taking any money for a reason. Jesus wanted their trust and confidence to be in God, not money. Many people put far too much confidence in money, and Jesus was teaching His disciples (and us, by extension) to put ALL our confidence in God.
— If the disciples could not see God as their source for money, then how could they rely on God for the supernatural? Jesus was sending them out to heal the sick and cast out demons. The disciples had to totally rely on God to perform acts that exceeded human ability. If the disciples could not rely on God for natural things, how could they rely on Him for the supernatural? God wants you to see Him as your source of all things, natural and supernatural.
— When God sees you doing what He told you to do while totally trusting Him for the resources, He will prove that He is a ‘more than capable’ source. Tying this to the parable of the sower, when you trust God as your source financially, your heart is free from the love of money, and the Word is free to work in your heart.
— If God is not your only source of expectation, you open your heart to frustration. I’ve been there before. It’s frustrating when you are waiting on God for something, but you then shift back and forth between trusting God and trusting man (or money). I’ve learned that when God sees He is NOT your only source, He steps back. He wants your total confidence to be IN HIM! The psalmist said, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him” (Psalm 62:5). God wants to know that your expectations are rooted in Him, not man or money. And when you fluctuate back and forth, you feed the wrong things in your heart. Remember, the Word is in there, but weeds are in there, and whichever one you feed the most is the one that is going to grow!
— Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and money” (Mat 6:24). If your trust is in money and not in God, your plan and life will fall apart. One reason why this happens is because the weeds in your heart wind up choking out the Word.
2. Don’t Fall In Love With Money!
We have been focusing on the phrase “the love of money.” Many Christians don’t like to talk about money. But the Bible actually says more about money than it does about heaven. We need to talk about it. Especially as it relates to the improper “love“, people have towards it.
Money is not evil. I believe that NOT having money is evil. The only way to think that money itself is evil is if you have never been poor. Money can and should be used for all sorts of good. King Solomon said, “Money answers all things” (Ecc 10:19). The easy-to-read version of that statement reads, “Money solves a lot of problems.”
It’s the love of money that is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10), not the money itself.
Paul said, “The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have turned away from what we believe because they want to get more and more money. But they have caused themselves a lot of pain and sorrow.” (1 Tim 6:10 ERV).
— God is not opposed to you having earthly possessions. I have seen Christians tear down other Christians for the earthly possessions they have accumulated. God is not opposed to you having “things.” God will even bless you with the things you desire. God is always looking at your heart (1 Sam 16:7). God only has a problem with you having things when the things you possess have taken the wrong place in your heart. The parable of the sower is a parable about the content and condition of your heart.
— God can give you wealth. God made Solomon wise and rich. He was an ultra-billionaire, by the grace of God, and this is what he said concerning earthly wealth and possessions: “I have seen what is best for people to do on earth: They should eat, drink, and enjoy the work they have during their short time here. God has given them these few days, and that is all they have. If God gives some people wealth, property, and the power to enjoy those things, they should enjoy them. They should accept the things they have and enjoy their work—that is a gift from God.” (Ecc 5:18-20).
— The Lord can bless you with wealth, property, and the power to enjoy it. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying all that God places in your hands.
Solomon also said, “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.” (Prov 10:22 NKJV).
— The Bible is full of people whom the Lord made rich. And since it was the Lord’s doing, the riches did not destroy their lives.
— Don’t criticize others for the wealth God has blessed them to attain. God is going to judge their hearts. If God tests their heart and finds that their heart is in the right place where money is concerned, He will bless them with more.
— Don’t allow envy to fill your heart and cause you to be upset with someone who has what you don’t. Allow God to judge their heart, and you search your own. God will give you all you need to accomplish your divine assignment, and He will even bless you richly to enjoy the life He has given you, but your heart needs to be in the right place where money is concerned. You should not fall in love with money or things. Enjoy the things God blesses you with, but don’t fall in love with them.
3. You Can Enjoy What God Gives You Without Falling In Love with Things!
(1 Tim 6:17 ERV)
Give this command to those who are rich with the things of this world. Tell them not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not their money. Money cannot be trusted, but God takes care of us richly. He gives us everything to enjoy.
I will focus on the line, “He gives us everything to enjoy.”
That line, in the J.B. Phillips Translation, reads, “…who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment.”
— It is clear that God wants us to have and enjoy the life He gave us.
— Yes, God wants us to make it to heaven, and He also wants us to enjoy the ride. There is nothing wrong with that, just as long as your heart is pure concerning the love of money.
— You can and should enjoy the things God blesses you with. Just don’t develop an improper love for them.
— Thank God for your house, but don’t “love” for your house. Some “love” their house so much that it keeps them away from the God who blessed them with it.
— Thank God for your car, but don’t “love” your car. God wants you to enjoy the things He blesses you with, but if you start loving things instead of loving God, then the things God blessed you with actually become idols that keep you from Him.
— If your heart is free from the love of money, then God can bless you richly, and the Word in your heart will still grow unhindered by weeds!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
My trust is in You alone, not in money.
I rely on You for the supernatural and the natural, knowing You are my ultimate source.
With You as my financial source, my heart is free from the love of money.
I release all other sources of expectation and wait upon You only.
I feed my heart with Your Word, nurturing unhindered growth in my spirit.
I enjoy the blessings You provide, guarding my heart from falling in love with them.
My love and devotion belong to You, not to money or possessions.
I embrace the fullness of life You have given me, enjoying the every step of the journey!
I cultivate a pure heart, allowing Your Word to grow unhindered within me.
Living this way, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
