Most of us know the story of the farmer spreading seed in Matthew 13, where some of the seed fell on the path, some on shallow soil, some among the thorns, and some on fertile ground.

In Matthew 13:22 Jesus explains the meaning of the seed that fell among the thorns, saying, “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.”

I think this situation affects many of us in the developed world. We may have been brought up Christian, possibly attending church regularly, but today, there are too many “important” things going on for us to “produce fruit.”

The amazing prosperity in our world has built powerful temptations that make it difficult to prioritize the time to study the word, attend Bible studies and church services. When we are not involved, we are unlikely to witness, invite others to worship, and most sadly, as parents we may be the ones who break the chain of connection to the peace, joy, hope, and Salvation of Christianity for our families.

There is hope! Every day is a new day. Take one step, say a prayer, read the Bible (Start with the New Testament), listen to a good bible teacher on TV, Radio or internet, find a Church home, and re-plant yourself in fertile soil so you can produce fruit.

Dear Lord, You know the challenges and temptations we face trying to prioritize you in our lives. Give us the strength to overcome these temptations so that we can re plant ourselves into the fertile soil and produce fruit. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Today we celebrate Thanksgiving in the USA. A day dedicated to reminding us to have gratitude.

Many kids have had this discussion over the years, “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?” The answers are all over, invisibility, ability to fly, X-ray vision, teleportation, etc.

I believe there is a superpower we can all give ourselves. Gratitude.

Gratitude is a Superpower.

Gratitude is the state of being thankful. Being in this state of mind pushes out anger, bitterness, envy, and fear, and makes us feel like being kind, compassionate, and generous. More gratitude always makes us feel better, and act better.

Some scriptures that encourage us to live in gratitude include:

1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all things for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Chronicles 16:34, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; His love endures forever.”

Psalm 100:4, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”

Gratitude is the superpower we all can have by controlling how we think.

Dear Lord, we can always be more thankful for the gifts you have given us. Help us to remember that our gratitude for all you have given us makes our lives better and helps us make other’s lives better as well.

God uses many people with troubled pasts to tell his story in the Bible, murderers, prostitutes, thieves, tax collectors, and others. This helps us all understand that God doesn’t require us to be “good,” to be saved; He can make us “right” with him no matter where we start. The moment we ask for forgiveness, God grants it. The important thing is that we ask.

Nathan, the prophet, comes to David, the King of Israel, in 2 Samuel 12, and tells David a story illustrating the terrible thing David did by having Bathsheba’s husband killed and taking Bathsheba as his wife. When David realized what a terrible thing he had done, he repents. His words are written in Psalm 51, and may sound familiar to those who attend traditional church services. Verses 10-12, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with your free Spirit.”

The Living Bible writes verse 10, “Create in me a new, clean heart, O god, filled with clean thoughts and right desires.” and verse 12, “Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.”

We all fail in our resistance to temptation. God knows and is there waiting to forgive us. Let us give up our pride, and confess our faults, ask for God’s forgiveness, so that we can experience the joy that comes with a “clean heart.”

Dear Lord, we are sorry for our failure to follow your will. Forgive us and give us the desire to obey you. Thank you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I am continually am amazed at the information that is available on the internet. So many things that we used to have to search for to understand, or we just had to accept the information was not available. Now we have maps, pictures, reference material, training courses, phone books, news, connection with longtime friends, video conversations…just amazing. Unfortunately, this amazing technology also creates new opportunities for deception and temptation.

In The Living Bible translation of Matthew 6:22-23 Jesus says, “If your eye is pure, there will be sunshine in your soul. But if your eye is clouded with evil thoughts and desires, you are in deep spiritual darkness.”

As I read this I could visualize those links on many internet sites sometimes referred as “click bait,” tempting you to look at the latest gossip, scandal, lewd photos and behavior. What a waste of our thoughts, and a “clouding of our eyes” these things are. As tempting as some of these headlines may be, we need to take a second and determine if our reasons for reading the story or looking at the pictures is right.

What a great image it is, however, to have “sunshine in our soul” as the verse says; The result of keeping our eyes and thoughts on all the great things God has provided.

Dear Lord, the blessings and opportunities you provide for us with modern technology are amazing. Help us keep our focus on the amazing benefits which provide “sunshine in our souls.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have you ever noticed that it is necessary to have humility in order to learn something new? If we think we know already, we will not accept what someone else is trying to teach us.

We must accept that we don’t know, in order to learn.

Psalm 25 tells us the same, David says in Psalms 25:8-9 “The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.”

Dear Lord, help us have the humility to learn your way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.