Delightsome Land

“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 . . . Other seed fell among thorns . . . Still other seed fell on good soil.” —  Matthew 13:3–8 . Although this is often known as the parable of the sower and the seed, it can also be said this is a parable about the soil. All four types of soil are essentially the same dirt but are in different conditions and respond in different ways to cultivation. What made one soil more responsive and the other less? When the New Testament was written, communities were agriculturally based. A family would be appointed a section of land to farm. Every farmer’s plot was adjacent to their neighbor’s. In order to get to the fields, the farmers would walk along the boundaries bordering each field to avoid stepping on the growing plants. The “path” was held in common by all the farmers. Over time, the soil on the path would compact. It w...

Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” — knowing that it was the Lord.  — John 21:12 It had been a tough morning, to be sure. Following Jesus’ death, several disciples returned to their regularly scheduled programming. They got up early, took their fishing nets, and… nothing. Not a bite. Until some guy stood on the shore and called out a weird suggestion to throw their nets in from the other side of the boat. I wonder if any of them grumbled briefly, “What difference does it make which side of the boat we throw the nets from? Who is this guy?” But by then, they were desperate enough to try anything. Suddenly, when their nets were heavy, the same question took on a different meaning, because they knew the answer. John shouted, “It is the Lord!” and Peter could not get to Jesus fast enough. Other than suggesting that they add some of the fresh catch to His spread, Jesus’ sole response was “Come and eat breakfast.” Now...

One spring day, I sat in my backyard with my friend Suzy and our kids. While we relaxed in lawn chairs, sipping lemonade, a few of the children played on the swing set. The rest sat at our bright yellow children’s picnic table, purchased just days earlier. They were happily creating masterpieces on the pages of several coloring books. When it came time for lunch, I helped the children clear their coloring supplies off the table. As I gathered up the crayons and coloring books, I spied a frightful sight. One of Suzy’s daughters had gone into the house and grabbed permanent markers to color with instead of the crayons. And color with them she did — all over the brand-new picnic table! She’d even written her name in her very best seven-year-old penmanship. I was angry that our newly purchased picnic table was now laden with permanent red and purple graffiti. I wanted to raise my voice and shout and scream my displeasure. But I didn’t. Instead, I leaned over and spoke gently to my friend...

I find it fascinating that we know very little about most of the men and women we meet in the pages of the Bible. Rather than an entire history, there are a few brief verses or, at best, a handful of chapters that tell how an encounter with the living God changed their lives and their eternal destinies. I’ve always wanted to know more, for instance, about the so-called Gadarene demoniac we meet in Mark 5. Jesus and His closest friends encountered this wild man after a stormy nighttime crossing of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus’ friends were fishermen, experienced in navigating the sudden storms that blew up out of nowhere, but something about that night was particularly disturbing. My theory is that demonic elements were stirring up the sea, for when Jesus stood to calm the sea, He said, Peace! Be still!  — Mark 4:39 ESV In the Greek, this is the very phrase Jesus used earlier to rebuke a demon (Mark 1:25). I’m convinced that evil itself was trying to keep Jesus away from delivering o...

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. —  Psalm 23:1-3 Shepherds are tough mamma-jammas. There are still shepherds today — did you know that? There aren’t too many in America, but in rural areas across the globe, you can still find one lone guy who literally herds his sheep, moving them around and tending to their needs. You know what a shepherd has to do to a particularly unruly sheep that won’t go where it’s supposed to? It’s pretty graphic, so hold on to your hat. He’ll break one of the sheep’s legs. If that sweet little ball of fluff won’t rest, won’t go the right way, won’t cooperate, the shepherd will take matters into his own hands to make sure the sheep is completely reliant on him as he nurses it back to health after the very wound he himself caused. If you are worn out, here’s the deal: you’re human. You live with the effects of a fallen world. You live in a world where peopl...

O LORD, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD… Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  — Psalm 139:1-4, Psalm 139:23-24 I, the Creator of the universe, am with you and for you. What more could you need? When you feel some lack, it is because you are not connecting with Me at a deep level. I offer abundant Life; your part is to trust Me, refusing to worry about anything. It is not so much adverse events that make you anxious as it is your thoughts about those events. Your mind engages in efforts to take control of a situation, to bring about the result you desire. Your thoughts close in on the problem like ravenous wolves. Determined to make things go your way,...