Cultivation


I was watching a well known prophecy teacher on television this past week and was surprised to see how far down the prophetic timeline that we seem to be. It seems that world events are chugging right along, just as the Bible says they will, to their God ordained conclusion. You know Jesus said that we as believers should work while it was still day because the night was coming when no one would be able to work. With that in mind, I was doing the treadmill thing last night at work, thinking about what I might write on today. As I labored on that confounded machine a word crossed my mind. Cultivate. I don't believe the word is mentioned in the KJV; at least I couldn't find it. At any I looked it up in the dictionary and here's what it said.

Cultivate- To improve by labor and attention. To promote or improve the growth of a plant or a crop by labor and attention.(Dictionary.com)


You know the day may well be approaching that the only spiritual strength available to you and me will be our PERSONAL relationship with the Lord Jesus. If the truth were known that is much the way it is today isn't it? We've taken God out of the schools, we've taken Him out of government and through various types of legislation we are trying to remove Him from the pulpit and the home. Amen?
I remember my good buddy remarking many times
"Mama and daddy can't find God for you. You can't serve THEIR God, you have to find God for YOU and He's got to become YOUR God." We have to CULTIVATE our own relationship with The Lord Jesus. Somebody else's just won't do.


3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear."
Matt 13:3-9 (NASB)


Verse 7 is where the danger lies. Look down at verse 22 of the same chapter.


22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Matt 13:22 (NASB)


You know how it goes don't you? Get up, go to work, come home, run any one of the hundreds of
undone errands, fix dinner or buy it out because you're too exhausted to cook, clean the house, and finally some time late into the day or night have a little time to yourself, go to bed. Repeat. Does this strike a familiar note? Yeah, I understand. Add to that the "things" we all so desperately desire to have and Voila! We are (as they call it in the restaurant business) IN THE WEEDS! If you look back on that typically ordinary day, only one thing is missing. GOD!


We've ALL been on that treadmill. Thr pressures of just making a living these days are enormous. I have friends that work two jobs and still struggle to make ends meet. No one is immune. It's tough out there! But, if we can just find a little time for God. If we can find some time to cultivate our relationship with Him, it will pay great dividends. Some years back, while enduring the cruel mockings of my two best friends(you know who you are) I planted a garden. It wasn't a vegetable garden but a Japanese garden.

I took some uncultivated ground and dug and hoed and weeded etc., etc., until I had created a nice little garden. Despite the snickering of my above mentioned friends(you know who you are) I enjoyed the fruits of my labor. But, eventually I started neglecting the garden and almost immediately it was overrun with weeds. I use this example only to shame those who exposed me to their taunting.(Big Smile) I'm rambling now so I'll close. Brothers and sisters, in this world gone mad it's easy to neglect our time with God. Not on purpose, no,no,no. But, just from the demands made upon our time and our lives; and, before we know it, we're in a crisis and can't find God. Ya feel me? Spend some time with Him. Cultivate that relationship. It will produce some good fruit.


1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
Psalms 4:1 (NASB)

God Bless