March 28

OT – Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22
Wow, did you catch 10:12-13? “And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways , to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”
Doesn’t that sound like Micah 6:8 – beloved faith statement of so very, very many Christians:
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Moses said it first.

Psalm 69:19-36
A continuation of yesterday’s glorious psalm. I LOVE this one. Next time I am overwhelmed by someone or under attack, I am going here! Because when you feel persecuted, don’t you want a big strong guy to come along and beat the stew out of the bullies who are oppressing you? But that is not what this psalm advises. Oh, you get to wallow in the picture of them getting their just deserves. But after you have set your timer and imagined maggots on them for 2 minutes, you have to stop, and praise God’s name. Praise him for all of his mercies and generosities even if they are 300 years old! This is how we shift our focus off poor, little o me and get to the right attitude of God, not the bullies and certainly not me, is in control. And He has a plan.

NT – Luke 8:4-21
It is planting season here in Georgia. The temperature in the afternoon is in the mid 70s, the lows are in the high 40s and 50s and we have rain nearly every week. Springtime in Atlanta is gorgeous and the pollen is everywhere.
Reading these sentences of scripture are powerful metaphors to me for several reasons:
1. I am gardener.
2. I am a teacher.
3. I am a Christian.
When you put the 3 together, this parable really is a faith statement for someone like me.

Planting a garden is always a risk. There are bugs, varmints and diseases. There is too much water or not enough. Too much sun or not enough. And then there is stupidity. Like planting tomatoes in March. Or watermelons in July. Or not planting a second crop of bean when your first ones start to run up the poles. Mother and I do all the above almost every year. But we keep on going.
Teaching is also risky business. You cannot teach someone who does not want to learn. You can’t teach someone who does not have the prior skills necessary to absorb your materials. You don’t know that what you say or how you say it will penetrate. Basically, you just have to stand up there and throw your spiel out.
The Christian part. That is where the risk evaporates. Paul (oh Paul, just wait til we get to you…) said “I have planted, Apollos watered but God gave the increase.” Corinthians 3:6 All we are asked to do is to put the message out there – to broadcast the seed. God will take care of the rest. I know, it is hard not to want to manipulate the outcome. But this is what Jesus is calling me to do.
Yesterday, at dinner, we were having a conversation about how many hits this blog gets. Matt asked me why I was doing the blog. And the truth of the matter, it is to keep myself accountable and on task. Never have I ever done anything like this for this long of a period of time. Your comments, emails and support at church and the grocery store are so encouraging. And I hope that I encourage you to go into the Word. In Matthew’s worldview, it doesn’t matter how many hits I get because just to get one is a privilege. And he is right. So, for today, here is my seed broadcast.