God of rich and wonderful blessings, thank you for the work of this dear reader; may she or he be blessed today! In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Matthew 13: 31 Another story. "God's kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. 32 It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it." 33 Another story. "God's kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread - and waits while the dough rises."44 "God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidently found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic - what a find! - and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. 45 "Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. 46 Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it. 47 "Or, God's kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. 48 When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. 49 That's how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish 50 and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won't do any good." 51 Jesus asked, "Are you starting to get a handle on all this?" They answered, "Yes." 52 He said, "Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it." (The Message)
You and I have been handed business cards or scraps of paper with a phone number on it along with the person saying, "If you ever need anything, just give me a call." Those who truly mean it truly bless us. And we walk away with a good feeling knowing that this person will be there if we need with the help we might possibly need sometime in the future. It is especially meaningful if that person shares a numbere that is not on the printed front of the card, a hand-scribbled phone number no one else has. This may not mean much to you but I have a friend who is one of three people in the USA who has the Pope's private phone number. Of course it goes with his position within our denomination, but I was impressed.
God's kingdom is there when you need it. That's the message Jesus is sharing with His listeners. The fullness and richness of life that is full of hope and joy and peace is ours for the taking when we need it. Jesus compares it to the planting of a seed. The seed goes deep within and slowly grows and becomes that which we need when we need it most. It may be like yeast mixed in with dough and then rises and helps make a great loaf of bread. It could be like a field that on the surface shows nothing but deep within it contains treasure, so much so that the finder of it goes and sells all he or she has to purchase that field. It is to teach us that every Bible verse that we've read and prayed on and reflected on, will serve its purpose one day. Every sermon's main message will stay with us and our well will be deep when there is that need for a quenching that nothing else can do. Dare I believe that every ConCafe that you read and ponder on, may one day bless you more than the first reading. I pray that is true. Such is our God that God is never far from us. May we never be far from God.
PRAYER: Loving God may the seeds and yeast planted as blessings yesterday come to full fruit on the days in which we need them most. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
