கனியுள்ள வாழ்வுக்கான வழிகள்!

[லேவியராகமம் 26ல் இருந்து தியானம்]

👉 தேவனுடைய வார்த்தையையும் கட்டளைகளையும் வெறுக்காமல், அவற்றைக் கடைப்பிடியுங்கள். (14,15,3)

👉 பாவகரமான அடிமைத்தனங்களையும் பெருமையையும் தகர்த்தெரிந்து, உங்கள் இதயத்தைத் தாழ்த்துங்கள். (13,19,41)

👉 புதிய வாழ்வுக்காக, அக்கிரமங்களையும் பழைய வழிகளையும் அறிக்கையிட்டு, அப்புறப்படுத்துங்கள். (40,10)

👉 தேவசமூகத்தில் வாசம்பண்ணுங்கள். (11)

Ways to Fruitful Life

“Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.” (Luke 20:10)

Meditation from Luke Chapter 20

Like the man who sought fruit from the people to whom he entrusted the vineyard, the Lord Jesus seeks fruit from our life.

1. Persuaded not Followed –

“But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” (20:6)

Even though the people were persuaded by the truth they did not follow the truth. How often the word of God persuades us to obey; do we heed to it?

Obedience to the persuasion of the word of God is a sign and secret of fruitful life.

2. Person not Prosperity –

“But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’” (20:14)

The people sought the inheritance but not the person who was the reason and the owner. Seeking blessings and not God is a fruitless life. We are called to seek the Person of Jesus Christ.

Because without abiding in Christ we cannot bear fruit (John 15:4,5).

3. Pretense not Pleasing –

“So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous…” (20:20). “who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” (20:47)

Pretending life is not a fruitful life. We are not called to pretend to be righteous but to be true in our life. If we pretend to be spiritual and prayerful and not truthfully practice, we do not please God.

Fruitful life is to obey the truth that persuades us, to pursue Jesus & not prosperity and to not pretend but to truly practice God’s word and righteous living.

ABCs of Tasteless or Tasteful Life

“Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Luke 14:34,35)

Meditation from Luke 13, 14 & 15

Tasteless salt is Worthless! “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13)

Through the chapters from 13 to 15 let’s see the signs from our life whether it’s like a tasteless salt or tasteful life.

1. Away-less (Abiding in God) –

The younger son who goes away from the father, wasted the possessions that his father gave and wasted his life (Luke 15:12-16). Away from the Father our life and what we received from Him goes waste. We need to abide in and with God for our life to be tasteful.

2. Bondage-less –

A woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years comes to Jesus (Luke 13:11). “So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” (13:16)

Addictions are bondages and they make life worthless and fruitless. We need to come out of every bondage and we cannot do through only our strength and we need to seek the Holy Spirit to deliver us from all bondages. A bound life is a tasteless and worthless life.

3. Cross-less –

“…whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27).

We are called to carry the cross and follow Jesus. What is to carry the cross?

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (14:26)

“…whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (14:33)

If we truly follow Jesus, there cannot be any relationship or possession or our own life which we love more than Jesus. Bearing the cross is to forsake anything that takes priority over Jesus. Either we carry the cross or we compromise, both cannot go together.

4. Distraction-less –

“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’” (Luke 15:28-30)

The elder son was good for so many years and he gets distracted with an incident that which isn’t even concerning him. We get distracted when we forget our calling (who we are in Christ and what He has given us – Luke 15:31) and when we begin to compare ourselves with others, whom we think are better provided or treated than us.

Distractions will take us away from the plan of God and make our life tasteless.

5. Expectation-less –

“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.” (Luke 14,8,9)

“When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:12-14)

Jesus gives an example of being invited to a feast and when we invite people to a feast. The matter is to live without expectations. We should not got to any place with expectation and we should not seek any person with expectation.

6. Fruitless –

Like the man in the parable in Luke 13:6, Jesus seeks fruit in our life. We are created and called to bear fruit. One, the fruit of the Spirit, to demonstrate in our character and the fruit of good works in God’s kingdom works. Both will benefit and bless others. God gives chances for us to bear fruit, but if we fail even after chances, we will be cut down (13:9).

Let us commit ourselves to Jesus – to never stray away from the Father, to be delieverd from all bondages, to carry our cross daily & follow Him, to avoid every distraction, to live without expectations and to not be fruitless but to bear fruit for God’s glory.

Let the Word Bear Fruit

Meditation from Luke Chapter 8

Opportunity and avenues have become plenty for us to read and hear the Word of God through various means. But does the Word truly bear fruit in our life?

Let’s see what stops the Word of God from bearing fruit.

1. The Devil – “The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.” (Luke 8:12)

When we give space for the devil, he takes away the Word from our hearts. Right after reading or listening to the Word, do we think about the Word or give way for the devil?

2. Time of Testing – “The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away.” (8:13)

How do we respond to difficult situations and people? Do we respond according to the Word of God or according to our feelings? Testing times are opportunities for us to practice the Word!

3. Cares, Riches & Pleasures of Life – “As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” (8:14)

Do we allow the cares & concerns of life, riches & possessions and pleasures of life to choke the Word? Like Jesus, when tested & tempted, we need to overcome these by the Word of God (Luke 4:1-13).

How do we allow the Word to bear fruit?

Jesus says calls the heart that allows the word to bear fruit as a ‘good and honest heart’ that bears fruit with patient endurance (Luke 8:15).

1. How we Listen – “pay attention to how you listen” (8:18). How much we pay attention to the Word of God?

How not to listen – One, every Word is for us personally and we should not read or listen with a sense that it is for someone else. Two, do we close our ears because we don’t like the person who is sharing? Allow not the prejudice on someone to stop from listening to the pure word of God.

2. Hear & Do – “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (8:21)

We are called not only to read & listen to the Word, but to act upon it. Obedience to the Word is imperative.

In the incident that follows this parable, Jesus’s disciples are in a boat with Him and when there is severe storm and when they were in danger they cry out to Jesus, “They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”” (8:24) and Jesus chides them for their lack of faith (8:25). Testing times are times for us to demonstrate the Word.

Let’s not allow anything of the devil, the testing times, cares, riches and pleasures of life to choke the word and from stopping it to bear fruit in our life. Let’s pay attention how we read & listen to the Word and let us not only be hearers, but also doers of the Word.