6/14/13

From Gary... When a fence is not a fence


I took this picture yesterday afternoon.  Actually, it was a continuation of my experimentation with stitching several pictures together.  This picture is a little deceiving, as the fences intersect at a 90 degree angle and not the apparent 45 degree above.  Also, if the ground on the right of the picture looks odd, it is because there is a mound running parallel to the fence.  Things are not always what they seem, as the following parable indicates...

Luke, Chapter 8

 4 When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.  5  “The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.   6  Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.   7  Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.   8  Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and produced one hundred times as much fruit.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” 

  9  Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?” 

  10  He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’  11  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.   12  Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.   13  Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.   14  That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.   15  That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produces fruit with patience. 


Verse 14 is very important in this passage, as the beginning of attaining knowledge is often preceded by asking a question.  The disciples were to become fishers of men and therefore needed to know how their future listeners would respond to the word of God.  We need to know this too as we are expected to share God's word today as well.  For me, I look at the picture of the fence and see the individual days of my life (the fence posts) anchored by a fitting nails (the words of God), connected by a union of twisted wire (God's thoughts and my own), set in a pattern ordained by the Almighty for his use.  You might just see a fence, which is fine.  I will be looking for God's presence in everything around me.  You decide which is better!!!  Both are correct!!!