“Harvesting Our Abundant Good” by Rev. Dr. Christine Emmerling 10/17/2021
John 4:35, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” Every plant has its season for planting, growing, and harvesting. We then take time to celebrate and share in gratitude for all that we have received. Autumn is known for harvesting, and celebrating in gratitude and thankfulness. In bringing forth our good, whatever it may be, we have similar steps to take in consciousness - in thought. Today my talk is “Harvesting Our Abundant Good.”
Jesus the Christ teaches much on this subject; his miracles in the feeding of the multitudes, raising the dead, catching of fish, and his parables of sowing and reaping. These are keys to our abundant living.
In Matthew 6:31 we are told to take no thought in what shall we eat, drink or be clothed - our basic needs. And in verse 33: we are told to “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” We are being told here that to worry for our needs is not the way. But to first seek the kingdom of God; becoming in right relationship with God, our Father within that does the works. Seeking within is bringing our focus and consciousness to the invisible realm of creation where all stems forth from the invisible to the visible.
The outer manifestation is the result of our consciousness. And, if we don’t like what we are experiencing then we have to go back to the drawing board within our own consciousness. What is it that we are putting forth in thought and deed? What are our deeply seeded beliefs? Are we betraying ourselves in fear of lack rather than being in the truth?
We can see the Spiritual principles at work as we observe a garden. Our mind is much like a garden; it can be peaceful and beautiful, or be in chaos with overgrowth, or withered and dead. Our mind is the source of all possibilities to grow, and be experienced in our world.
The word garden is very symbolic in the Bible. Jesus the Christ often used gardens and trees in his parables when teaching. He often speaks of gardens to describe our awakening and creative process. His parables have multiple levels of understanding for those that have ears to hear and eyes to see. In other words, to have spiritual understanding to truly hear the deeper message for our soul’s unfoldment. Such is in the parable of the sower in Mark 4:2-9, it reads: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, and since it had no root it withered away.
Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And the other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty-fold and sixty-fold and a hundredfold. And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The deeper meaning of the sower is the Divine Presence or God, that sows within us – ever calling forth throwing its seeds, its creative ideas, upon our consciousness, our garden. And, this garden of consciousness receives according to its ability to be receptive, a willingness to listen, and to contemplate for deeper understanding. It is our having an open mind that we receive new seed ideas. A closed mind, or busy mind misses the seeds of ideas being given.
The seeds fall on four types of ground: 1st on the path, 2nd on rocky ground, 3rd on an area where thorns grow and 4th on good and productive soil.
The 1st describes seeds falling on a path where the birds devour. Here the soil is hard, compacted and is a symbol of a type of hearer that is closed minded, or distracted by other activities on our path of life. Birds represent fleeting thoughts; they just twitter by. These divine ideas became as fleeting thoughts taking no root in their consciousness, and thus in their everyday lives.
And, in 1st Corinthians 2:14, Paul tells us that “the unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
A spiritual man sees beyond a world of matter, and realizes everything is of spirit; we live in a spiritual world, a spiritual body and mind. If one is totally believing in a material physical world, then they don’t have the consciousness to receive and understand for the seeds to give life, as in the seeds that fell on the path and eaten by the birds.
The 2nd are seeds that fell upon rocky ground; here the seed sprout but without deep roots will not produce, and will soon die. These seeds of truth need to be nurtured and become firmly established on a subconscious level and grow deeper and deeper roots there. Contemplation is required. Otherwise, spiritual progress will be temporary and soon lost.
How often does one hear such wonderful words of inspiration, “Oh how I’m going to remember to do this or that every day.” But in a very short time it is all forgotten, and back to our old ways of living in judgment, criticism, anger, fear and doubt.
An acceptance of theory is not enough. We must have a clear understanding of our spiritual source. Nona Brooks writes in her book “Short Lessons in Divine Science.” “Divine Science lays its greatest emphasis upon Omnipresence. It is vital that the student should have this fundamental truth thoroughly grounded in thought before proceeding to consider the further unfoldment of this system of teaching. Knowledge of Omnipresence is necessary if one is to realize their God-given power.” Nona is talking about God being Omnipresent - God is all, both invisible and visible. God is expressing and living through and as its creations, and this makes us co-creators, or as I like to say “conscious creators.”
We work on developing our consciousness through daily meditation on the things of the spirit; to pray in gratitude; study the Bible and other spiritual writings. Then put to practice everything we have learned, put it to the test - own it. Then make it part of our life by living these practices.
The 3rd seed that fell upon an area where thorns grow and choked out the life of the plants yielding no grain. This third kind of hearer, is one who has certain Christ ideas rooted in their soul, but lets other interests crowd them out. We must pull out the thorns of negative beliefs and attitudes from our subconscious mind.
We also need to weed out frivolous interests, so that we have the time and energy to think and do the things that are for our highest good. We need to make room in our consciousness and in our lives for the spirit to thrive. By doing this we give the kingdom, our inner garden, a chance to grow and increase within us.
The 4th seed fell on good soil, the fourth kind of hearer. These hearers are those who are open and receptive to divine ideas. They have cultivated their subconscious mind. They think, speak, and live according to their true nature.
The yields given here are far above what is normally expected. The yields available through divine grace are far greater than those yielded through the mental law of cause and effect. Their good kept on bringing forth – not temporary, but constant increase. Once the seeds of the spirit, have taken root deep within the subconscious mind, and lived consciously the blessings keep on flowing.
We can also take this parable about how we create, in holding to our focus, and belief – not distracted jumping from one idea or project to another. And, to diligently tending to our garden to bring forth the desired result.
The seeds grow secretly once the seed is planted it grows on its own – the earth nurtures. The earth is our subconscious mind, and it nurtures deep within the soil. If the ground is fertile, the subconscious mind is filled with love, joy, gratitude, beauty, wisdom, and all kinds of supportive thoughts. We need to be highly selective in what we plant and nurture in our subconscious mind for a bountiful harvest.
The next key is to praise, Jesus said to pray as though you have already received. To be in gratitude even before receiving. Praise God! How often I hear that from happy joyous loving and giving people.
Before Jesus fed the 5,000 with the loaves and fishes, he gave thanks for the blessings that were before them, and the law of praise gave forth more than that which was needed to feed the 5,000. And in raising of Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said, “Thank thee Father for having heard me.” And Lazarus came out of the tomb. The power of being thankful before receiving is the act of faith. Truly knowing that you shall receive without a doubt, that God gives according to that which is asked.
The prayer of gratitude is also being grateful for what we do have - to see the good in it. Its important to remember to be thankful for what we already have. If we’re wanting something new, like a new house or new car or job; praise what we have, and eventually we’ll praise our self right into our new house, car or job.
Praying as though we have already received our good is being grateful even before receiving. This prepares our consciousness, our inner garden to receive. Being grateful opens the flood gates. It can be as simple as to say upon awakening, “Thank you God for this glorious day!” or “Thank you for this breath.”
What about those weeds that every garden seems to get. In another parable, Jesus teaches about weeds growing with the crop, and not to pull them, but to wait and separate them out at harvest time when we can see the difference between them. These weeds can represent our negative doubting thoughts or other peoples negativity.
Someone once told me that weeds were nothing more than unwanted plants. These may be perfectly good plants if growing someplace else. The difference is only a matter of opinion. They could turn out to be an unexpected good. Something we would never thought of having, but turns out to be exactly what we needed. Sometimes we have to readjust our thinking to get an even greater good. We take time to listen to that still small inner voice for the wisdom and guidance.
Whenever there is a shift in consciousness – from the outer appearance to the inner truth – a realization of our good awaits us. It already is – the feast is set before us, all we have to do is praise and be thankful to our host, and sit down and eat.
When two or more are in agreement it is done. When the conscious mind and the subconscious are in agreement it is done accordingly. But then, when inspired through the Christ mind; nurtured through a well cultivated subconscious mind, and acted upon through the conscious mind in praise, gratitude, and giving in faithful action; so much more is received than we could ever imagine.