Why Didn't I Set the Timer?

I was preparing some barbecue flavored, pulled chicken for a luncheon with a couple of friends. As I checked the chicken that was in the slow cooker, I discovered that it was not at the temperature I had wanted to leave it at. I planned to leave it at the keep warm temperature while at Bible study. With 15 minutes remaining before I would leave, I turned the setting on the cooker up to high to increase the temp of the meat that few more degrees it needed. Doing so, I sternly told myself to not forget to turn it back down to keep warm.
I had received a call from one of the two women informing me that she may not be able to make our lunch. When I arrived at Bible study I verified with the other that she was still coming. As I told her about the barbecue chicken in the slow cooker, I realized that I had never turned it from high down to keep warm. Leaving the chicken on high for the next two and a half hours would have destroyed the meal. Since I only lived 10 minutes from where the study was held, and it was still early, I headed home to correct my error. Leaving the parking lot I thought, “Why didn't I set a timer?”
How many days do we spend with great intentions of doing good things and then forget them. It may be prayer, going out to encourage someone, or one of many other ways to serve the Lord. Then we get caught up in the busyness of our day and find ourselves having missed the opportunity for our intended service?
Scripture tells us to, “… set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2 AMP) We have the responsibility to set our minds and hearts. To do this this we need to seek His will for each day. “But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.” (Matthew 6:33 AMP) We can determine to be about kingdom business as we go about our daily routine. Whatever God sets on our hearts must take prime importance in our ‘to do’ list for the day.
Bringing the word of God to others is like preparing a meal for them. God will inspire us with the exact words to say at the right time to save them. We need to remain tuned into the voice of the Holy Spirit. He will signal the opportunity to bless a hungry heart.

In the parable of the sower (see Matthew chapter 13) Jesus tells of the different hearts that hear the gospel. Just as each seed was sown in two different types of ground, each scenario details how someone receives that word.  Some will not understand the gospel and therefore reject it. Some will receive it but it will not take root, therefore encountering even a little trouble the word will die out from their lives. Some will have the word choked out by the things of this world and still others will grow and be productive for the Lord

We can also compare the manner of our attentiveness and obedience and sharing the love of Jesus with others. We know God can share this love with others. We do not wish to allow the busyness of our daily schedules to choke out the instructions of the Lord. When the word of God comes to us we do not want to regretfully say, “… but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit.” (Matthew 13:22 AMP) Rather we wish our hearts to be like the good soil so the words that describe us are, “he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty.” (Matthew 13:23 AMP) This fruit is borne not only in our lives but is provided for others.

We can keep the word of God fresh and ready to give out. We set our hearts to intentionally seek out the spiritually hungry and be ready to serve them the truth and hope found only in Jesus Christ. Let’s set a timer in our hearts so that we do not let other things distract us from providing this essential food.  Jesus said, “It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 AMP) Whether a word of encouragement to a fellow Christian, heartfelt concerns voiced to God or the gospel brought to the lost, let us determine to provide this bread.