Devotionals

As we invest the time to study scripture, we learn about God, as well as ourselves. The more we learn, the less trouble we have understanding the immense gap between humanity’s sin-filled lives and God’s pure undefiled holy presence. The Word of God points to the fact that if God did not move to rescue and save us, we would never be able to connect to him and his love. Gaining eternal life with God would be hopeless.

On Sunday, I took a few minutes to share from Mark’s gospel about the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34). She experienced separation from worshiping God in the Temple, as well as forbidden to enjoy her home or her relationship with her family and friends. Because of the law of purity she could not be with them as her bleeding issue never stopped; she lost everything that made life worth living due to her affliction. After twelve years of dealing with this infirmity there are no more resources. She remains powerless to heal herself. Doctors remain powerless to heal her. But when she reaches out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, it cures her affliction and changes everything involving her life. Her blood is no longer an issue. The purity of Jesus has filled her.

When we look at this lesson from the gospel of Mark through the lens of the Old Testament book of Leviticus, we are quickly made aware of the law that brought this discouraged and desperate woman to Jesus. She knew it would take a supernatural work of salvation to restore her life. And, that is what Jesus did for her.
Sin against God’s purity is humanity’s affliction and no one but Jesus can heal us and bridge the gap with Father God. We need the blood of Jesus to cover us and his purity to fill us. Amazing Grace from our Compassionate Lord!

Leviticus 15:25-30 NLT 25 “If a woman has a flow of blood for many days that is unrelated to her menstrual period, or if the blood continues beyond the normal period, she is ceremonially unclean. As during her menstrual period, the woman will be unclean as long as the discharge continues. 26 Any bed she lies on and any object she sits on during that time will be unclean, just as during her normal menstrual period. 27 If any of you touch these things, you will be ceremonially unclean. You must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening.

28 “When the woman’s bleeding stops, she must count off seven days. Then she will be ceremonially clean. 29 On the eighth day she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 30 The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify her before the Lord for the ceremonial impurity caused by her bleeding.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being the change in our blood DNA. Now, believers are covered by the blood of Messiah. We can enjoy life with you and live with the promised hope of heaven. Thank you, Lord! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

King David’s “Song of Praise” is a song to the Lord about the day the Lord rescued him from all of his enemies (who are controlled by the sin and darkness of this world) and from Saul, his father-in-law who sought to kill him (more sin and darkness of this world). This “Song of Praise” can be found in 2 Samuel 22 and in Psalm 18. Today, we are focusing on the first six verses of Psalm 18.

Like many of my brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray with and for people every single day. Last week a dear friend said, “I am praying for strength because Lord I am on the verge of crumbling and falling apart right now”. I am not going to lie; this friend’s circumstances are extremely difficult. Each one of us can think of extremely difficult circumstances that we have had to walk through, or we are walking through right now, and if we are being completely honest, we know that we will walk through more in the future.

But, friends, we must not allow our circumstances to determine our faith or the goodness of God, rather, our faith must rest in the goodness of God, and we must trust our circumstances to Him. David helps us to understand why we do this.

Remember, David walked through many difficult circumstances, adultery, leadership of the most powerful nation in the region of the most rebellious people, death, his own son tried to kill him for power, and the list goes on and on; but, regardless of each difficult circumstance, David still said:

Lord You are my strength – friends, when you and I feel weary and weak, we must press into our faith and remember that God never gets tired, and He is our strength at all times.

Lord You are my rock – we must stand firmly on the One Who is the Rock of our salvation, Jesus, and cry out to Him when we feel like everything is falling apart around us, because He is our only firm and unchanging place of Truth, and He wants to help us. God hears our prayers! Remember, He is omnipresent, everywhere at all times. He wants to help us.

Lord You are my safe place – Jesus is our safe place, His Word lives within each of us, and it never changes. We are the ones who either physically, emotionally, mentally, and/or spiritually change or wonder into unsafe places, but Jesus was, is, and will always be our safe place of rest and restoration. Cry out to Him for help. He is our safe covering and our strong tower!

Place your faith and trust in God for every circumstance. Because one thing is certain, while our circumstances will continue to change, our God is our only stable and unchanging place of pure love. Believe that God will use all things for Your good (even the hardest circumstances) because He loves you for all eternity, and He wants to use our hardest circumstances to help others.

Psalm 18:1-6 (NLV)

Song of Thanks for Being Kept Safe

1 I love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, and my safe place, and the One Who takes me out of trouble. My God is my rock, in Whom I am safe. He is my safe covering, my saving strength, and my strong tower. 3 I call to the Lord, Who has the right to be praised. And I am saved from those who hate me.

4 The ropes of death were all around me. The floods of death make me afraid. 5 The ropes of the grave were all around me. The traps of death were set for me. 6 I called to the Lord in my trouble. I cried to God for help. He heard my voice from His holy house. My cry for help came into His ears.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for being our strength, for giving us Jesus, Who is our Rock, and for allowing us to call on the Holy Spirit to lovingly guide us. Thank You for hearing our prayers and for being with us at all times, especially during difficult times. We love You, Jesus. Amen.

Some of you may know this, but as a reminder, Psalm 119 contains 176 verses, and the chapter is divided into 22 stanzas. Each stanza is titled with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. Today we are digging into the Truth of the fifteenth stanza which is titled with the fifteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Samekh, meaning to lean upon, to uphold, or to support.

In today’s passage, we can clearly see that the psalmist understands his great need for God’s support. He is so focused on lovingly obeying and honoring God by upholding His Truth (God’s Word), that he hates when individuals are divided in their loyalty between God and this world.

At first, it might seem ungodly or unloving for the psalmist to use the word “hate”, however, the psalmist is not saying that he does not love individuals who are different from him or who do not know God, he is stating that he hates those who choose to be double-minded because he loves God’s Word and understands that by choosing God, he must deny this world. The psalmist will not allow anyone to stand in the way of his devout love for God, he knows he needs the support of the indwelling Spirit of Christ (the Holy Spirit) as he endures this world and upholds his faith. The Apostle James gives us clear instructions on faithful endurance. He tells us that we need God’s wisdom, and you and I get that when we ask the Holy Spirit for divide guidance and support. “But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” (v. 6 – 8)

Friends, we cannot be double-minded, we must place our loyalty in Christ Jesus, alone! We cannot choose God and this world; it doesn’t work that way. By choosing both, we are standing against God. Dig deep into His Word, share it with others, and reject Satan.

Psalm 119:113-128 (NLT)

Samekh

113 I hate those with divided loyalties,
but I love your instructions.
114 You are my refuge and my shield;
your word is my source of hope.
115 Get out of my life, you evil-minded people,
for I intend to obey the commands of my God.
116 Lord, sustain me as you promised, that I may live!
Do not let my hope be crushed.
117 Sustain me, and I will be rescued;
then I will meditate continually on your decrees.
118 But you have rejected all who stray from your decrees.
They are only fooling themselves.
119 You skim off the wicked of the earth like scum;
no wonder I love to obey your laws!
120 I tremble in fear of you;
I stand in awe of your regulations.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for imparting Your Spirit within us. We need Your wisdom to guide us. Help us to press deeper into Your Word, every single day, to grow closer and closer to you and further and further away from this world. Forgive us when we’ve waivered, we do not want to be divided in our loyalty, we want to be firmly planted on You and our roots to grow deeper and deeper into Your Truth. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

In our passage today, Paul is concluding his letter to the Galatian churches, and this message remains Truth to the universal Church of believers today. In verse 11, which is the first line of “Paul’s Final Advice”, he points out that he is writing the letter himself and he does it in all capital letters. The usual practice of writing, at that time, would have been to dictate to a trained secretary who would have neatly printed the letter for public reading in the churches. By Paul writing himself and, in a caps, he is letting believers know the seriousness of this message.

Today’s eight verses summarize what Paul has been saying throughout the letter, that false teachers will try to persuade believers to submit to their flesh rather than to the Holy Spirit, and the sad part is that some of them do not even realize they are working against God’s Word and for Satan. That is why it is critical that you, me, and all believers remain in the Word of God all of the time. Paul uses the example of circumcision again to help believers understand the motives of false teacher’s hearts. The false teachers at that time would want to “look good to others” (not much has changed today, it might even be worse), but those teachers had an outward express of the Jewish system practices (the Law). Paul’s message is the exact opposite of living outwardly by our flesh nature, as he points you, me, and all believers to live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we seek to grow closer and closer in our relationship with Christ Jesus.

Friends, all that you and I do is for the glory of Jesus. Paul makes sure that we know he has no interest in this world, that all of his worldly interests have been crucified and died. That he has been transformed into a new creation because of Jesus. You and I have been transformed into a new creation because of our choice to lay down our earthly lives and to pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

Galatians 6:11-18 NLT

Paul’s Final Advice

11 NOTICE WHAT LARGE LETTERS I USE AS I WRITE THESE CLOSING WORDS IN MY OWN HANDWRITING.

12 Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 13 And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.

14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 15 It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. 16 May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.

17 From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.

18 Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our example. You laid down Your life for each one of us. Holy Spirit, help us to disconnect from our worldly desires, and to grow deeper in our relationship with You. Impart Your wisdom and discernment to our spirit to know when we encounter false teachers and those who seek to spread false doctrine. Thank You for Pastor Mary, who seeks to spread Your Truth, Your Word, and share Your message of eternal love. Cover her with Your protection and protect our spiritual Family so that we can continue to build Your Kingdom. In Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Faith is a positive response to the Word of God; we act upon the Word because we believe it is how we apply and live the Truth! It can be a temptation to look at the world and view it as reality. However, this world is not reality; it is a perverted imitation of the Truth. Reality is what God created in the beginning through his Word. Heaven is reality and Christ is our example of how to live as citizens of heaven while on earth! God wants us to hunger for the blessing and righteous Truth vs. settle for a lousy cursed worldly imitation that is destined for destruction and empty of Spirit.

In our passage today, the writer of Hebrews revisits some Old Testament heroes of the faith—which is active trust—so we will understand the struggle to live in reality while in a fallen world. Abel responds to God with active trust to remind us God requires his worshipers to offer a holy sacrifice. Enoch responds to God with active trust to remind us of the reality of eternal life. Noah responds to God with active trust to remind us that obedience is required—it separates us from the fallen world—so we can carry the reality of God’s presence. In Christ, we are not of this godless world; reality is whatever God created that has not been touched by sin. Because of Jesus, reality and a Spirit-led life is waiting for you, today; run to Christ and enjoy what is real!

Hebrews 11:4-7 NLT
4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

7 It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for providing the reality of Truth. We know your Word is what teaches us about the pure world you created in the beginning. Thank you for the promise that one day you will provide that perfect world for us to live in once again. All glory be to you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This week in our devotions, we have learned more about the perfectly organized plan of God for salvation, as well as the temporary tactics and destructive motive of evil to deceive people so they will not receive salvation or live in the Truth. Satan’s purpose to destroy humanity’s relationship with God can only occupy a temporary time on earth; while God’s purpose to enjoy a relationship with humanity is eternal and not bound by time at all. Remember, we must choose to begin a relationship with God before Jesus returns, so we can enjoy that relationship with him forever.

In our passage today, we are told who is in charge of the future of the world. We do not need to be afraid or confused by all that is going on in the world around us, because scripture tells us Jesus is the One with authority to rule heaven and earth. When Jesus descended to earth the first time, he did not come to gain political power. Instead, he came to suffer and die for the sins of the world. While he was here, Jesus chose participation in the spiritual family over demonstrating power over others, a servants heart over a dominating ruler, and giving to others over gaining anything for himself. It is hard to comprehend, but this is the attitude of the Christ in us, as well.

Maybe we need to check our motives as Christ’s followers. Invisible forces are always trying to shape our culture and make it more worldly; filled with the idols of consumerism, relativism, and materialism. We need to take a stand against those things so we can properly reflect our Master. Don’t forget how filled with joy you were when you first accepted Christ. That joy—the joy of your salvation—is what will sustain you against the work of evil to derail or snuff out your faith.

Hebrews 2:5-9 NLT Jesus, the Man
5 And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. 6 For in one place the Scriptures say,
“What are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    or a son of man that you should care for him?
7 
Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
8 
You gave them authority over all things.”
Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. 9 What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

Prayer: Lord, I am so grateful for your salvation and I pray for people to run to you. Only in Christ can we know your designed purpose for our lives. Help us walk each day in obedience to that purpose, so we may glorify you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The human heart will always be occupied and governed by one of two spirits or masters: Christ or Satan. There are no empty hearts and no neutrality; to be neutral is to be an enemy of Christ. We must choose whom we will serve, because there is an ongoing spiritual war between the citizens serving the unrighteous kingdom of the world and the citizens serving the righteous kingdom of God.

We see the truth of this in our passage today from Luke. Obviously, Jesus brings great power to heal and restore—a power that comes from God and reveals his kingdom—but the people have mixed reactions when Jesus takes authority over a demon and sets a mute man free to begin a new life. The people have witnessed a miracle and many presented with a positive response proclaiming God did it. Those with negative responses to Jesus could not deny his power, but they just did not want to admit the power was God’s because they did not like Jesus or want to believe he was from God. So, they gave Satan credit for the miracle.

If hearts are not open and operating by the truth of God’s Word; unfortunately, they are open to Satan’s occupation and deception. Remember, no neutrality. So, Jesus gave the example of a dethroned evil spirit that was forced to leave a person by the exorcism of someone greater—Christ’s cleansing the human temple. Unless that person starts obeying and practicing the Word of God, they are open to even worse demonic rule. Pause and consider this situation. Is it essential for us to internalize and live the Word of God?

Sin is sin and scripture is clear about what is detestable to God; so every disciple of Christ must learn to live according to the Word of God. Every spiritual leader, throughout time, will one day give an account and answer to God for how he or she loved and lived in accordance to the Word of God; we will not be answering to other religious leaders. God’s true anointed leaders serve in humility and possess the power of grace and mercy as evident in their very lives—they seek, by faith, to reflect the Anointed One.

Luke 11:14-28
NLTJesus and the Prince of Demons
14 One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn’t speak, and when the demon was gone, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed, 15 but some of them said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan,[Beelzebub] the prince of demons.” 16 Others, trying to test Jesus, demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

17 He knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 18 You say I am empowered by Satan. But if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive? 19 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. 20 But if I am casting out demons by the power of God,[by the finger of God] then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 21 For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe— 22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.

23 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

24 “When an evil[unclean] spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ 25 So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. 26 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”

27 As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!”

28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

Prayer: Lord, this is such a relevant lesson for us, today. As we look at the world, we see the division of kingdoms and we know our greatest weapon is your Word and our practice of the Truth. Help us to be righteous examples of the gospel which brings the power of salvation to the open hearts of others. We draw near to you, today, and in doing so we take a stand against the work of Satan and his demonic army. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Yesterday, Jen got our weekly devotionals started with a reading from the book of Revelation; the time of Christ’s millennial reign without the deception of Satan (20:1-6). During the thousand years, Truth will be exalted and people will have the opportunity to choose to live in the fear [adoration] of the Lord. Can you even imagine what it will be like at that time to live for Christ without the corrupting influence of Satan’s power and deception?

In our passage today, Scripture picks up at the end of the millennium when Satan is once again released. I do not know much about Gog and Magog [no one really does], but we must remember in Hebrew when those names [each letter has a numerical value] are added together they represent the number 70 [meaning sacred order/judgment]. Recently, we read in the book of Genesis about the Tower of Babel [Babylon and the symbol of human arrogance, rebellion, and self-sufficiency against the God of Israel] when God scattered people into 70 nations of the world. As well, let’s remember the people’s purpose for building the Tower in the first place was based on the unified hatred of the nations to dethrone the God of Israel; driven by nations who wanted to make a name for themselves rather than align with God’s authority and Name (Gen 11:4). It was believed, the Tower would preserve the Babylonian people should Israel’s God decided to send another Flood to destroy the world.

Well, at the end of time, it will be like it was in the beginning only instead of evil-driven humans trying to ascend to God through rebellious disobedience and hatred, God will return to earth, judge evil and those following Satan, and rid the world of evil arrogance and disobedience once and for all. Then, we will all be unified [whole] in our worship of Messiah.

Revelation 20:7-15 NLT The Defeat of Satan
7 When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. 9 And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.

10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Final Judgment
11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Prayer: Lord, our passages from John’s revelation of your beautiful and eternal presence, as well as your heavenly rule and glory are precious to us. Thank you for the promise you have made to return for us, as well as permanently defeat and destroy evil. You are our Hope. Thank you Jesus for making it possible for our names to be written in your Book of Life. May we gain a renewed vision of the importance of how we live right now. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friends, as many of you know, when I write a devotion from the book of Revelation, I like to offer a reminder that the book of Revelation is the prophetic messaging through the Apostle John that Jesus gives to His entire Church so our hearts and lives can be spiritually ready for His return.

Today we are looking at “The Thousand Years” in Revelation 20. First, let’s remember that in Revelation 18 John reveals that there will be “The Fall of Babylon” and after that happens there will be “Songs of Victory in Heaven” as the beast (Satan) and his false prophets will be thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur by “The Rider on the White Horse,” Jesus in chapter 19. Then, as we enter into today’s verses, we see that God sends an angel from heaven with a key to the bottomless pit to lock up Satan (who is named, the dragon, the old serpent, and the devil) for a thousand years. Let’s notice how God or Jesus do not go to lock up Satan, rather an unnamed angel is sent to lock him up. This action reveals that Satan is not the opposite in terms of being equal to God, so locking him up does not warrant that the most powerful King of Kings, the Almighty, the Holy Trinity do it; no, God sends one heavenly angel to do the deed. Friends, this is proof that our most powerful weapon against Satan is the Word of God, and since we are container of the Holy Spirit, we need to keep feeding on the Word of God all of the time because it’s always the weapon the Spirit will guide us to use against Satan. He is not more powerful than the Holy Spirit that lives within you and me, so we must be in oneness with the Holy Spirit and keep growing so He can use that growth of the Truth within us to guide us.

There are many views on the thousand-year Millennium reign. No matter the viewpoint, we cannot be afraid of the Good News in Revelation 20:1-6. Please do not get fearfully distracted by the word “beheaded”, rather focus on the glory and honor that each life is given for their devout and unwavering heart for Christ and His Word.

Friends, as you prepare to read today’s passage, let’s remember what Paul tells us about our new life in Christ Jesus, “since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, Who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)

Revelation 20:1-6 NLT

The Thousand Years

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.

4 Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

5 This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for this Word. Holy Spirit, we call on Your wisdom to guide each one of us to a greater understanding of how this Word is to minister to our lives right now. Father, we look forward to Jesus’s return and the day when Satan is lock up. In the meantime, Holy Trinity, help each one of us to remain devoted to You, to keep growing in Your Word, and to keep speaking Your Truth into a hurting and needing world. Keep us close to You, Jesus. In Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Our beautiful 23-month-old granddaughter is talking more and more. Each time I am with her, I notice she has added more words to her vocabulary and usually connects them with the proper meaning. It is so fun to witness her learning; I talk to her all the time, but I also listen and respond to her efforts. Sometimes, I have to listen to her words carefully and pause for understanding; it can be a bit of a mystery until I catch on. Words have meanings that communicate information and each time we hear them we have the potential to grow in knowledge and wisdom.

Every time the gospel is preached, it calls for a positive response from human beings. The meaning may feel hidden, but if we open our hearts to learn, we begin to understand and connect the Word with the proper meaning. The Word of God is the Seed and when it is released into the anointing it is sown in the soil of our hearts for the purpose of producing fruit and glorifying God. It’s a spiritual Word! Believers are to be receivers and responders to the revealed Word of God! The Word is hidden in our hearts.

We see the revelation of this Truth in our New Testament passage, today. Jesus is teaching the crowds in parables; this was prophesied in the Old Testament (Psalm 78:1-2). Parables serve two functions: They reveal truth [illuminated illustrations] to those who are spiritually responsive to God’s solutions; and they conceal truth from those who are spiritually superficial or hostile to God. Let’s not forget in the midst of the Word being sown, the devil seeks to prevent people from believing and being saved. May believers across the globe submit to God, resist the devil, and desire a pure heart, as well as the grace to produce a huge harvest!

Luke 8:4-15 NLT Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed
4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they look, they won’t really see.
    When they hear, they won’t understand.’

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making your Word and message understandable for those seeking to live by your grace and walk by faith. Continue to help us grow and produce abundant fruit. Be glorified in our hearts, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.