Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 20:1-49
Matthew 12:46-13:23
Proverbs 14:5-14
Click on Text Link to Read Online
Focus Verses: Matthew 13:22-23
22 The
one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who
hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of
wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But
the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who
hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a
hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Insight:
Both
worries and wealth—the burdens and the blessings—have the capacity to
choke out the productivity of God's word in our lives. Problems and
needs can lead to stress. Wealth and comfort can lead to apathy and
half-heartedness. Those who are eager to receive God's word, ready to
understand and respond to it, are like rich soil that welcomes a seed,
letting it put down deep roots and push up a bountiful crop.
Response and Action:
I
will be careful to not let the worries and concerns of life distract me
from God's word. I will be just as careful to not let the comforts and
blessings of life lull me into apathy toward God's word. God's word must
be more important to me than worries or wealth. I must be quick to
receive God's word and ready to respond to it.
Allowing
God's word to take deep root in my heart and mind is what prepares me
for hardship and gives me peace in stressful circumstances. God’s word
planted in my heart helps me remember what is most important in times of
comfort and blessing.
O
God, protect from the worries of life. Do not let them distract me from
your guiding and sustaining word. O God, protect me from the blessings
and comforts of life. Do not let them cause me to trust in them or love
them more than you. Give me a love and a hunger for your word. May it
teach, rebuke, correct, and train me in order that I might live a
fruitful life that honors you. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Resources:
Transforming Bible Study:
Understanding Scripture Like You've Never Read It Before
by Bob Grahmann
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