Sunday, April 15, 2018

April 16, 2018 - LISTEN – ACCEPT – GROW


Day 106 - (Today’s Bible readings: Exodus 27; Psalm 97; Mark 4:1–25)

 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”  (Luke 4:2-8 ESV)

Jesus is teaching us the importance of listening to God’s Word, especially His call to repent and believe.  The sad thing is that many people don’t get it. Jesus highlights three different tragic responses to the Word:

1) And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 

DON’T LET SATAN GET YOU TO NEGLECT THE WORD AND THEREBY TAKE IT AWAY FROM YOU!

2) And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

DIG DEEPLY INTO THE WORD SO THAT YOU ARE PREPARED FOR THE TRIALS OF LIFE!

3) And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 

DON’T LET THE CARES OF THE WORLD CHOKE OUT THE WORD IN YOUR LIFE!

INSTEAD, BE LIKE GOOD SOIL AND WATCH THE BLESSINGS OF GOD’S GROW IN YOUR LIFE!

20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
When I feel afraid, think I’ve lost my way, still You’re there right beside me,
And nothing will I fear as long as You are near.  Please be near me to the end.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Lord, may Your precious Word take root in my heart and produce abundant fruit of faith and obedience, all to Your glory. Amen.

Pastor David Paape

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings  
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!

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