Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- April 16, 2013
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:15
A heart for God is nurtured by the word of God. Just like the stomach receives good food to grow the body, so a healthy heart receives nutritious morsels from a meal of Scripture. Indeed, the spiritual development process begins with a heart hungry for God. A soft soul, like moist dirt, takes in truth and gives it time to deepen its roots in righteousness. Tests of trust come, but a humble heart stays true to its commitment to Christ. Faith perseveres and retains God’s word.
Beware of Satan’s attempt to snatch away the seed from your pathway of faith and obedience. Your acceptance of Christ by faith and your obedience to His commands by grace, hide the seed of God’s word from the snare of the enemy. Truth applied to your life cannot be taken by the devil. He trolls the surface of your thinking trying to steal away the Word. However, when you hide Holy Scripture deep in your heart you are safe from the thief’s clutches. You are saved!
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 1 Samuel 3:7
Yes, the word of the Lord allows you to know the Lord. Therefore, pace yourself in the grace of God, so you continue to grow in your faith. It is not how early you start with God, but how far you go over a lifetime. Do not allow trials to take away your joy in Jesus. You can still smile on the inside, even when you are suffering on the outside. The tests of your faith teach forgiveness and grace in your relationships. Life lessons learned make you more effective in how you love.
Cares of this world mustn’t block us from learning the Bible and becoming better followers of Christ. Worry can keep us from the Word of God, or the Word of God can keep us from worry. Therefore, it’s imperative that we quietly meditate on Scripture, so the Spirit can clearly speak to our heart with reassuring words of hope, wisdom and encouragement. Once rooted and grounded with a heart for God, our Heavenly Father multiples the fruit of our faith in other faithful lives.
We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Hebrews 2:1
Prayer: Heavenly Father may my humble heart be fertile ground to receive Your word, so you can grow my faith and the faith of those I influence for You.
Related Readings: Psalm 18:30; Matthew 4:4; John 8:51; Acts 12:24; 1 John 2:19
Post/Tweet today: Worry can keep us from the Word of God, or the Word of God can keep us from worry. #WordofGod
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