Category Archives: Doubt / Lacking Faith

Courage / Fear, Discerning / Judging, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Share the Good News, Unteachable / Foolish

Embracing Truth: Lessons from Jesus’ Rejection in Nazareth (Luke 4:14-30)

Have you ever experienced the discomfort of speaking truth in the face of opposition?

In Luke 4:14-30, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth, only to be met with rejection and hostility when he proclaims the truth of God’s word.

Reconnect: Reflecting on Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth serves as a reminder of the challenges that arise when confronting entrenched beliefs and speaking truth to power.

(Summarized and continued after scripture)

Luke 4:14-30

Jesus’ Public Ministry

     14And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. 15And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

      16And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

      18“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,

      19TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”
20And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. 25“But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; 26and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27“And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; 29and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. 30But passing through their midst, He went His way.

Summary Key Points:

  1. The Anointed Messenger: Jesus begins his ministry by teaching in synagogues throughout Galilee, gaining widespread acclaim for his wisdom and authority as he proclaims the arrival of God’s kingdom.
  2. The Rejection in Nazareth: When Jesus returns to Nazareth, his hometown, he is met with skepticism and disbelief from those who knew him from childhood. Despite performing miracles and speaking with authority, the people of Nazareth reject him, unable to accept the possibility that he could be the long-awaited Messiah.
  3. Confronting Unbelief: Jesus responds to their rejection by citing examples from Israel’s history where prophets faced similar disbelief among their own people. He highlights the irony that outsiders, like the widow in Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian, were more receptive to God’s message than his own townspeople.
  4. The Danger of Familiarity: The people of Nazareth’s familiarity with Jesus and his family blinds them to the truth of his identity. They cannot reconcile the Jesus they knew as a carpenter’s son with the divine authority he now embodies, leading to their rejection of him.
  5. The Power of Truth: Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth underscores the challenges of speaking truth to those who are unwilling to listen. Yet, it also demonstrates the power of truth to challenge entrenched beliefs and transform hearts, even in the face of opposition.

Call to Action: Let us be inspired by Jesus’ example to:

  • Speak Truth Boldly: Like Jesus, let us courageously proclaim truth, even when it is met with resistance or rejection.
  • Challenge Assumptions: Recognize the danger of familiarity and challenge our own preconceived notions to remain open to God’s truth, even when it challenges our beliefs.
  • Embrace Rejection: Understand that rejection may come when we stand for truth, but trust in God’s sovereignty and continue to faithfully follow his leading.

Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, grant us the courage to speak truth boldly, even in the face of opposition. May we be steadfast in our commitment to your word, trusting in your guidance and provision. Help us to confront unbelief with grace and humility, knowing that you alone have the power to transform hearts. In Jesus’ name, amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Place Your Trust in God Above All Else

Life can be challenging.  We can get absorbed in trying to solve our problems without God. When God provides guidance to us about a situation, we need to let go of our anxiety and stop trying to solve things our way and trust in Him.

Think about the Israelites when they refused to go into the promised land of Canaan because they were intimidated by the “giants” there.  God would have given them victory. Instead, they got 40 years of delay in the wilderness.

That same group, as they were leaving to go back to the wilderness,  decided to attack now against God’s direction to avoid the extra time in the wilderness and they were soundly defeated.

It can be hard and very uncomfortable, but we need to learn to tune into and trust God.

Jeremiah 46 shares an example where the people put their trust in Pharaoh rather than God to protect them from the Babylonians. They disobeyed the word of God through Jeremiah to stay in Israel and fled to Egypt instead.

God was not pleased and showed it by planning for Pharaoh to be defeated. He was going to show His people in whom they should put their trust. (Hint: It is Him!)

Jeremiah 46

Defeat of Pharaoh Foretold

      1That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

      2To Egypt, concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the Euphrates River at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

      3“Line up the shield and buckler,
And draw near for the battle!

      4“Harness the horses,
And mount the steeds,
And take your stand with helmets on!
Polish the spears,
Put on the scale-armor!

      5“Why have I seen it?
They are terrified,
They are drawing back,
And their mighty men are defeated
And have taken refuge in flight,
Without facing back;
Terror is on every side!”
Declares the LORD.

      6Let not the swift man flee,
Nor the mighty man escape;
In the north beside the river Euphrates
They have stumbled and fallen.

      7Who is this that rises like the Nile,
Like the rivers whose waters surge about?

      8Egypt rises like the Nile,
Even like the rivers whose waters surge about;
And He has said, “I will rise and cover that land;
I will surely destroy the city and its inhabitants.”

      9Go up, you horses, and drive madly, you chariots,
That the mighty men may march forward:
Ethiopia and Put, that handle the shield,
And the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.

      10For that day belongs to the Lord GOD of hosts,
A day of vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes;
And the sword will devour and be satiated
And drink its fill of their blood;
For there will be a slaughter for the Lord GOD of hosts,
In the land of the north by the river Euphrates.

      11Go up to Gilead and obtain balm,
O virgin daughter of Egypt!
In vain have you multiplied remedies;
There is no healing for you.

      12The nations have heard of your shame,
And the earth is full of your cry of distress;
For one warrior has stumbled over another,
And both of them have fallen down together.

      13This is the message which the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt:

      14“Declare in Egypt and proclaim in Migdol,
Proclaim also in Memphis and Tahpanhes;
Say, ‘Take your stand and get yourself ready,
For the sword has devoured those around you.’

      15“Why have your mighty ones become prostrate?
They do not stand because the LORD has thrust them down.

      16“They have repeatedly stumbled;
Indeed, they have fallen one against another.
Then they said, ‘Get up! And let us go back
To our own people and our native land
Away from the sword of the oppressor.’

      17“They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a big noise;
He has let the appointed time pass by!’

      18“As I live,” declares the King
Whose name is the LORD of hosts,
“Surely one shall come who looms up like Tabor among the mountains,
Or like Carmel by the sea.

      19“Make your baggage ready for exile,
O daughter dwelling in Egypt,
For Memphis will become a desolation;
It will even be burned down and bereft of inhabitants.

      20“Egypt is a pretty heifer,
But a horsefly is coming from the north—it is coming!

      21“Also her mercenaries in her midst
Are like fattened calves,
For even they too have turned back and have fled away together;
They did not stand their ground.
For the day of their calamity has come upon them,
The time of their punishment.

      22“Its sound moves along like a serpent;
For they move on like an army
And come to her as woodcutters with axes.

      23“They have cut down her forest,” declares the LORD;
“Surely it will no more be found,
Even though they are now more numerous than locusts
And are without number.

      24“The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame,
Given over to the power of the people of the north.”

      25The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26“I shall give them over to the power of those who are seeking their lives, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of his officers. Afterwards, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old,” declares the LORD.

      27“But as for you, O Jacob My servant, do not fear,
Nor be dismayed, O Israel!
For, see, I am going to save you from afar,
And your descendants from the land of their captivity;
And Jacob will return and be undisturbed
And secure, with no one making him tremble.

      28“O Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the LORD,
“For I am with you.
For I will make a full end of all the nations
Where I have driven you,
Yet I will not make a full end of you;
But I will correct you properly
And by no means leave you unpunished.”

Spend time in prayer and reflection asking God to show you any areas of your life where you are putting your trust in something other than Him. This could be money or a job or a spouse or parent. It could be many things.

Give thanks to God for who He is and how He provides for us. Ask Him to help you fully trust in Him.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Merciful

Yeshua, Help My Unbelief!

Praise Yahweh that He sent us a perfect example for us to follow in order to understand how to live in the right relationship with Him. Yeshua demonstrates a marvelous example. I seek to study and learn from His example. Our faith is a key element of effective prayer. Yeshua stressed this over and over in His earthly ministry. However, He also recognizes our failures and treats us with grace and mercy. He knows our faith is not always as strong as it should be.

Pay attention to how Yeshua interacts with the man whose son is suffering in Mark 9. The man does not have absolute faith, but he simply asks Yeshua to help him in his unbelief. Yeshua answers his prayer.

Mark 9:14-29

      14When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” 19And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22“It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” 25When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” 26After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. 28When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

It is truly good news that we do not need perfect faith. We can humbly and openly ask our Father in heaven for His help to strengthen our faith. Praise Yahweh for His grace and mercy!

In what areas do you struggle to trust our Father? Come humbly to Him in prayer, in the name of Yeshua, and ask Him to help you in your unbelief.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please strengthen my faith that You are always with me, even in difficult times. Help me to know confidently that You are able to take care of any challenge in my way. Help me to stay strong in my faith even when You choose not to answer my prayers the way I am hoping/expecting. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Unteachable / Foolish

Don’t Ignore Signs from God Only to Demand More

Those who refuse to accept Jesus as Christ will always come up with a reason. No matter what signs and wonders God has demonstrated through Jesus, some will always find a way to reject Him anyway. He has already been born a virgin and performed many miracles with many witnesses. He died publicly and rose from the dead to walk among many witnesses in public! These are amazing miracles, but so many refuse to believe and demand a “sign”. The trouble is, they ignore every sign God has provided.

Let us take a look at one such occasion in Mark 8.

Mark 8:11-13

      11The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. 12Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13Leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side.

At first blush, you may be thinking… “What’s the big deal? They are only asking for proof.” But if we back up in the scripture and see the context, it becomes more clear.  Jesus had just come from feeding 4000 people with very little food to start with. He just performed a miracle, a sign, in front of 4000 witnesses and the Pharisees are demanding a sign. They have already decided not to believe Jesus is Christ.

      1In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them, 2“I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3“If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance.” 4And His disciples answered Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” 5And He was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” 6And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. 7They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. 8And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. 9About four thousand were there; and He sent them away. 10And immediately He entered the boat with His disciples and came to the district of Dalmanutha.

Be cautious in demanding signs and wonders. Study those that have already taken place. Look even in your own life for the times when God has done things you never even expected or knew to ask for. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and reveal the hand of God at work in your life.  Take note that Jesus did not force the Pharisees to believe or accept that He was Christ. He left. God will not force you to accept Him. He will not feel obligated to keep sending miracles to those who have already decided not to believe and reject the signs He already provided.

Look even at the signs and wonders all around us in creation. One can study the limitless variety of life across this planet all perfectly designed for their purpose and environment and know that it was not random. It is a creation, a wonderful creation, provided and held together by a Creator who remains active in the universe today. Look at reproduction. How can two tiny parts of a man and woman come together and create life with such order and structure? How does the baby know to grow? How does a seed know how to grow into a plant? How can order come from disorder without a Creator guiding it?

Do not dismiss the signs and wonders around you and then demand one from God. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you in your faith and in recognizing the signs and wonders all around you.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Miracles

Where There Is Little Faith, There Will Be Few Miracles

Where there is little faith, there will be few miracles.  Yeshua amazed people with His power and wisdom, and many were convinced to follow Him. However, those closest to Him had a very hard time recognizing Him as Lord. Those in His hometown could not separate the person of Yeshua as carpenter’s son from the miracle working teacher… from God with us, Immanuel. This is a common struggle for many. Yeshua calls it out as applicable for prophets generally, not just limited to Him. As a result, the lack of faith limited the number of miracles Jesus performed there.  The home town really missed out!

Mark 6:1-6

Teaching at Nazareth

      1Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. 2When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. 4Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” 5And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6And He wondered at their unbelief.
And He was going around the villages teaching.

Two main themes I want to emphasize. First, for those of us who truly change our lives, turn our lives around to focus on seeking after God and putting Him first in our lives… many who have already known us will have a hard time recognizing the significance of the change in our lives. We could study and pray and draw near to the Lord and they may always look back and say… “Isn’t that Joe? He was in my class at school and he used to play tricks on people” or “That is Sally. She was always grumpy and complaining about doing too many chores.” It may be hard for them to recognize us as an authority on scripture and the Christian walk in such a way as to help lead them to change their lives. Interestingly enough, others who did not know us growing up may have a much easier time responding to the “light” of Christ in us. Try not to be discouraged. Continue to focus on “letting your light shine” before others so as to show them the way to Christ.

The second theme is specifically pertaining to miracles. Many skeptics can always look to find reasons to explain away the power of God working through miracles. It is sometimes amazing to see what they come up with. One common example we should all be familiar with… many want to ignore the miracle of creation itself.  They rather believe that everything came from nothing randomly than that a divine Creator made everything in an ordered and structured way. Yet if we showed those same people a clean house, they would immediately know someone had cleaned it and it had not gotten organized randomly on its own. How absolutely silly to deny God’s hand in creation!

Where there is little faith, there are few miracles. For those who look to dismiss miracles from God, they will experience few, if any. Yeshua often is cited in scripture for referencing someone’s faith when He conducted a miracle. In verse 5, it actually translates that He “could do no miracle” because of lack of faith. That is a different statement than He “would do no miracle” to be sure. It is intriguing and could be subject of additional study.

For those who recognize the miracles from God all around them, who put their faith in Him, they will truly rejoice at their Creator’s involvement in the world all around them and they will experience His miracles in greater number.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to strengthen my faith. Help me to believe and to grow in intimacy with You. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Miracles, Peace / Rest, Worry/Anxiety

Cast Your Anxiety Upon the LORD and Enter Into His Peace

Yeshua consistently amazed the crowds and His disciples with wisdom and with miracles. The miracles helped to show His power and authority from Yahweh and to help focus people as to why they should pay attention to Him vs. other teachers. We too should pay attention to His wisdom and power and let it serve as a constant reminder that we can trust Him and should indeed model our lives after His life and His teaching.

Mark 4:35-41

Jesus Stills the Sea

      35On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

A few things to consider. First, though perhaps not the most important, Jesus did not simply stay in one place to teach the people just because He drew a crowd. He knew His mission was to move and teach in many different places to have the most impact. We should take note in our own lives to not just go or stay somewhere because we draw a crowd. Let us instead seek to understand God’s will for our lives and be willing to pick up and move on when He calls us to do so.

Building on that theme, consider that Jesus knew He was leading the disciples into a storm. Sometimes God will lead us out of a comfortable place and into a challenging one in order to help us grow and develop in our faith.

We will all face difficult times, even when we are with Jesus. Our lives will be challenging for sure and sometimes even those of us who love Yeshua and try to follow Him will be distracted by our circumstances, as the disciples became afraid because of the storm.

We can take heart and be encouraged by looking to Yeshua, remembering the power of Yahweh and putting our faith in Him. When things seem difficult, let us always try to remember that Yahweh is in control and we can trust Him. It is often in the midst of the storms that we realize we need Him most and  draw near to Him.

What storms are you facing in your life? Do you believe Yahweh is in control and can handle the situation… really believe it? That does not mean that you do not prayerfully take actions to help your situation, but it certainly reminds us to pray and look to Him for help and should help us to not worry and be anxious or fearful.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me not to be anxious and worry, even in difficult situations. Please help me to grow in my faith and trust for You, even when it may appear that You are “sleeping in the back of the boat”. Thank You and may all the praise and honor and glory be for Your name’s sake as I am able to demonstrate the desired behavior, which will garner attention from others as they wonder how I stay calm in the storm. Amen

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Parables

Parable of the Sower and Soils… Which Soil Are You?

As you read this well known parable from our Lord, Jesus Christ, pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you and reveal answers to the following questions…

“Which soil are you?”

“Are you just the soil, or also a sower?”

I would also encourage you to keep in mind that the seed, the word of Yahweh, is consistent throughout. That is not what drives the difference in outcome. The difference in outcome is driven by the soil.

Mark 4:1-25

Parable of the Sower and Soils

1He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3“Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5“Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6“And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7“Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8“Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”

Explanation

13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14“The sower sows the word. 15“These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16“In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18“And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20“And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

21And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22“For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25“For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

I can look back on my life and see times when I have been the path and then later choked by the weeds and now more and more I see God moving in my life and leading me to bear fruit for His kingdom. As I have become more fruitful, I begin to become a sower as well, though I must never stop being the soil to draw in His word.  I still have a long way to go, but praise God for His grace to work inside of me!

As you pray for wisdom and guidance from the Spirit, also reflect prayerfully on how to change to become even more fruitful for the kingdom of God. Identify a few simple actions to take even starting this week. Do not be so discouraged as to not try nor think of yourself as better than you are and risk remaining complacent. Rather be honest and start your journey from where you are today. The only lasting regret is if you refuse to move forward to serve Yeshua more!

I also encourage you not to try to do this all on your own. Ask the Spirit to help you, to transform you, so that you can be more fruitful.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your word. Thank You for the Spirit to help guide me. Please help me to be more fruitful for Your kingdom. Help me to be the good soil. Lead me in growing to be more of a sower as well of Your word. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Discipline / Guidance From God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Protector / Deliverer, Provider

Our Help Is in God, Not Man

Israel turned to Egypt for help when they should have turned to God. We should pay attention in our own lives to avoid the same mistake. For us it will not be putting our trust in Egypt, but perhaps politicians, our employer or even friends. Seek help first and foremost from the LORD. Then He will show you from where He will bring help.

Isaiah 31

Help Not in Egypt but in God

1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
And rely on horses,
And trust in chariots because they are many
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!

      2Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster
And does not retract His words,
But will arise against the house of evildoers
And against the help of the workers of iniquity.

      3Now the Egyptians are men and not God,
And their horses are flesh and not spirit;
So the LORD will stretch out His hand,
And he who helps will stumble
And he who is helped will fall,
And all of them will come to an end together.

      4For thus says the LORD to me,
“As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey,
Against which a band of shepherds is called out,
And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise,
So will the LORD of hosts come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”

      5Like flying birds so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem.
He will protect and deliver it;
He will pass over and rescue it.

      6Return to Him from whom you have deeply defected, O sons of Israel. 7For in that day every man will cast away his silver idols and his gold idols, which your sinful hands have made for you as a sin.

      8And the Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man,
And a sword not of man will devour him.
So he will not escape the sword,
And his young men will become forced laborers.

      9“His rock will pass away because of panic,
And his princes will be terrified at the standard,”
Declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

The people of Israel put their faith in man rather than God. This attitude creates separation and anger with God. Let us always put our trust in Him first. He shall direct our paths. Here are a few scriptures to remind ourselves that God will be with us.

  • [Joshua 1:9] 9“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
  • [Exod 33:14] And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”
  • [Deut‬ ‭31:8‬] And the Lord is the one who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.”
  • [Matt 28:20b] And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Compassionate, Curse, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Grace / Forgiveness, Repenting from Sin, Slow to Anger, Submitted / Servant, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

It’s Good to Have a Plan, But Make Sure It Is God’s Plan!

It is good that we have a plan for whatever challenges we face. However, we do well to ensure our plan is God’s plan. If we try to do things our way, instead of God’s, it is like adding to our problems instead of resolving them. Consult God and wait for His answer. Test your plans against the word of God.

Isaiah 30

Judah Warned against Egyptian Alliance

1“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD,
“Who execute a plan, but not Mine,
And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit,
In order to add sin to sin;

      2Who proceed down to Egypt
Without consulting Me,
To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh
And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!

      3“Therefore the safety of Pharaoh will be your shame
And the shelter in the shadow of Egypt, your humiliation.

      4“For their princes are at Zoan
And their ambassadors arrive at Hanes.

      5“Everyone will be ashamed because of a people who cannot profit them,
Who are not for help or profit, but for shame and also for reproach.”

      6The oracle concerning the beasts of the Negev.
Through a land of distress and anguish,
From where come lioness and lion, viper and flying serpent,
They carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys
And their treasures on camels’ humps,
To a people who cannot profit them;

      7Even Egypt, whose help is vain and empty.
Therefore, I have called her
“Rahab who has been exterminated.”

      8Now go, write it on a tablet before them
And inscribe it on a scroll,
That it may serve in the time to come
As a witness forever.

      9For this is a rebellious people, false sons,
Sons who refuse to listen
To the instruction of the LORD;

      10Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”;
And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy to us what is right,
Speak to us pleasant words,
Prophesy illusions.

      11“Get out of the way, turn aside from the path,
Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”

12Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel,
“Since you have rejected this word
And have put your trust in oppression and guile, and have relied on them,

      13Therefore this iniquity will be to you
Like a breach about to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose collapse comes suddenly in an instant,

      14Whose collapse is like the smashing of a potter’s jar,
So ruthlessly shattered
That a sherd will not be found among its pieces
To take fire from a hearth
Or to scoop water from a cistern.”

15For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said,
“In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.”
But you were not willing,

      16And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,”
Therefore you shall flee!
“And we will ride on swift horses,”
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.

      17One thousand will flee at the threat of one man;
You will flee at the threat of five,
Until you are left as a flag on a mountain top
And as a signal on a hill.

God Is Gracious and Just

18Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him.

      19O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. 20Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. 21Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left. 22And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to them, “Be gone!”

      23Then He will give you rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous; on that day your livestock will graze in a roomy pasture. 24Also the oxen and the donkeys which work the ground will eat salted fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. 25On every lofty mountain and on every high hill there will be streams running with water on the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day the LORD binds up the fracture of His people and heals the bruise He has inflicted.

      27Behold, the name of the LORD comes from a remote place;
Burning is His anger and dense is His smoke;
His lips are filled with indignation
And His tongue is like a consuming fire;

      28His breath is like an overflowing torrent,
Which reaches to the neck,
To shake the nations back and forth in a sieve,
And to put in the jaws of the peoples the bridle which leads to ruin.

      29You will have songs as in the night when you keep the festival,
And gladness of heart as when one marches to the sound of the flute,
To go to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.

      30And the LORD will cause His voice of authority to be heard,
And the descending of His arm to be seen in fierce anger,
And in the flame of a consuming fire
In cloudburst, downpour and hailstones.

      31For at the voice of the LORD Assyria will be terrified,
When He strikes with the rod.

      32And every blow of the rod of punishment,
Which the LORD will lay on him,
Will be with the music of tambourines and lyres;
And in battles, brandishing weapons, He will fight them.

      33For Topheth has long been ready,
Indeed, it has been prepared for the king.
He has made it deep and large,
A pyre of fire with plenty of wood;
The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of brimstone, sets it afire.

Listen to God’s word. Seek out and listen to God Himself for your situation. If you have gone off making your own plans, stop now and consult Him. If appropriate, repent. Find your rest in the LORD. Trust in Him. He is waiting to be gracious and show compassion to you.  Do not trust in those who tell you what you want to hear, but rather trust in God who has the power to redeem and deliver you!

He is ready and waiting for you to make the next move.

Take a few minutes to pray. Ask the LORD to show you any areas in your life in which your plans do not line up with His plans. Wait for Him to answer. If it does not come right away, keep paying attention over the next few days as He may answer you in a different way. Let Him show you what you need to change and surrender to Him. Praise God for His compassion and grace.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Hearing from God, Obeying God

If You Hear My Voice, Do Not Harden Your Hearts

I encourage you to read all of Hebrews chapter 3. I focused on the excerpt from Hebrews 3:7-14.

That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years.

So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.

You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.

For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.

I invite you to join me in prayer:

Father, I pray you would guide me daily and keep me from hardening my heart toward you. Help me also to encourage others to keep their hearts and their ears open to you. I pray this in the name of Yeshua. Amen.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.