Daily Devotion by Ray Stedman

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 8TH​

The Main Thing​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: LUKE 16:19-31

If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
Luke 16:31

These words conclude a parable Jesus tells of a rich man, and a poor Lazarus who lay at his gate, desiring to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. When they both died, Lazarus was brought to Abraham's bosom, while the rich man went to hell. In hell, being in torment, the rich man saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. He called out to Abraham to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool his tongue.

But Abraham refused, reminding him that between them lay a great fixed chasm that no one may cross it. The rich man begged Abraham to send him to his father's house to warn his five brothers, lest they also go to hell. But Abraham replied, They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them. But he said, No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead they will repent. Abraham replied, If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead. (Luke 16:16-31)

Here in hell, for the first time, this rich man feels concern for his brothers. Yet his torment is increased since he can do nothing about it. Many feel this is unfair; if God really does not want men to go to hell, then why not allow a warning to help keep them from hell? But that misses the point of Abraham's words. This rich man's request is not denied because God is unwilling to give as much opportunity as possible; he is denied because it is useless; it will not work. As Abraham points out, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, they won't be convinced if someone rises from the dead.

How accurately this portrays our desire for the spectacular! Many feel that if they could only see a miracle, or be spoken to by an angel, then they would believe. But how many who saw the miracles in our Lord's day still believed in him at the end of his life? Even when Jesus himself returned from the dead, men did not believe. Abraham is right. The most convincing proof is Moses and the prophets — the Word of God, especially that Word made flesh, come to dwell among us.

The rich man was in hell because he refused to heed the words of Moses and the prophets. Lazarus, on the other hand, was in heaven simply because he did believe Moses and the prophets, and he made God his helper and trusted in him.

The main thing in life is to heed what God has said, to heed Moses and the prophets. You and I are the five brothers who are left behind. You may be young, sauntering through life like these five brothers thinking, I'll enjoy life now; I'll handle the next life when it comes along. But the point of this story is that our then is determined by our now. You are here now to learn reality, to distinguish good and evil, and to appropriate God's method of deliverance. Unless you learn these things now, there will be no glorious life to come. Thus the main thing is Moses and the prophets, especially the last and greatest of the prophets, who tells this story!

Lord Jesus, thank you for these clear words that bring life into focus again. May I listen to Moses and the prophets, and the One of whom the prophets spoke, the Lord Jesus Christ.

​

Life Application​

Am I looking for a convincing sign from God or preparing for the life to come by listening to Moses and the prophets?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 10TH​

Why Pray?​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: LUKE 18:1-8

In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, Grant me justice against my adversary. For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!
Luke 18:2-5

Here Jesus boldly confronts us with an inescapable choice: We must either pray or give up, one or the other. Either we learn to cry out to an unseen Father, who is ever present with us, or else we must lose heart. There is nothing left for us then but to muster up the best front we can, and make our way through life, without fire or without hope. It is one or the other; there are no other alternatives.

Notice the contrast of persons in this story. There is the widow and the judge. Who is weaker and more defenseless than a widow? In contrast to the widow there is the judge. Who can be more hard-boiled and unyielding than a judge, and an unrighteous judge especially? Here is a tough, hard-bitten, self-centered old skinflint with a heart as cold as a bathroom floor at two o'clock in the morning! And the widow has a persecutor, someone who is harassing her, plaguing her, making life difficult. She appealed for help but the judge couldn't care less. He was utterly unmoved by her pleas; nothing could reach him. He was a godless judge, so there was no appealing to him on a moral basis. And he had no regard for man, so there was no political pressure that could influence him. In view of the judge's hardness of heart, the case for the widow was hopeless.

Nevertheless, she found a way. She made life miserable for him. She gave him no rest day and night. She was continually before his court, hounding him until finally he was forced to act. He granted her request and she got what she needed! Right here lies the whole point of the story. This widow found the secret of handling reluctant judges, the one principle on which even a reluctant judge would act.

When, like the widow, life appears to us to be hopeless and useless, when we are victims of forces greater than we can manage, when there is no answer to the inescapable problems before us, no end in sight but certain failure of loss, there is one way out. There is a certain solution to our problems — prayer; crying out to a God we cannot see but upon whom we may rest, a Father with a heart of tender compassion and a willingness to act. Prayer always stirs the heart of God.

Thankfully, God is not like the unrighteous judge. He will not delay an answer to our prayers, and he does not require continual battering to move him. Prayer is forever the cry of a beloved child to his father, and frequently it is the cry of a lost child who does not know his way. The Father knows, and as a father he knows that it is not yet time to answer in that particular way. The outcome may be delayed, but there is no delay in his answer to our prayer. When we cry out he immediately answers. God rushes to the help of his child.

Father, these words of our Lord Jesus have made me aware of the lack of faith in my life. Teach me to depend continually upon you, to pour out to you every aspect of my life without hindrance.

​

Life Application​

Am I faithful in prayer, even when it seems the answer is delayed?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 11TH​

What Prayer Is Not​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: LUKE 18:9-12

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. Luke 18:9-12
Luke 18:9-12

We could call this, The Parable of the Two Pray-ers, for it begins with these words, Two men went up into the temple to pray. The object of our Lord in telling this parable is to tell us what real prayer is. The structure of this parable is one of contrast. Our Lord is teaching truth by setting it alongside error.

The Pharisee, in this little parable, was a man of prayer. He prayed frequently and without ever a miss. He was faithful in prayer, but his prayer was entirely wrong. In watching the Pharisee, we learn what prayer is not. There is a form of praying which is not prayer. This man assumed the correct posture for prayer. He stood with his arms spread and his eyes uplifted unto heaven. Among the Jews, this was the prescribed posture for prayer. But he was not praying to God, he was praying to himself! The NASB says, The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself. In other words, this prayer was a total waste of time. There was no one at the other end of the line.

Now what is this teaching us about prayer? First, it is clear that it is not prayer when we approach God impressed with our own virtues and accomplishments. The Pharisee was obviously well impressed with what he felt were his claims upon God's attention. This man felt that God ought to be thanked for having made such a remarkable specimen of humanity, and if no one else would do it he would take on the task himself; that such an unusual man should not be left unacknowledged on the face of the earth. We laugh as we listen to his prayer, but do we not unconsciously reflect the same position?

Most Christian prayers are prayed from this basis. Sometimes the virtue that we plan to contribute is that of humility. There is a kind of reverse brand of Pharisaism among Christians which goes something like this: Thank God I am not as proud as this Pharisee is — and we make ourselves out to be utterly vile. Or we babble continually about our shortcomings and our sins, and thereby we hope to impress God with our honesty and our humility.

But the simple truth is that we have no virtues of our own, none whatsoever. We have absolutely nothing to contribute to God's cause. We pray out of our utter bankruptcy, if we are honest with ourselves. We forget that these very talents with which we identify ourselves, these abilities that we have for leadership, or speaking, or singing, are in themselves gifts of God. This is the point Jesus is making in describing the Pharisee. He says when we pray from this basis, when we approach God on this level, we are praying to ourselves. This is not real prayer; our pious words, our properly phrased sentences, our completely scriptural, orthodox approach are of no value whatsoever. We are praying out of obsession with our own virtues.

Lord, teach me to come to you, not parading my own virtues and accomplishments, but casting myself fully on your tender mercy. Amen.

​

Life Application​

Am I proud of my own humility in prayer?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[civic]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 11TH​

What Prayer Is Not​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: LUKE 18:9-12


We could call this, The Parable of the Two Pray-ers, for it begins with these words, Two men went up into the temple to pray. The object of our Lord in telling this parable is to tell us what real prayer is. The structure of this parable is one of contrast. Our Lord is teaching truth by setting it alongside error.

The Pharisee, in this little parable, was a man of prayer. He prayed frequently and without ever a miss. He was faithful in prayer, but his prayer was entirely wrong. In watching the Pharisee, we learn what prayer is not. There is a form of praying which is not prayer. This man assumed the correct posture for prayer. He stood with his arms spread and his eyes uplifted unto heaven. Among the Jews, this was the prescribed posture for prayer. But he was not praying to God, he was praying to himself! The NASB says, The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself. In other words, this prayer was a total waste of time. There was no one at the other end of the line.

Now what is this teaching us about prayer? First, it is clear that it is not prayer when we approach God impressed with our own virtues and accomplishments. The Pharisee was obviously well impressed with what he felt were his claims upon God's attention. This man felt that God ought to be thanked for having made such a remarkable specimen of humanity, and if no one else would do it he would take on the task himself; that such an unusual man should not be left unacknowledged on the face of the earth. We laugh as we listen to his prayer, but do we not unconsciously reflect the same position?

Most Christian prayers are prayed from this basis. Sometimes the virtue that we plan to contribute is that of humility. There is a kind of reverse brand of Pharisaism among Christians which goes something like this: Thank God I am not as proud as this Pharisee is — and we make ourselves out to be utterly vile. Or we babble continually about our shortcomings and our sins, and thereby we hope to impress God with our honesty and our humility.

But the simple truth is that we have no virtues of our own, none whatsoever. We have absolutely nothing to contribute to God's cause. We pray out of our utter bankruptcy, if we are honest with ourselves. We forget that these very talents with which we identify ourselves, these abilities that we have for leadership, or speaking, or singing, are in themselves gifts of God. This is the point Jesus is making in describing the Pharisee. He says when we pray from this basis, when we approach God on this level, we are praying to ourselves. This is not real prayer; our pious words, our properly phrased sentences, our completely scriptural, orthodox approach are of no value whatsoever. We are praying out of obsession with our own virtues.

​

Life Application​

Am I proud of my own humility in prayer?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

Great topic of humility. It's the starting point with God- Many times in both testaments He commands man to humble yourself.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 12TH​

True Prayer​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: LUKE 18:13-14

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner! ' I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 18:13-14

Unlike the Pharisee who stood by himself, looking up to God in proper manner, this man came into the temple and stood with his eyes cast down. He did not assume the posture of prayer. He was not even in the right place. All he could do was beat his breast and say, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Someone has called that a holy telegram. I like that: pithy, brief, right to the point — but it is true prayer.

What do we learn about prayer from this man? Is it not obvious that real prayer, authentic prayer, is an awareness of our helpless need? This man saw himself on the lowest possible level, a sinner. He says, God, be merciful to me the sinner. He believed that without God he could do absolutely nothing to help his position. I'm a sinner, Lord, that's all I can say. I have nothing else to add to it.

Remarkably, he does not try to add anything of merit. He does not say, God be merciful to me a penitent sinner. He was penitent, but he does not urge that as any basis for God's blessing. He does not say, God be merciful to me a reformed sinner. I'm going to be different from now on. He does not mention that. He does not say, God be merciful to me an honest sinner. Here I am, Lord, willing to tell you the whole thing. Surely you can't pass by honesty like that. He does not even say, God be merciful to me a praying sinner. He casts it all away. He says, Lord, I haven't a thing to lean on but you.

Authentic prayer is always an acknowledgment of divine adequacy. This man said, God be merciful to me — this is true prayer. Our help must be in God. This man looked for help nowhere else. He did not say, Lord, perhaps this Pharisee standing here can help me. No, he said, God be merciful to me. Hidden in the words, be merciful, is the wonderful story of the coming of Jesus Christ, the bloody cross, and the resurrection. This man's words mean, be propitiated to me, that is, having had your justice satisfied, Lord, now show me your love. He believed God's mercy was available, which Jesus confirmed — he went to his house justified. He was changed, different, made whole. He laid hold of what God said, and believed him. And that too is what prayer is. Prayer is more than asking, prayer is taking. Prayer is more than pleading, prayer is believing. Prayer is more than words uttered, it is an attitude maintained.

How often each day do you have a need? That is how often you ought to be praying! Whenever there is awareness of need, that is an opportunity to lift your heart immediately to God and say, God, be merciful, meet this need. My hope, my help, my everything is in you this moment. It does not matter whether it is merely tying your shoes, washing the dishes, writing a letter, or making a phone call; whatever the need, that is the season for prayer.

Holy Father, I ask now that I may begin to live a life of prayer. I have no other help, but you are fully adequate. On this I rest. Amen.

​

Life Application​

What is my area of need right now? How can I turn that into prayer?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Johann]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR AUGUST 1ST​

Broken Walls, Broken Lives​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: NEHEMIAH 1:1-3

Notice the description of Jerusalem. The people were in trouble and were feeling a great sense of disgrace and reproach. The walls of the city were broken down. The gates had been burned with fire and were no longer usable.

If we take Jerusalem as a symbol of our own lives, there are many of us who fit this description. You look back on your life, and you see there are places where the walls have been broken down. There is no longer any ability left to resist destructive attacks. You have fallen victim to sinful habits that you now find difficult to break. That is the kind of ruin that is described here.

Perhaps you have gone along with the ways of the world. You have fallen into practices that the Bible says are wrong, and you know they are wrong. But you have difficulty stopping them. Perhaps your drift began innocently. You did not realize you were forming a habit, but now you no longer can stop it. Your defenses are gone. The walls of your city are broken down, and perhaps your gates are also burned. Gates are ways in and out. They are the way by which other people get to know you as you really are. Perhaps your gates have been destroyed by wrong habits.

Perhaps you were abused as a child. This phenomenon seems to be surfacing frequently in our day. The shame and the scarring of it have kept you a recluse. Your gates are burned, and nobody has access to you. Perhaps you were a victim of divorce or rape or of some bitter experience, and you feel betrayed or sabotaged.
You want to run and hide. No one can reach you. You have been so badly burned, you are now touchy and inaccessible. There are parts of your life you cannot talk about. You do not want anyone to know. You have a sense of great personal distress and are feeling reproach and disgrace. You have been scarred emotionally. No one may know about it. To others you appear to be a success. They think you are doing fine, but inwardly you know you are not. As you examine the walls and the gates of your life, you find much of it in ruins. How do you handle that?

That is the great question many face. But that is why the Scriptures are given to us. The men and women of the past have been through these same difficulties, and they have told us how to handle them. This great book of Nehemiah is one of the most helpful pictures we have of how to recover from broken lives. The steps that Nehemiah took covers seven chapters of this book. They are specific steps, orderly--and very effective! Taken in order they will lead to a full recovery of usefulness.

Life Application​

Are we ready and willing to allow God to expose our brokenness and lead us in paths of healing and usefulness?

Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

Great thread-Does he have anything on how to lovingly correct a erring brother?

 

[Obadiah]

Great thread-Does he have anything on how to lovingly correct a erring brother?

This is as close as I can find

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR NOVEMBER 23RD​

Full of Goodness and Knowledge​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 15:14

And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.
Romans 15:14

In this chapter of Romans, Paul gives us a little further insight into the church at Rome. Here, in Verse 14, there are three things that he says about this church, three great qualities that they possessed.

First, he says, I am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness. That is, their motives were right. They had come to the place where they were motivated by a sense of goodness. Certainly, this church at Rome was a responsive church, a compassionate church. It reached out to people who were in need. It responded to those who had hurts and burdens and concerns. This is one of the qualities I most appreciate about a congregation. Whenever a need is shared, there is always a compassionate response.

The second thing that the apostle says is that they were complete in knowledge. That is rather remarkable. Here was a church to which Paul did not need to give any new theology. He acknowledges that they had it already. Though this is one of the most deeply penetrative theological treatises in the New Testament, Paul did not write it because these people did not already know the truth that he was giving them. If you think back through the letter, there were certain themes that the apostle emphasized: One was justification by faith, i.e., the gift of worth in God's sight. This gift could not be earned: It was a gift because of the work of Jesus Christ for us. They also understood the nature of the flesh, the need for sanctification. They knew that even though they had been redeemed, they were still possessed of a fallen body. The flesh was still there, giving them trouble. I still struggle with my own flesh, and so do you.

Young Philip Melancthon, the colleague of Martin Luther, once wrote to Luther and said, Old Adam is too strong for young Philip. These people at Rome understood this truth and they knew that this would be the struggle of their Christian lives. Paul did not have to tell them that; they knew it before he wrote. But they knew also that God is working out a great plan, that he is creating a whole new humanity, and building a new creation. Right in the midst of the ruins of the old, he is producing a new man, and they were part of it. Finally, they understood the great themes of glorification, and of the eternal ages to come.
The third thing the apostle had to say about this church was that they were competent to instruct one another. In a sense, he was saying, You are able to counsel one another. That is a remarkable thing.

This is the answer to all the terrible pressure that is placed upon pastors, who are expected to solve all the problems of their congregations, and to counsel everyone first-hand. That was never God's intention. The plan of God is that the whole congregation be involved in the work of counseling. The whole congregation is to be aware of what is going on with neighbors and friends and brothers and sisters, and do something about meeting their problems. The way this is done is by the imparting of the gifts of the Spirit. So the church at Rome had the right motives, they had complete knowledge, and they had the full range of gifts, so that they were able to do many things within their church community and in the city of Rome.

Thank you, Father, for all the gifts of goodness and knowledge and instruction that you have given to your church to use in serving and loving one another.

​

Life Application​

Three great doctrines of the faith were known by the church in Rome. Are we being equipped to serve and counsel others with the gifts of godly insight and knowledge?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Horatius]

Great thread-Does he have anything on how to lovingly correct a erring brother?

Do you mean like without a baseball bat?

 

[Johann]

Do you mean like without a baseball bat?

Not at all-
Matthew 18:15 (New International Version):
"If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over."

Galatians 6:1-2 (New International Version):
"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

James 5:19-20 (New International Version):
"My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins."

Proverbs 27:5-6 (New International Version):
"Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."

1 Thessalonians 5:14 (New International Version):
"And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

These passages emphasize the importance of addressing sin or error in a spirit of love, humility, and gentleness. It's crucial to approach the situation with the goal of restoration and reconciliation rather than condemnation, seeking to help the erring brother or sister return to the right path and grow in their faith. Additionally, these passages highlight the need for discretion, confidentiality, and accountability in the process of correction, as well as the recognition of our own vulnerability to temptation and sin.

As a Christian, it's important to approach differences in theological beliefs with humility, grace, and love, rather than condemnation. While you may disagree with someone who holds Calvinist beliefs (or any other theological perspective), Scripture encourages Christians to maintain unity in the body of Christ and to treat one another with respect and kindness. Here are some scriptural principles to consider:

Romans 14:1-4 (New International Version):
"Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand."

1 Corinthians 1:10 (New International Version):
"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought."

Ephesians 4:2-3 (New International Version):
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Colossians 3:12-14 (New International Version):
"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

These passages emphasize the importance of unity, love, and humility within the body of Christ. While it's natural to have differences in theological understanding, Christians are called to treat one another with kindness and respect, recognizing that ultimately, we all serve the same Lord. Instead of condemning others for their beliefs, strive to engage in respectful dialogue, seeking understanding and mutual edification.

More like this.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 13TH​

The Hard Heart​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13:1-23

Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
Matthew 13:18-19

The crux of the parable is the condition of the soils into which this seed is dropped. There are various kinds of soils upon which God's Word can fall. The soil is the human heart. Wherever the word is sown, four kinds of soil are usually present, four conditions of the human heart to which this word speaks. In any congregation, there are representatives of each of these four kinds of soil.

The trouble with this first heart is that the individual's heart is hard and narrow like a path beaten across a field. A path is hardened by the traffic of human feet as they cross the field. The problem is that it has grown hard; the word comes, but they do not understand it. The idea is not that they could not understand — they do not try. They don't take the time to understand. What kind of a heart is this? This could be called the materialistic heart, one that does not want to be bothered with thinking about anything beyond what you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste.

This is a man rendered momentarily thoughtful by the word of the kingdom. Something has challenged him for the moment to think about God. For a moment he wonders, Maybe there is something to this. He has received a passing impression — requiring more thought, self-evaluation — but he does not want to be bothered. So he shrugs it off. Immediately, the enemy comes and snatches the thought out of his heart, and it never comes back. So he goes on untroubled, thinking that the world remains the way he has conceived it.

In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis describes a man who goes into the British Museum and sits down to read a book that is there. Something he reads suggests to him a thought about God, and he is inspired to think of him. For a moment it seems he will really think this idea through. But then Screwtape (the devil) diverts him with the thought that it is time for lunch — he would be in much better shape to tackle this important subject after he has eaten. Screwtape goes on to say, Once he was in the street the battle was won. I showed him a newsboy shouting the midday paper, and a No. 73 bus going past, and before he reached the bottom of the steps I had got into him an unalterable conviction that, whatever odd ideas might come into a man's head when he was shut up alone with his books, a healthy dose of 'real life' (by which he meant the bus and the newsboy) was enough to show him that all 'that sort of thing' just couldn't be true.

This is the kind of soil Jesus is talking about. The devil brainwashes him. The thought is snatched away and it never returns again. Many are like that, settled for a world bounded on the North by their work, on the South by their family, on the East by taxes, and on the West by death. That is the whole of life to them. When the word of the kingdom falls upon that kind of heart, it causes a momentary impression. But it is immediately shrugged off as different, awakening the possibility of a world foreign to him. So he sets it aside, the enemy comes and takes it away, and it is gone.

Lord, in this frightful parable I see what my own heart was once like. Thank you for tilling the soil of my heart so that the seed of your word might go deep.

​

Life Application​

Do I recognize what is going on in people's hearts when they are confronted with the truth? Do I pray that God would till and soften hard hearts?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 14TH​

The Shallow Life​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13:1-23

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
Matthew 13:20-21

What is the matter with this heart? It is rocky. But it doesn't mean a soil containing a lot of rocks. The idea here is that there are a few inches of shallow topsoil on a broad shelf of bedrock. The key our Lord gives us here is that, he has no root. We would call this a shallow life, one who flits from this to that, from one experience to another, never content with anything for very long. We all know people like this. Their heart is always on the prowl, restless, searching, groping. You have met people like that — faddists, enthusiasts for the gospel this week (Oh, what a wonderful thing this is!), and next week it is vitamin Z, or whatever. The word our Lord uses to describe this kind of person is, literally, seasonal. When the season is on to believe the gospel, they believe it.

Many people like that are being reached — among the tens of thousands of young people who are turning to Christ today, there are many who are just like this. But when the season changes they will drop right out; they won't continue; they will fall away; they are seasonal. They live on the surface, emotional, with no depth in their life, nothing going deep into their heart. When the gospel reaches this kind, they receive it with joy; they think it is the best thing they have ever experienced; they are enthusiastic! But when the season changes, and tribulation and persecution come, when it is no longer a warm, glorious day for the word but becomes cold and frosty, immediately they are gone. They wither and die.

Thus our Lord illustrates the terrible danger of a shallow heart, that does not want to evaluate and go deeper but is always living on the surface, always relating to the event of the moment, and concerned only with that. The devil took care of the first kind of soil, but the flesh takes care of this one. The emotional seasons of life make it very difficult for him to hold to the word of God which changes his heart.

Lord, deliver me from a shallow heart, which lives on the surface. Thank you that I am no longer one who must be ruled by the flesh. Your Spirit has come within me to help and teach and transform me into the person you want me to be.

​

Life Application​

Is my faith "seasonal"? Is it based purely on emotion? Is my faith resilient enough to endure trials and disappointments?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 15TH​

The Threat of Busyness​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13:1-23

The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Matthew 13:22

Here is the typical American. What is the trouble? Busyness, that's all. It is not that he is uninterested; he is interested in the gospel. It is not that he is shallow; he isn't. He is very capable of thinking in depth, of analysis of issues and long meditation. He does it in business and his social life. The trouble is that he wants it all. He wants the fruitfulness of life that comes from the gospel, but with it he also wants everything else. He wants the so-called finer things of life. We describe him as trying to keep up with the Joneses. (That means buying things you don't need with money you don't have to impress people you don't even like.) He wants the latest TV set, and a swimming pool, and a fine home, and two beautiful cars, and a wide social life. The result is that he has no time to think about the word, no time to receive it and meditate. He is too wrapped up with the cares of this world and the pursuit of things.

When my daughters were younger, one of them used to like to go riding with me in the car. I would invite her to go with me but she always wanted to take all her friends. I don't mean the neighborhood children. Her friends were her teddy bear and her stuffed rabbit and her dolls and some other toys. When I'd ask her to go, she would run and grab the bear and the rabbit and three dolls and several other kinds of toys, and would come running with her arms filled and try to get into the car. But there wasn't room for them all, and so she had to choose between me and her friends. I guess I won most of the time, but she was too intent on taking everything with her.

That is what is happening with people today. They want it all. They want everything that the world can offer and everything God can offer. But the remarkable thing about the word is that God will never settle on those terms. He is always saying, But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? (Matthew 16:26)

Thank you, Father, for the promise you give. There's nothing worth more than you. Wean me from the many good things that get in the way of the best things.

​

Life Application​

To what degree could it be said of me, "He wants everything that the world can offer and everything God can offer. He wants it all."?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Johann]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 15TH​

The Threat of Busyness​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13:1-23


Here is the typical American. What is the trouble? Busyness, that's all. It is not that he is uninterested; he is interested in the gospel. It is not that he is shallow; he isn't. He is very capable of thinking in depth, of analysis of issues and long meditation. He does it in business and his social life. The trouble is that he wants it all. He wants the fruitfulness of life that comes from the gospel, but with it he also wants everything else. He wants the so-called finer things of life. We describe him as trying to keep up with the Joneses. (That means buying things you don't need with money you don't have to impress people you don't even like.) He wants the latest TV set, and a swimming pool, and a fine home, and two beautiful cars, and a wide social life. The result is that he has no time to think about the word, no time to receive it and meditate. He is too wrapped up with the cares of this world and the pursuit of things.

When my daughters were younger, one of them used to like to go riding with me in the car. I would invite her to go with me but she always wanted to take all her friends. I don't mean the neighborhood children. Her friends were her teddy bear and her stuffed rabbit and her dolls and some other toys. When I'd ask her to go, she would run and grab the bear and the rabbit and three dolls and several other kinds of toys, and would come running with her arms filled and try to get into the car. But there wasn't room for them all, and so she had to choose between me and her friends. I guess I won most of the time, but she was too intent on taking everything with her.

That is what is happening with people today. They want it all. They want everything that the world can offer and everything God can offer. But the remarkable thing about the word is that God will never settle on those terms. He is always saying, But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? (Matthew 16:26)

​

Life Application​

To what degree could it be said of me, "He wants everything that the world can offer and everything God can offer. He wants it all."?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

I have Ray's daily devotions but you are doing an excellent job-

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV): "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." This verse encourages believers to speak in a way that edifies and builds up others, rather than tearing them down with unwholesome speech.

Colossians 4:6 (NIV): "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." This verse emphasizes the importance of speaking with grace and wisdom, seasoning our words with the salt of kindness and humility.

Proverbs 15:1 (NIV): "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." This proverb highlights the power of gentle and respectful speech in diffusing conflict and promoting peace.

James 3:13 (NIV): "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." This verse encourages believers to demonstrate wisdom not only in their actions but also in their speech, displaying humility rather than arrogance.

Proverbs 11:2 (NIV): "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." This proverb warns against the destructive nature of pride and highlights the connection between humility and wisdom in speech and behavior.

These scriptures remind believers of the importance of speaking in a wholesome, gracious, and humble manner, avoiding arrogance and pride in our interactions with others.

 

[Obadiah]

I have Ray's daily devotions but you are doing an excellent job-

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV): "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." This verse encourages believers to speak in a way that edifies and builds up others, rather than tearing them down with unwholesome speech.

Colossians 4:6 (NIV): "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." This verse emphasizes the importance of speaking with grace and wisdom, seasoning our words with the salt of kindness and humility.

Proverbs 15:1 (NIV): "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." This proverb highlights the power of gentle and respectful speech in diffusing conflict and promoting peace.

James 3:13 (NIV): "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." This verse encourages believers to demonstrate wisdom not only in their actions but also in their speech, displaying humility rather than arrogance.

Proverbs 11:2 (NIV): "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." This proverb warns against the destructive nature of pride and highlights the connection between humility and wisdom in speech and behavior.

These scriptures remind believers of the importance of speaking in a wholesome, gracious, and humble manner, avoiding arrogance and pride in our interactions with others.

@civic
Went to Ray's church I believe.

 

[Johann]

@civic
Went to Ray's church I believe.

When I was a lad I "fell" into Pentecostalism and that scarred me and for a while I "fell" into another ditch-and THAT scarred me.
Now I'm scared to go to ANY Church here in South Africa.

 

[civic]

@civic
Went to Ray's church I believe.

I visited it a few times

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 16TH​

What Is My Heart Like Now?​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13:1-23

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
Matthew 13:23

Notice the qualities of this soil. Here is a heart that is neither hard and narrow nor flippant. He understands the word; he thinks about it; ponders over it. He receives it gladly, and his life is not shallow. He bears fruit. The seed remains long enough to sprout and grow and to come to fruition. Finally, his fruit is not lost in a jumble of things, the thorns and thistles of life, but he brings forth varying amounts — thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.

The key point of this whole parable is that the only one of these four hearts which is genuinely Christian is the fourth one. The sowing is not salvation. Nor is the hearing of the word. Many hear, but they are not Christians. Even the sprouting of the seed is not salvation. The enthusiasm, the joy with which it is received, the immediate results in the life are not yet salvation. Isn't that startling? There are many who profess in this way, but they are not Christians. Salvation is seen when the fruit comes. Fruit appears when the will is genuinely yielded to the lordship of Christ, when the word is welcomed and acted on and allowed to grow to fruition.

But we need to note here that our Lord is describing hearts, not lives. He is not saying that once a man is like a certain kind of soil he is unchangeable. He is saying that his heart may be like this. But hearts change, altered by the circumstances of life. It is quite possible that a single individual can pass through all four of these conditions. Probably all of us do. What Jesus is asking us is, What is your heart like when it hears the word?

It is possible for your hard or shallow or distracted or resistant heart to be brought to God, because God is able to change it. He is the Creator. He is able to break up the hard heart. He is able to deepen the shallow life. He is able to slow up the over-busy life so that the wonderful, living, life-producing word may take root in your heart and change you.

What a picture this is of our age! The sowing has been going on constantly throughout the age. The enemies of the gospel have been at work as well. The devil lies to us, tells us that life consists only of what you can detect with your senses, and that nothing lies beyond that. The flesh allows us to relate only to the passing moment, to the changing scene, the surface of life, which touches our emotions and centers our attention upon them so that what concerns us is only how we are feeling at the moment. That is the destructive principle of the flesh at work. The world is that which engages us in busyness, in trying to amass riches, involved with the cares of this life, preserving our possessions and our material wealth, instead of personal fellowship and spiritual relationship. This is the world at work to destroy us. But as the word of God falls upon us, the question each of us must ask is, What is my heart like now? And with that our Lord leaves this parable with us, for us to answer that question in the depths of our hearts.

Heavenly Father, I ask that you will take my heart and make it good soil, responsive, ready to listen, ready to think, ready to pay attention.

​

Life Application​

What is my heart like now?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Johann]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MAY 16TH​

What Is My Heart Like Now?​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13:1-23


Notice the qualities of this soil. Here is a heart that is neither hard and narrow nor flippant. He understands the word; he thinks about it; ponders over it. He receives it gladly, and his life is not shallow. He bears fruit. The seed remains long enough to sprout and grow and to come to fruition. Finally, his fruit is not lost in a jumble of things, the thorns and thistles of life, but he brings forth varying amounts — thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.

The key point of this whole parable is that the only one of these four hearts which is genuinely Christian is the fourth one. The sowing is not salvation. Nor is the hearing of the word. Many hear, but they are not Christians. Even the sprouting of the seed is not salvation. The enthusiasm, the joy with which it is received, the immediate results in the life are not yet salvation. Isn't that startling? There are many who profess in this way, but they are not Christians. Salvation is seen when the fruit comes. Fruit appears when the will is genuinely yielded to the lordship of Christ, when the word is welcomed and acted on and allowed to grow to fruition.

But we need to note here that our Lord is describing hearts, not lives. He is not saying that once a man is like a certain kind of soil he is unchangeable. He is saying that his heart may be like this. But hearts change, altered by the circumstances of life. It is quite possible that a single individual can pass through all four of these conditions. Probably all of us do. What Jesus is asking us is, What is your heart like when it hears the word?

It is possible for your hard or shallow or distracted or resistant heart to be brought to God, because God is able to change it. He is the Creator. He is able to break up the hard heart. He is able to deepen the shallow life. He is able to slow up the over-busy life so that the wonderful, living, life-producing word may take root in your heart and change you.

What a picture this is of our age! The sowing has been going on constantly throughout the age. The enemies of the gospel have been at work as well. The devil lies to us, tells us that life consists only of what you can detect with your senses, and that nothing lies beyond that. The flesh allows us to relate only to the passing moment, to the changing scene, the surface of life, which touches our emotions and centers our attention upon them so that what concerns us is only how we are feeling at the moment. That is the destructive principle of the flesh at work. The world is that which engages us in busyness, in trying to amass riches, involved with the cares of this life, preserving our possessions and our material wealth, instead of personal fellowship and spiritual relationship. This is the world at work to destroy us. But as the word of God falls upon us, the question each of us must ask is, What is my heart like now? And with that our Lord leaves this parable with us, for us to answer that question in the depths of our hearts.

​

Life Application​

What is my heart like now?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

Something I've been battling with these last couple of months-what IS my heart like?
Powerful post @Obadiah and thought provoking.

 

[Obadiah]

Something I've been battling with these last couple of months-what IS my heart like?
Powerful post @Obadiah and thought provoking.

Until we see Jesus face to face that's something we will all be battling with. The main thing is to be aware of it.

Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.

John 14:1​

Jesus left us the Holy Spirit, we just need to follow him and not our flesh.

God will make a way Isaiah 43:16

 

[Johann]

Until we see Jesus face to face that's something we will all be battling with. The main thing is to be aware of it.

Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.

John 14:1​

Jesus left us the Holy Spirit, we just need to follow him and not our flesh.

God will make a way Isaiah 43:16

God bless brother-you and family.
Johann.