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- Oct 26, 2007
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"Now the ones [that] fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. "But the ones [that] fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep [it] and bear fruit with patience. Luke 8:14-15 NKJV
In the northern hemisphere, October has become an internationally recognized time for celebrating the end of harvest—Octoberfest sausages, pumpkin-spice donuts, and apple cider fill the ads, store marquees, and our shopping carts.
In today’s passage, Jesus discusses a spiritual harvest cultivated in those “who hear the word and retain it.” A harvest of more than temporal “riches and pleasures.” A harvest whose crops produce eternal joys, but whose success is determined by diligence.
In Loving Your Neighbor: Surprise! It’s Not What You Think, David Sanford wrote, “We have overlaid the American dream on top of our Christian faith. As a result, we’re expecting too much from this brief life, and are too little focused on eternity with God and His people.” Diligence in the right direction makes all the difference.
A good harvest requires the determination to focus on eternity, to see beyond the festivities and shopping carts—the “riches and pleasures.” It requires a tenacious diligence that begins with spending time in the Word.
As you allow the devotionals in this book—as well as the daily scripture readings they accompany—to condition the soil of your heart, God will produce an enduring harvest in you and through you.
Prayer: Father, help me produce soil that promotes Your efforts.
In the northern hemisphere, October has become an internationally recognized time for celebrating the end of harvest—Octoberfest sausages, pumpkin-spice donuts, and apple cider fill the ads, store marquees, and our shopping carts.
In today’s passage, Jesus discusses a spiritual harvest cultivated in those “who hear the word and retain it.” A harvest of more than temporal “riches and pleasures.” A harvest whose crops produce eternal joys, but whose success is determined by diligence.
In Loving Your Neighbor: Surprise! It’s Not What You Think, David Sanford wrote, “We have overlaid the American dream on top of our Christian faith. As a result, we’re expecting too much from this brief life, and are too little focused on eternity with God and His people.” Diligence in the right direction makes all the difference.
A good harvest requires the determination to focus on eternity, to see beyond the festivities and shopping carts—the “riches and pleasures.” It requires a tenacious diligence that begins with spending time in the Word.
As you allow the devotionals in this book—as well as the daily scripture readings they accompany—to condition the soil of your heart, God will produce an enduring harvest in you and through you.
Prayer: Father, help me produce soil that promotes Your efforts.
