Understanding is the key to everything!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in them. And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.
(Mark 4:13-20 (RSV))

Understanding is the key to everything!

Perhaps it is even the equivalent of where the seed falls.

Our understanding of God’s Word is crucial to how we react to it, how it impacts our lives, and more importantly, how we use it to impact the lives of those around us.

If our hearts are fertile soil for the seed of God’s Word, then our lives will bear fruit and we will be a part of the harvest. If our hearts are like rocky ground, we will listen to God’s Word, but fall away when things get rough. We will not be able to rely on our deep roots of faith, for these roots will have been shut out by the rocks in our lives.

We need to be able to bear fruit. In order to do so, we must have understanding. This understanding is not as the world calls understanding. The world sees understanding as education and acceptance of alternate “truths.”

Godly understanding is based on faith.

It requires faith to allow the seed of God’s Word to take root in our lives. It requires faith to allow it to mature and grow. It takes faith to allow it to bear fruit.

Faith is understanding. Understanding is faith.

Place your faith in Jesus as God’s Word made flesh.

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Would you react with humility or pride?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me–
holy is his name.
(Luke 1:46-49 (NIV))

We have seen that Mary found favor in the eyes of God (Luke 1:30-33), but here we clearly see that her reaction was not typical of what you would expect from most people. Most people would dance around and shout out for all to hear that they had found favor. They would make it known. They would show anything except a humble spirit if they were told that they had found favor in the eyes of God.

How would you react?

Would you be like the world, or would you humble yourself and praise God for creating you?

Mary did everything exactly one hundred and eighty degrees opposite of what the world says that we should do. She realized that she was nothing without God and gave all praise to Him. She humbled herself to the point were she placed her whole life in His hands, after all, in that day and time, an unmarried, pregnant woman was legally subject to be stoned to death. She did not give any thought to her welfare, but praised God for His greatness.

Can you find the ability to praise God even if you are given circumstances that do not fit into what the world, or you, deem as appropriate? Would you accept God’s call? Would you boast about being called, or would you humble yourself and ask God to guide you? Think about what would have happened if Mary had acted differently.

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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