DAILY MANNA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017
SOW ALWAYS
TEXT: Matthew 13:1-23
KEY VERSE: "But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Mathew 13:23).
The parables of our Lord Jesus Christ, numbering about 30 in the 3 synoptic gospels, are graphic stories that the Lord derived from aspects of human nature and life. They are packed with powerful, dramatic and convincing lessons that compel attention and readiness for soul-winning and for preparing one for life in God's kingdom.
One of the most famous stories has remained the parable of the sower which some call the parable of the 4 soils. Our Lord seeks to lead us into a harvest of instructions about the experience of one sower working with several seeds on 4 different soils. These are familiar images to the audience of our Lord during the age in which He ministered.
That the seeds(the word of God) of the sower (soul winner) do not all fall on good ground (the heart willing to repent) should not discourage evangelism work. We are only reminded that there will always be different type of response sharpened, shallow and worry-wracked souls, all getting the same word of God from the preacher. But not all the word preached goes into the unfruitful and unwilling souls. Our merciful God directs a great deal of the sower's seeds "into the good ground... that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some 60, some 30"(v23).
This is God's way of telling believers to preach at all times. The Bible declares: " In the morning, sow the seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand:for you knows not whither shall prosper either this or that..." (Ecclesiastes 11:6). How true this is, given the experience of missionaries in unfamiliar territories all over the world. They always return with stories of signs and wonders that followed the sowing of God's word in the souls of thousands of people.
The Bible in One year: Proverbs 7-8.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: A preacher does not give up in the face of challenges.
PONDER
From the text today, what kind of heart do you have? How much of the Word positively affect and transforms your life? Is your spiritual level, maturity, grace, growth better, higher, stronger, purer, deeper than the last retreat?
HYMN: Lord speak to me
2 O lead me, Lord, that I may lead
the wandering and the wavering feet.
O feed me, Lord, that I may feed
your hungering ones with manna sweet.
3 O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
the precious truths which you impart.
And wing my words that they may reach
the hidden depths of many a heart.
4 O fill me with your fullness, Lord,
until my very heart o'erflow
in kindling thought and glowing word,
your love to tell, your praise to show.
5 O use me, Lord, use even me,
just as you will, and when, and where
until your blessed face I see,
your rest, your joy, your glory share.
PRAYER POINTS
