Month: November 2022

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 13

Day 14

Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.              Matthew 13:24-25

The rule and reign of God in our lives and in this life depend on His word, not His wonders.  Living in the power and passion of God requires living in and by the perspective of His word.  And God is constantly sowing His word in this world through what we say and how we live. We can never stop sowing His word into our world.  That’s why we must know it, believe it, and share it.  Our enemy is constantly planting sick, selfish, sinful, & sorry words into people’s lives.  Living in the kingdom of God is about always savoring and sharing His word in and throughout our lives. 

Do your words look like His words?  Why or why not?

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 13

Day 13

And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

Matthew 13:23

The heart that hears is the heart that honors what it hears.  This isn’t about just listening, it’s about loving; it’s about embracing the word of God for my life in my heart.  The word will only live in a submissive heart that honors that word.  Our lives look like what our hearts love, and if we love the word of God we will live in the wealth of God.  God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)  We will find the plans of God where there is a passion for God.

Does your fruit look like His seed?  What does it mean to love His word?

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 13

Day 12

And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful

Matthew 13:22

The loser here is the one with lousy friends.  Paul would write that bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33)  This is the lousy heart that has nothing better to think and speak than what everyone else is thinking and speaking.  This heart likes the message but not enough to leave the crowd.  This person ends up deceived in life by life and never produces anything but his attendance in the crowd.  The truth is that it’s not what you know but who you know that matters.  Eternal life is found in knowing God (John 17:3).  But we won’t make room for God if we keep room for lousy company.  Psalm 107 says “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so”  If we want to live this life we best find redeemed people to live it with.

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 13

Day 11

The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he  falls away.                    Matthew 13:20-21

The loser is the one with a lazy heart.  The kingdom of God begins as a small seed but becomes a significant tree (Luke 13:18-19)  The lazy heart won’t make room for the seed to grow in the heart.  The seed has the power to do something significant, but the lazy heart doesn’t have the desire or the drive to do something simple, like make room for what the seed will become.  And when it comes down to it, it’s not the size of our troubles, but the size of the truth in our hearts that matters.  We can only believe for what we’ve heard of and if we don’t make room for more of God’s word, we won’t see much of God’s work. 

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 13

Day 10

Hear then the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.         Matthew 13:18-19

Ask for understanding; aim for understanding.  Don’t just see the word, hear it.  Let it sink into the heart as truth.  God’s word isn’t difficult to understand, it’s difficult to receive as truth all by itself.  This is where it gets difficult.  The confusion comes when contaminate God’s word with our words and wants.  It’s a pride issue.  We think our words are as right as God’s word.  The enemy takes what we don’t receive and it’s not hard because we just leave it on top of the ground.  God’s word will always be complicated to the heart and mind of the conceited.  Don’t cower to those who complain about God’s word because it’s really all about their own heart.  Only surrender will make the supernatural simple.

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 13

Day 9

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.  For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.                 Matthew 13:16-17

So, what do you believe about what you see and hear from heaven?  Believe that you are blessed.  Say, “Today I am blessed in Jesus.”  That’s the truth!  The world around us might say just the opposite but God says that we are blessed when we can see His hands and hear His voice.  When we believe that we are blessed, we believe that God is in our situation, not out of it.  When we believe that God is in our situation, we listen for His voice and look for His hand.   If we’re not looking and listening, then we’re not living in His blessing.

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 13

Day 8

In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘ YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’      Matthew 13:14-15

Head problems are always heart problems.  Dull eyes, ears, and tongues come from dull hearts.  There’s nothing else to see or say here, the dull heart can’t grasp the divine and all we’re left with is dirt.  God has something so much more if we will only receive His word.

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 13

Day 7

Therefore, I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.     Matthew 13:13

What’s your understanding?  We can’t understand God’s way by forcing it into our way or through our way of thinking.  God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts and God’s ways are not man’s ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)  But without understanding, there will not be an undertaking.  God makes no excuses; this is the way it is.  God’s way is by God’s word, not ours. The wonders of God are on the other side of God’s word, not on this side where we evaluate life by our own passions and perspectives.  Knowing God and His promises, power, and purpose requires taking God’s word and way as the truth.  That means laying down our perspective for His.

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 13

Day 6

For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him

Matthew 13:12

Remember today that there are blessings in God’s presence.  Those who live in His wind and His word will enjoy His wealth.  It doesn’t make sense to the human mind and it doesn’t seem right to the heart of man, but it’s true.  Those who live in His shadow live in His strength, love, and power.  The secret is to have His word, His seed, in our hearts.  Hear and hold on.  Our God is faithful and true.  Don’t look at what you see, listen to what you hear.  God will open your eyes.  And help people understand these things, not just feel good about their things. 

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 13

Day 5

Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.              Matthew 13:11

The heart that hears God is the heart that beats for God.  Without a heart for God everything remains a mystery to us.  But there is a way and there is wisdom to live in the prosperity of God, and God wants to reveal that way and that wisdom to us.  These things are mysteries to the normal man with various degrees of hard-heartedness.  So often we’d rather be right in our own eyes to have what God has in His eyes for us.  God’s thoughts are greater (Is 55:9). God has blessings for us that we can not even imagine without Him in our hearts (1 Cor 2:9)  But God has granted the heart that beats for Him to enjoy the blessings that come from Him.  God never gets in the way of His blessings, we do.  Believe His word!