Daily Devotion: Listen!

Scripture:

Luke 8: 4-15

Main Verse:

Luke 8: 15 

But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Observation:

In today's Sunday Sermon, the Parable of the Sower, the Lord describes 4 types of seeds, and each type of seed corresponds to a type of listener. The first seed which fell on the path is the easygoing listener. He listened to the word but because of distractions, the Word of God did not sink deep in his heart and mind. The second seed which fell on rocky ground is the emotional listener. He listens to the Word only when he benefits from it. The third seed which fell among the thorns is the earthly listener. He listened to the Word but the worries and pleasures of this world choke the Word; therefore, it does not bear fruit in his life. But the last seed which fell on good soil stands for the earnest listener. The earnest listener keeps the Word of God in his heart and treasures it like a prized possession. He perseveres till the end because he believes that the Lord will reward him with a fruitful life.

Application:

Why do we attend church? Do we go to church because it is a tradition, to thank the Lord for his blessings, or because we are in a difficult situation? When we attend church, our purpose should always be to feed our spirit, to listen to the Word of God. But the question is, what kind of listener are we? Do we listen to the preaching with all our heart and mind? Do we focus on the preaching and avoid any kind of distraction? Do we treasure the Word in our heart? When we listen, we should listen wholeheartedly so that God's Word will bear fruit in our lives. In what ways? When the Word of God has blessed you or inspired you, share it to others, so that others may be blessed, too. When the preaching is about correction, let us respond by changing ourselves. When the preaching is a command, let us comply. 

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for opening my ears and my eyes today. Your Word is indeed alive! May I be an earnest listener at all times, and as I listen to your Word, may I bear much fruit so I can share this blessing to others, change myself, and obey your decrees. I praise you and will continue to praise you for all the wonderful things you are doing in my life. All praises and honor and glory only to you, oh Lord! AMEN.