The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute
The Living Word is a daily devotional featuring Scripture and encouragement from Jeff and Dale of The Jenkins Institute. Each episode offers a thoughtful reading to coincide with the daily devotional guides from our annual devotional books. They are designed to help listeners begin or end their day grounded in God’s Word.
The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute
Week 26: Thursday, Accepting What You Hear
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Welcome to Hearing God's Stories, a daily devotional on the parables presented by the Jenkins Institute.
SPEAKER_00Week 26, Thursday, accepting what you hear. Mark chapter 4, verses 21 through 25, by Travis Cookout 918. And he said to them, Pay attention to what you hear with the measure you use it. It will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. Mark chapter 4, verses 24. Jesus wants his followers to be generous listeners. They ought to carefully and intentionally receive the words of Jesus and then discern and measure them. What you do with the words of Jesus will dictate what the words of Jesus do to you. Won't either accept Jesus' words and be accepted, or reject Jesus' words and be rejected. What measure you use will be measured back to you. Jesus says phrases like this several times during his ministry regarding judging. He says, For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. Matthew chapter 7, verse 2. In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus is talking about judging mercifully. If we want a merciful judge, then we ought to be merciful when we judge others. Similarly, in Mark's context, I believe Jesus is talking about judging or discerning his own words. If we are willing to receive and live by the words of Jesus, not only will God receive us, but more will be given than we could ever hope to receive. Expanding the context beyond the parables, let's ask ourselves, how well do we measure and receive the Word of God? Let me present a word of caution. If we find ourselves always agreeing with everything in the Bible, it may be that we've inadvertently bent and massaged the text to support our pre-existing beliefs. A raw and honest under reading of Scripture is challenging. You will likely find points of disagreement, and that is okay. God expects to challenge you. The question is what you do when you disagree with the Bible? Do you reject, reinterpret, or painfully accept the word of God as wiser than yourself? Receive, measure, and accept God's Word, and you will receive the same. Today I will trust God to bless those who receive his word.
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