TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Daniel 3:1-30
As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. - Joshua 24:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
We are learning some good lessons about faith this month. For example, faith pleases God. Faith obeys God even when obedience doesn’t seem to make any sense. And faith produces a confidence that’s unshakable because it is anchored in God.

Today and tomorrow we’re going to talk about another lesson that faith teaches us. Faith is such a powerful force that it can reverse any situation--even turning kings from judges into defendants. We’ll see powerful faith in the book of Daniel as we step back from Hebrews 11 for two days and consider a few more figures from the hall of faith.

The writer of Hebrews mentioned those “who through faith . . . shut the mouths of lions [and] quenched the fury of the flames” (Heb. 11:33-34). These events may have been listed out of chronological order, but there’s no mistaking the reference to Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace and Daniel’s den of lions. The three Hebrew young men who were taken captive to Babylon along with Daniel made the same choice to honor God that he made. They accepted Babylonian education, names, and clothing, but they would not bow to any god but the Lord no matter what the cost.

These servants of God were tried by Nebuchadnezzar and sentenced to burn for disobeying him. But faith reversed the situation, because it soon became apparent that the king and his way of life were on trial, not the three Hebrews.

Nebuchadnezzar seemed to realize this when he looked into the furnace and saw a fourth person, either an angel or another appearance of Christ before His human birth. After the men were brought out and the miracle of their survival became obvious, the king showed amazing humility before God. Nebuchadnezzar was still years away from his own experience of faith (Dan. 4:36-37), but he admitted that the God of Israel had humbled him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego took their faith to the limit by committing their lives to the Lord whatever the outcome.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Daniel 6:1-28
In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. - Psalm 22:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
After floods had devastated the country of Mozambique last year, a missions photographer working there noticed the absence of older people. When she asked why, she was told that the older men and women were not strong enough to hold on to the trees when the water came, and many were swept away.

This tragedy reminds us that old age is not generally considered a time of great strength. There are exceptions, to be sure, and they are encouraging to see. We have an incredible example today in the prophet Daniel, who was an elderly man when he was promoted by King Darius and then set up by his jealous enemies. Daniel proves that age is irrelevant when it comes to living by faith.

Daniel had already been serving the kingdom of Babylon for many years when it was conquered by the Medo-Persian army. Daniel had been taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon in 605 b.c., when he was about sixteen. He was thrown into the lions’ den about 539 b.c., being over eighty years old.

This makes Daniel’s continued outstanding service for the Persian kingdom even more amazing. His excellence was so undeniable that Darius was planning to make Daniel number two in the kingdom when his officials decided to take action.

They quickly realized that Daniel’s record was untouchable, but they knew enough about him to understand that he wouldn’t compromise his faith in God for anyone (vv. 4-5). So they appealed to King Darius’s vanity and convinced him to declare himself as “God for a month.” They also persuaded him to punish anyone who dared to worship any other god but him during this time.

Being a monarch with an ego, Darius liked the idea. So the decree was issued, and the officials who hated Daniel went straight to his house to gather their evidence. Daniel didn’t disappoint them, opening his window to pray toward Jerusalem.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Whatever your age, you have an important place in the body of Christ and a unique contribution to make.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 11:35-36; Jeremiah 37:11-17; 38
If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. - 1 Peter 4:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
An unusual story of people who learned to thank God for their pain comes out of Mozambique, the African nation ravaged by floods last year (see yesterday’s study). As people climbed trees to escape the rising waters, a pastor and sixteen other people found themselves clinging to a tree for life. The exhausted people asked the pastor to preach to help them stay awake. He was tired too, but mosquitoes began biting him, keeping him awake. The group was rescued after almost two days, and the pastor said, “I thank God for the mosquitoes because they stopped me from falling asleep. If we had fallen asleep, we would have been carried away by the water.”

Most of the time, we don’t see such an immediate and obvious reason for suffering. There is certainly no promise in Scripture that those who live by faith will live trouble-free. Peter knew something about the Christian life and suffering.

After absorbing a cruel beating for preaching Christ, Peter and the other apostles went away rejoicing that Jesus considered them worthy of suffering for His name. And they went right on preaching the gospel (Acts 5:40-42).

The role call of the faithful in Hebrews 11 included those who were “put in prison” (v. 36). The prophet Jeremiah is a good representative of these suffering saints. He had perhaps the hardest assignment of any Old Testament prophet, announcing to Judah that God was handing His sinful people over to the Babylonians for judgment. Jerusalem would be plundered, and the people would be carried into exile (Jer. 37:15).

Jeremiah’s message was very unpopular in Jerusalem. No surprise there. Soon the messenger became so identified with his message that Jeremiah began to undergo severe persecution. He was beaten and put in stocks (Jer. 20:1-2), arrested and beaten again, then arrested again and lowered into an empty well where he sank in the mud (Jer. 38:6).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If everything was clear and the answers all made sense, we wouldn’t need to live by faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 11:35; 1 Kings 17:1-24
My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
When George Mueller opened orphanages in Bristol, England, in the 1800s, he decided to live by faith, relying on God’s promise to provide. He often didn’t know where the money would be found, but he knew that God would always be true to His promise to be a “Father to the fatherless.”

One day there was nothing to feed hundreds of children the next day. Mueller went to bed, praying for God to supply their breakfast. The next morning, during his walk, he met a friend who, without knowing the dire situation, asked Mueller to accept his gift of money. Mr. Mueller thanked him, praised God for answering his prayer, and went back for breakfast.

What a powerful reminder of the truth that when we live by faith, God accepts responsibility for our welfare. Today’s verse is set in the context of faithful giving to God’s work, which is what the widow of Zarephath did when she received Elijah and supported God’s worker. By faith this unnamed woman “received [her] dead back, raised to life again” (Heb. 11:35).

Today’s story preceded Elijah’s contest on Mount Carmel (see June 20). Elijah met this widow during his time of seclusion after his first appearance to King Ahab of Israel and the prophecy of drought.

These were dark days in Israel, times that demanded strong faith from God’s people. Ahab and Jezebel threatened to extinguish the worship of God by introducing Baal worship. But God had another plan.

He first used ravens to feed Elijah, and then sent him north to Zarephath in Sidon, the homeland of Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31)! There Elijah met a widow who was suffering from the drought and preparing to die with her son. Her faith in “the Lord, the God of Israel” (v. 14) was amazing for a Gentile woman who was putting her life on the line to obey Elijah’s instruction.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God has committed Himself to those who are committed to live for His glory. Take a few minutes today to read Jesus’ teaching on this subject in Matthew 6:25-34 and meditate on it. Then prayerfully examine your actions, intentions, and motives to understand if God’s kingdom and His righteousness are at the top of your priority list. Close by thanking Him for His gift of faith, His faithfulness and His promise to supply the things you need.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 11:37-38; 1 Kings 19:1-18
We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. - 2 Corinthians 4:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
If we ever needed proof that God’s ways are not our ways, all we have to do is look at the roll call of His faithful people. There isn’t one of them who had what we could call an easy life. We have already seen that living by faith doesn’t mean living trouble-free.

Instead of raking in the honors and living comfortably, God’s faithful people suffered in an amazing variety of ways. Tradition says that the prophet Isaiah was sawed in half by King Manasseh. Zechariah, the grandson of Jehoida the priest, was stoned to death after delivering God’s word of judgment (2 Chron. 24:20-24).

Other faithful servants of God wandered in caves and deserts and mountains (Heb 11:38), for a very good reason. They were often being hounded by someone in power who was hostile to God. This world has never been very friendly to the people and the things of God, and the Bible doesn’t indicate that this will change before Jesus returns. That’s why Peter said persecution shouldn’t surprise us (1 Peter 4:12).

David knew something about being hunted. He spent years hiding in caves and the desert as Saul tried to kill him. It was David who described so well the world’s attitude toward God’s people. “The wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart” (Ps. 11:2).

Many of the prophets in Elijah’s day were executed by Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19:10). Those who survived had to hide in caves (1 Kings 18:4). Elijah himself had to head into the desert after his great victory on Mount Carmel when Jezebel put a price on his head for killing all of her false prophets.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Jesus made us a guarantee we can take to the bank:

“In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 11:39-40; 10:35-40
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. - Hebrews 10:36
TODAY IN THE WORD
People don’t always live to see the fulfillment of things they have hoped for and lived for. At least two American presidents died on the verge of seeing their hopes fulfilled. Abraham Lincoln lived to see the Civil War brought to an end on April 9, 1865, but he was assassinated just three days later. His hoped-for healing and restoration of the nation occurred without him. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who led America during World War II, died on April 12, 1945, just a few weeks before the Allies declared victory in Europe on May 8.

The Old Testament believers who populate Hebrews 11 also had a sense of incompleteness to their lives. The Bible says that “none of them received what had been promised” (v. 39). That’s why they felt like such aliens and pilgrims on earth.

Don’t get the wrong idea. There was nothing defective about the faith of these heroic saints. It’s just that they lived in an era when God’s promise of salvation through the coming of the Messiah was still ahead. They looked into the future and saw the promise, and embraced it by faith. But they died with a sense of longing that we don’t have today because we live on this side of the cross.

We may feel as if our faith is small compared to the faithful of Hebrews 11, but in several ways the experience of God’s people in the church completes and perfects their faith. We have received the fullness of God’s promise in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, we can look back at those who went before us and say, in effect, “You were right to live by faith. The fulfillment of God’s promise has come. Salvation is complete. You are made perfect in Christ.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The faith stories of the Hebrews heroes have been told. Ours are still being written, which is why we need to hold on to our confidence in Christ and persevere for Him (Heb. 10:36).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 8:5-13
According to your faith will it be done to you. - Matthew 9:29
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Word of God makes an amazing statement in 2 Chronicles 16:9. “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” God is looking for faithful people He can bless!

Jesus found some people like that during His ministry, but He didn’t always find them in the expected places. As the recipients of God’s promise of a Messiah and Redeemer, Israel should have been the land where Jesus found people of great faith when He came as Messiah. But the Lord often encountered rock-hard unbelief in Israel.

That’s why Jesus was amazed when He saw the deep faith of Gentiles like the Roman centurion with a sick servant. This soldier was a member of the occupying army, the most despised group in Israel. The Jews generally looked at Gentiles as pagans who had no place at the table of God’s blessing.

God often used the actions of non-Jews to teach His people a lesson and rebuke their unbelief. Here was a Gentile who was not supposed to have any knowledge of or interest in Israel’s Messiah, much less have His attention. But the centurion came to Jesus in genuine faith and humility, apparently believing that all he needed to do was simply mention his need to Jesus.

That was all it took, but it was what the man said in reply to Jesus that astonished the Lord. This soldier was so conscious of Jesus’ Person, and so confident of His power, that he boldly asked Jesus just to speak the word right there without actually seeing his servant.

In verse 10 we learn that there were people following Jesus with whom He shared His astonished thoughts. The fact that such great faith had come from a hated Roman instead of from Israel was not lost on the listeners. But just to be sure they didn’t miss the message, Jesus taught them that becoming part of His kingdom was a matter of faith, not a birthright.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Only two things amazed Jesus during His ministry: great faith, and the lack of faith (Mark 6:6).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Mark 9:14-29
I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! - Mark 9:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
We often hear statements, “It’s not a sin to doubt,” “God is big enough to handle our doubts,” “It’s normal to have doubt,” and “Periods of doubt can strengthen our faith.”

These things may be true, but only to a point. Doubt is only productive if it leads us to search out and believe the truth, and brings us back to the feet of Jesus. As Bible teacher Adrian Rogers says, “You’re better off to doubt your doubts than to doubt the Lord.”

Mark 9 gives us a great illustration of where our doubts should lead. Jesus confronted the doubting father of a sick boy and led the desperate man to make the declaration of faith in today’s verse. There is a faith lesson here for us.

The setting of this story is so true-to-life. Jesus and His three closest disciples were on the mountain of transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John witnessed the greatest scene anyone could see this side of heaven. But at the base of the mountain, the other disciples and a group of Jewish leaders were holding a raucous “faith vs. doubt” debate surrounded by a large crowd (v. 14).

Jesus walked into the middle of this confused scene and immediately got to the bottom of things. A demon-possessed boy had been brought by his father, who was frantically seeking help. Jesus was exasperated at the man’s report that the disciples were powerless to heal this man’s son. The Lord may have been upset with the man too, because his answer revealed either a lack of faith or at least a serious misunderstanding of God and His ways.

Jesus would talk to His disciples later, but His first interest was with this father. Give him credit for being honest. He wasn’t sure what, if anything, Jesus could do, and he said so.

That’s when Jesus stopped him in his tracks. We might paraphrase verse 23 as, “Hold on! Are you doubting Me? Nothing is impossible for those who believe in Me.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Praying God’s Word back to Him is a real faith-builder when we are sincerely seeking to do His will.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 14:15-36
Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid. - Matthew 14:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
This month we have read about some amazing tests of faith that God required His people to undergo. Often these tests demanded years, even decades, of unfaltering trust in God as He worked out His plan and will for His people.

But there were other times when God put faithful people to the test almost immediately after teaching them a lesson of faith. Jesus used this teaching method more than once with His disciples, including today’s reading in Matthew.

The context of this faith lesson is so incredible that we are tempted to wonder how in the world the disciples--and especially Peter--could forget so quickly what they had just seen. Before getting into the boat and heading across the Sea of Galilee, the Twelve watched Jesus miraculously feed at least five thousand hungry people. They even helped serve the food that kept coming from Jesus’ hands (v. 19).

When the crowd had been fed, Jesus put the disciples into the boat with plans to spend some time in prayer and join them on the way. It’s important that Matthew said the goal was to reach “the other side” of the lake (v. 22). In other words, Jesus made it clear that His plan was not to have the disciples sink and drown in the middle of the lake, even though a bad storm hit.

When Jesus came to them walking on the water, Peter asked for a faith test by his request to walk to Jesus. The lesson of his brief success and his sinking is hard to miss. As long as you keep your eyes on Jesus, you’re fine. But take your eyes off Jesus and look around at your circumstances, and you’re in trouble.

If we had been there, we would probably have been sitting in the boat saying, “Hey, Peter did pretty well. He almost made it to Jesus. That’s a lot more faith than I have.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Isn’t it encouraging that Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter for crying out to Him at the time of trouble?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 12:1-11
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. - Hebrews 12:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
Dr. Joseph Stowell has excellent advice for anyone who wants to run a successful race for Jesus Christ. Dr. Stowell says that running well involves at least three forms of preparation. First, we need to “unload the baggage,” getting rid of things in our lives that distract us from the business of living for Christ. Second, we must “shed the sin” which blocks our fellowship with Christ and disqualifies us from the race. Third, we must “stay at it,” running with a commitment to hang in there when it gets tough and finish the race.

That’s a great training regimen for any believer who wants to be counted among God’s faithful people when it’s all over. Hebrews 11 is a great chapter because it teaches us that faith pleases God, and shows us what He can do with people who are determined to live faithfully before Him.

But the encouragement doesn’t stop there. In Hebrews 12 we discover what it takes to live a life of faith that doesn’t quit. The plan isn’t quick or easy, and there are no shortcuts on God’s cross-country race course. We are called to “endure hardship” and accept discipline that is often painful. But the blessing of “righteousness and peace” (v. 11), and God’s crown of victory (2 Tim. 4: are more than worth the sacrifice.

Hebrews 12 also takes the lesson of faith one step further by offering the ultimate example of faithfulness: Jesus Christ in His suffering on the cross (v. 2-3). Our Lord did not falter once, of course, even though His suffering was beyond imagination. Because He endured the shame and pain of the cross, we can run our race with endurance and finish the course.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Did you have a favorite story of faith from Hebrews 11? Today would be a good time to turn to that passage again and help yourself to a faith-enriching review of God’s Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Samuel 12:1-14
The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. - Matthew 13:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
Czech reformer Jan Hus was first and foremost a pastor. To help his congregation understand spiritual truths, Hus displayed posters featuring contrasting pairs of pictures on the church’s walls. For example, in one picture the pope was presented sitting on a throne, regally dressed, having his feet kissed by monks; in the opposite picture, Jesus was shown washing the feet of the disciples, in sharp contrast to the pope’s pride.

Vivid pictures would endure in the hearts and imaginations of his congregation. Jesus used parables, our topic this month, for similar reasons--His stories create pictures in our minds. He told them in order to teach truth in an accessible, memorable way.

A parable is a short narrative focused on a spiritual truth. It can be in the form of an extended metaphor or simile; longer ones might have allegorical elements. Others present examples for imitation, while some use contrast for highlighting. Like most figurative language, parables operate at two levels: the literal, which includes characters, setting, and action; and the figurative, where the intended meanings are found.

To introduce parables, we’ve chosen an Old Testament parable to demonstrate what they are and do. Most of us are probably familiar with the circumstances. David had committed adultery and murder. Now a prophet came with a message: God was displeased.

Nathan told a straightforward and memorable story about two men and a lamb. It’s also universal–people everywhere would judge the injustice similarly to David (vv. 5-6).

Notice the story’s effects on David. First, he’s drawn in. If he’d felt guilty and been inclined not to listen, the story disarmed him. Second, the story engaged his imagination. He understood and responded passionately because he could picture the situation. And third, the story required his moral and spiritual discernment. He had to judge the case. As it turned out, he condemned himself (vv. 7-9)!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you “stolen any lambs” lately? In light of today’s parable, it makes sense for our application to focus on confession of sin.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 13:10-17, 34-35
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. - Matthew 13:34
TODAY IN THE WORD
In Edgar Allan Poe’s story, “The Purloined Letter,” Paris’s chief of police faces a puzzle. An important letter has been stolen by a government official and is being used for political blackmail. He knows the identity of the thief, but because of the sensitive nature of the letter, he cannot arrest him. Instead, the police comb through the government official’s apartment, but fail to find the letter despite an exhaustive search.

The police were looking in all the clever hiding places. But the thief, assuming his apartment would be searched, had adopted the simple strategy of hiding the letter out in the open. Its (eventually discovered) location was obvious!

The letter thief baffled the police by hiding his secret in plain sight. In a sense, Jesus did the same with His parables, hiding spiritual truths in plain sight. He used stories both to reveal and to conceal.

Why would Jesus want to conceal truth? His purpose was to hide it from those unwilling to hear it, that is, those who were spiritually dull or resistant. This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy concerning spiritual deafness and blindness (vv. 14-15; Isa. 6:9-10). Such people did not deserve and would not be given the “knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven” (v. 11).

Though parables are puzzles to the hard-hearted, they reveal truth to those who are spiritually perceptive or responsive. Such people have been chosen by God. Only He can give this kind of knowledge, only He can reveal the meanings of spiritual mysteries (cf. Eph. 3:3-6). That’s why Jesus would teach the crowds as much as they were able to handle, then instruct His disciples privately. We are blessed (v. 16)!

Jesus’ use of parables fulfilled another prophecy (v. 35; Ps. 78:2). In fact, these stories make up about one third of His recorded teaching. Most lists have thirty to forty different parables, depending on how they are defined and counted. They are found nowhere else in the New Testament, strong evidence for their authenticity. They may even have been unique in Judaism at that time--although many rabbinic parables have been collected, none date back to the time of Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
To help yourself understand more about Jesus’ teaching methods in using parables, brainstorm ways in which stories are capable of teaching or communicating truth. For example, one way might be by presenting a virtuous character whom readers can imitate. How many other ways can you think of?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 13:44-46
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. - Matthew 13:44
TODAY IN THE WORD
Last summer, Frank Wallis of Arkansas found an unexpected treasure. One day, he purchased four rolls of the gold-colored, one-dollar coins featuring Sacagawea, the Native American woman who guided Lewis and Clark on their westward journey. On one of the coins, however, he found the face of George Washington. The back of the coin was right, but the front side belonged on a quarter. Called a “double-denomination mule error,” it’s thought to be the first such error in the history of the U.S. Mint. Articles speculated that the coin was worth $100,000.

The men in today’s parables also found unexpected treasures. Their stories begin with a phrase we’ll see frequently: “The kingdom of heaven is like . . .” Throughout this week, we’ll examine parables that describe the kingdom. Today’s two stories emphasize its value.

The first parable compares the kingdom to “treasure hidden in a field” (v. 44). It was immensely valuable, but it had been hidden--just as the exact nature of Christ’s first coming had been hidden (Col. 1:25-27). We don’t know if the man was searching for it or came across it accidentally, but in either case, he couldn’t take credit. That is, the treasure was valuable in itself, not because of his efforts or discovery.

Full of joy, the man sold all he owned and bought the field, including the rights to the treasure. The sum of his possessions was less valuable than what he’d found, and his life was transformed forever!

The second parable speaks of “a merchant looking for fine pearls” (v. 45). Here we know that the man was actively searching, but the main point is the same. To obtain the pearl, he had to abandon everything acquired in the past. The kingdom’s value transcends all!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The kingdom is a “treasure” that transforms lives! How can we go on keeping it to ourselves?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 13:31-33
The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough. - Matthew 13:33
TODAY IN THE WORD
“What would you plant in the garden of life?” asks a popularly circulated e-mail message.

First, the writer would plant five rows of peas: preparedness, promptness, perseverance, politeness, and prayer. Second, he would plant three rows of squash: squash gossip, squash criticism, and squash indifference. Third, he would plant three rows of lettuce: let us be faithful, let us be loyal, and let us love one another. Since we reap what we sow, cultivating these traits will have good results in our lives.

Like a seed, God’s kingdom is characterized by growth. We find this quality highlighted in today’s reading.

The first parable compares the kingdom to a mustard seed, the tiniest known at that time in that part of the world. When planted, however, it grows into a tree reaching a height of 10-15 feet. That birds perch there shows its size, as well as connoting restfulness or “home” and suggesting the all-embracing nature of the kingdom. Jesus was probably alluding to a passage in Ezekiel which also uses bird and tree imagery to describe the Messiah and His kingdom (Ezek. 17:22-24).

As in yesterday’s parables, we see the element of the unexpected. Who could guess such a large tree would grow from such a small seed? The juxtaposition is startling, and the power of the figure of speech is in the contrast. Despite the small, apparently unimpressive beginnings of the kingdom, it will grow to be something dominant and even majestic.

The second parable depicts a woman mixing yeast into her bread dough. Elsewhere, yeast is used to symbolize sin (see Matt. 16:6), but not here. In context, it symbolizes the inevitable, permeating growth or advance of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom will grow as surely and completely as yeast spreads through dough. Once again, the picture is memorable because of the strong contrast between a bit of yeast and a large amount of flour.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
On Independence Day, Americans celebrate the decision to declare liberty from England. Though the Revolutionary War loomed, the victory would come.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Mark 4:26-29
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” - Genesis 1:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Royal Botanic Garden’s millennium seed bank in Sussex, England, is protecting more than 290 million seeds carefully stored there in radiation-proof underground bunkers.

The laboratory and seed bank aim to collect seeds from 24,000 plant species over the next ten years, out of an estimated 270,000 worldwide. They want to ensure that as many plant species as possible are preserved, and view their project as a potential “Noah’s Ark.”

As one scientist said, “Seeds are tiny miracles of packaging, containing all the genetic information for the next generation of plants.”

Seeds are such miracles, in fact, that we still cannot replicate them, nor do we understand in detail how they work. Even with all our scientific tools and know-how, natural growth is still a mystery, a fact Jesus highlighted in today’s reading.

In this parable, a farmer goes out, plants a crop, and eventually harvests it. These agricultural images would have been very familiar to Jesus’ listeners. But whereas farmers would prefer to credit their own hard work, Jesus said the growth process happens naturally. It occurs regardless of the farmer, and in fact he doesn’t understand it (v. 27). The phrase “all by itself” is related to our word “automatic” (v. 28).

We continue to see here that the kingdom is characterized by growth. It grows as surely as the seasons pass and crops grow. It grows rather mysteriously, not as a result of human effort. The underlying point is that just as God is sovereign over natural processes, He is also sovereign over supernatural processes.

As we saw yesterday, growth will mark different aspects of the kingdom, from a person’s heart to world missions. If growth is a basic attribute of the kingdom, we can expect to find it displayed on different fronts in different ways.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One of these natural object lessons illustrates the“plant parables” of Jesus.

• If you have a garden, meditate on how what you see in your vegetables or flowers matches up with today’s Bible reading.

• Consider planting some seeds, reflecting on their growth throughout the rest of this month.

• A simpler idea is to find and hold in your hand a single seed, perhaps a sunflower seed. Reflect on how that one seed produces a large, vibrant flower.