Day 105 Bible Readings for April 16 – Luke 17: 6 (ESV)

Deuteronomy 23-25, Luke 16: 19-31, Luke 17: 1-10, Psalm 66: 1-12

Luke 17: 6 (ESV)

“And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

In verse 6 from Luke 17, we read about the well-known teachings from Jesus on the mustard seed. Jesus tells us that faith if like a mustard seed meaning it’s not about how much faith you have, because the mustard seed is very small compared to other seeds. Jesus tells us the power of our faith is about the kind of faith one has because even if we had a small amount of strong faith, we will be able to do great things. Then Jesus brings up the image of the mulberry tree. In one Bible study I read, the author noted the roots of the mulberry tree were thought of as very strong, so strong that this tree could stay rooted for over 600 years. If your faith is strong, you could even root up a mulberry tree with its strong roots. The author of this Bible study also noted that the mulberry tree root can also represent a metaphor anything in our life that is deeply rooted like bitterness, unforgiveness, and addictions. Through our faith and belief in Jesus Christ, we can rip out by the roots even something as strong addiction.

I used to think that having faith in seeing miracles in my life was all about the amount of faith that I had, and I often didn’t see my prayers being answered because my faith was too small. I’ve now come to realize that it’s not about the amount of faith, but the quality of faith. Is my faith strong and a no-brainer in my life? Or is my faith something I have to will myself to believe in every day by constantly praying? The answer to these questions depends on type of things I pray for in life. In the smaller matters of my life my faith is automatic, and I assume almost all the of the time my prayers will be answered. It’s another story with the bigger matters or things in my life that I pray for every day. But I am blessed as a person of faith to have the help of the Holy Spirit to level up the quality of my faith so I can have the bigger miracles happening my life.

Day 104 Bible Readings for April 15 – Luke 16: 10 (ESV)

Deuteronomy 21-22, Luke 16: 1-18, Psalm 65

Luke 16: 10 (ESV)

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

In verse 10 from Luke 16, Jesus teaches about being faithful and having integrity. Jesus tells us that if you are faithful in small matters, you will be faithful when it comes to bigger matters in life. The reverse is also true in that if you are dishonest in the small matters in life, you will be dishonest with the bigger matters in life. The authors of my Bible study also refer to this verse as emphasizing the principle of stewardship. Being faithful in the small matters in life can be seen as a test of character and integrity. The small matters in life can symbolize money, possessions, and responsibilities. Jesus tells us that God is watching how we handle every task even the smallest of tasks, money, or responsibilities.

I can see how this verse also applies to following God’s laws and the urgings of the Holy Spirit in our life. If we are faithful to follow God’s laws and the urging of the Holy Spirit in the small matters in life, we will be faithful to the bigger asks of God and the Holy Spirit in our life. I know that is how it started for me in my relationship with God. I can see over the years how I have become more faithful to God in the smaller matters in my life, and now I feel I am at the point where God is asking me to more faithful to the bigger matters in my life. But God is also asking me to be more faithful in the areas of my life where I have not been faithful. It’s a hard and slow journey, but with the help of the Holy Spirit I feel that I will become more faithful to God in all areas of my life.

Day 103 Bible Readings – Luke 15: 4 (ESV)

Deuteronomy 19 & 20, Luke 15, Psalm 64

Luke 15: 4 (ESV)

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?”

In verse 4 from Luke 15 Jesus talks about the parable of the lost sheep. Jesus tells us that if a shepherd has a hundred sheep in his care and one gets lost, he will leave the 99 sheep to look for the lost one. Jesus tries to tell us that God loves the people in his care so much that if one person gets lost, he will always look for that one person. I love this parable because if we have faith in God, then we can have assurance that God will never abandon us and will always come looking for us if we get lost. There have been many songs written over the years on the parable of the lost sheep, and I like this current song by Cory Asbury which is called “Reckless Love.”  The chorus of this song goes like this “Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine, I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away, Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God” Cory Asbury writes about being the one lost sheep, whom God will find no matter what leaving the other 99 sheep behind.

If you are feeling the blues about your life, listen to this song and know that God will never abandon any of his sheep. He will always come and find that one lost sheep and rejoice when he finds the one who was lost.

Day 102 Bible Readings – Luke 14: 34-35 (ESV)

Deuteronomy 16:21-22, Deuteronomy 17, Deuteronomy 18, Luke 14:15-35, Psalm 63

Luke 14: 34-35 (ESV)

“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

I love the metaphor of salt that Jesus uses in verses 34 and 35 from Luke 14 to talk about the Christian life. In my study Bible, the authors point out that salt was a valuable commodity in the time of Jesus. Salt in Biblical times represented purity, preservation, and the covenant God made with his people. Jesus tells us as that as people of faith that we must be like salt, meaning we need to have a positive influence and preserve the effectiveness of the teaching of Jesus in the world. Like salt losing its taste because it has been contaminated with other substances, if followers of Christ become influenced by non-Biblical ideas and teachings, we will also lose purity and our ability to live and spread the teachings of Christ.

These verses tell us that we need to daily maintain our connection to the teachings of Christ and the Bible, by reading the Bible, abiding in God’s presence, and listening to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us we have ears, so we must always be listening to the word of God and the Holy Spirit in our lives. If we don’t do these things, we will be of no use to ourselves or for God’s plan. God will still use us for fulfill his plans for the world because he can use everything for his good, but we will be throwing aways the gifts that God gave us if we do not retain our saltiness which represents the influence of God in our life.