Pursue Kingdom Value (Sep 16)
A turning point occurs in Matthew
12 where mounting antagonism by the Jewish religious leaders erupts into open denunciation of Jesus.
Because of their rejection, Jesus begins to speak to them in parables
and explained only to the disciples.
After a rude reception in His home
town of Nazareth, Jesus withdraws
across the Sea of Galilee to the
regions of Tyre and Sidon in order
to escape growing opposition.
Lord, we’ll Seek Kingdom Value:
You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not (Matt 13:11)
That is why I use these parables for they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear but they don’t really listen.
The hearts of these people are
hardened… they can’t understand,
and they cannot turn to me and
let me heal them (Matt 13:13, 15).
The Kingdom of Heaven is like
a treasure that a man discovered
hidden in a field… He… sold every-
thing he owned… to buy the field. Again the Kingdom of Heaven is
like a merchant on the lookout for
choice pearls. When he discovered
a pearl of great value, he sold everything…and bought it (v44-46)
Lord, help me to be a true seeker
to hear from the personal God.
Help me to have an open mind,
ever ready to listen to You and
to believe Your Word of truth.
Give me the heart that can hear
Your mysteries, understand them
and internalise Your eternal truths.
And Help me root out any attitude
that might block my hearing. Amen.
Lord, help me not to have attitude
of a skeptic that rejects any word from You that doesn’t fit my logic.
I give You permission to blow my mind with things U want to tell me.
Lord, where my heart hardened at
times, soften me up where there’s any area of insensitivity in my life.
Draw me close and heighten my spiritual senses to pick up even the
slightest whisper from You. Amen.
Lord, I want to see the great value
of knowing and being ruled by You.
But I also need to believe & see it too
Because I want to have everything
to be found in Christ as well as
everything the world can offer.
But if it costs everything to have
You, I know I will not be losing out.
So, don’t let me gain the whole
world but lose my soul. And also
teach me to value those things on
which U place highest value. Amen.