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    Once-A-Day Devotional for Teens
    Once-A-Day Devotional for Teens
    Once-A-Day Devotional for Teens
    Ebook763 pages12 hours

    Once-A-Day Devotional for Teens

    By Zondervan

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    About this ebook

    Are you looking for way to connect with God daily that fits your schedule? Or simply want a devotional that applies to your life without talking down to you?

     The Once-a-Day Devotional for Teens provides 365 devotions written specifically for teens, and centers around a reading plan that touches on the entire Bible over the course of the year. With a daily verse and topic, a prayer, and options for further reading, you can dig deeper into the Bible and see exactly how God’s Word applies to your life today, every day.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateOct 9, 2012
    ISBN9780310729969
    Once-A-Day Devotional for Teens

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      Once-A-Day Devotional for Teens - Zondervan

      january 1

      day1

      READ IT

      Genesis 1:1 – 2:17, Matthew 1:1 – 25, Psalm 1:1 – 6

      In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

      GENESIS 1:1

      LIVE IT

      It’s tough to wrap your head around the start of everything. But the Genesis account of the world’s beginnings is more than a tale of distant history. It’s more than a reason to debate with modern scientific theory. The first chapters of the Bible tell why you exist.

      Suppose you make a clay sculpture in art class. Suddenly you hold in your hands an object that belongs uniquely to you. Because you made it, you own it. When God created the world, he instantly became master of all his handiwork. Psalm 24:1 – 2 says, The earth is the LORD’S, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. The world belongs completely to God.

      You might never be satisfied with what you shape from a lump of clay. But God was incredibly pleased when he made people. First he dreamed up our design. He determined our purpose. He thought of everything humans need for a happy existence. Then he went to work. He put us in the most perfect place ever. He made us partners with each other and gave us solid work to do. Because we belong to him, he expects us to follow his commands.

      So why did God make you? He created you to enjoy life close to him — and to people.

      PRAY IT

      God, you made the world. So I belong to you now and forever. Teach me to live for you.

      january 2

      day2

      READ IT

      Genesis 2:18 – 4:16, Matthew 2:1 – 18, Psalm 2:1 – 12

      The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed.

      PSALM 2:2

      LIVE IT

      Everyone knows what it’s like to make another person angry. But only God knows what it’s like to have the whole human race up in arms against him.

      Human rebellion started back with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1 – 24). But sin quickly spread to every person and place on earth. Psalm 2 shows the entire world rising up against the Lord. Nations scheme. Groups hatch useless plots. The earth’s rulers want to break loose from God’s control.

      God studies this crowd of puny rebels and laughs because their might is nothing compared to his. And the Lord has a secret power: he has installed his Son as ruler over the earth. That’s an astonishing Old Testament picture. Hundreds of years before Jesus showed up as a baby in Bethlehem, this Scripture reveals him reigning as king of everything. Even when human beings join together to fight God, they can’t beat his anointed, or chosen one. The whole world belongs to Jesus, and wise people everywhere submit to his authority. No one can stop the Lord’s plan to save people, and he blesses everyone who runs to him for help.

      Glance around and you’ll see plenty of people living against God. But you can serve God with utter respect. You can celebrate his reign. You can bow to him with every part of who you are.

      PRAY IT

      God, you reign over everything. But people all around me rebel against you. I choose to serve you in awestruck respect.

      january 3

      day3

      READ IT

      Genesis 4:17 – 6:22, Matthew 2:19 – 3:17, Psalm 3:1 – 8

      In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

      MATTHEW 3:1 –2

      LIVE IT

      Even before Jesus began to teach and do miracles, people knew someone amazing was on the way. That’s because John the Baptist had come on the scene and prepared people to meet the Lord.

      John’s arrival was no surprise. Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, once predicted a voice in the wilderness would clear a path for God (Isaiah 40:3). And an angel announced that Elizabeth, a relative of Mary the mother of Jesus, would give birth to the Lord’s messenger.

      John wore rough clothes and ate a plain diet. His grueling life in the desert reminded everyone of God’s ancient messengers. When he commanded everyone to repent—to stop sinning and turn back to God—his challenging words drew crowds from every direction. John confronted not only the masses but Pharisees and Sadducees, religious rulekeepers who considered themselves too good to need cleansing from sin. He baptized everyone who accepted his message, dipping them in the Jordan River as a way of demonstrating remorse for doing wrong. His every word and action pointed to one fact: someone much greater was coming.

      You would be startled if John the Baptist showed up shouting in your street. But his message hits home no matter where you live. You want to be prepared for Jesus. You need to recognize the awfulness of sin and be ready to meet your Savior.

      PRAY IT

      Lord, I’m tired of sin and the hurt it causes me, others, and you. I want to be done with doing wrong. I’m ready for your forgiveness.

      january 4

      day4

      READ IT

      Genesis 7:1 – 9:17, Matthew 4:1 – 22, Proverbs 1:1 – 7

      The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

      PROVERBS 1:7

      LIVE IT

      Fearing God might not sound fun. But again and again Scripture says it’s your first step to getting the wisdom you need to survive real life.

      The meaning of the word for fear ranges from feeling terror in the midst of a deadly storm (Jonah 1:10) to overflowing with awe in a king’s presence (1 Kings 3:28). When you experience the fear of the LORD you simultaneously wonder about backing away in dread but can’t help but draw close in amazement. This healthy reverence doesn’t leave you quaking. It does remind you to honor God and not treat him casually, like some kind of heavenly buddy.

      Proverbs says good things result when you choose to live for God with utter respect. You get insight, a grasp of what’s sensible, right, and fair. Everyone will notice you’re wise beyond your years, and your understanding will stay fresh until your final breath. You will gain an intelligence that guards you from acting recklessly or caving into evil peer pressure.

      Proverbs is the Bible’s most densely packed collection of wisdom. If you respect God, you will think hard about the instructions you find in these pages. And you won’t hesitate to put your discoveries into action. After all, rejecting the Lord’s choice wisdom will send you tripping down a fool’s path. And nothing about that sounds enjoyable.

      PRAY IT

      God, I will live for you with complete respect. You fill me with awe and constantly amaze me. I need you to teach me through your wise words.

      january 5

      day5

      READ IT

      Genesis 9:18 – 11:9, Matthew 4:23 – 5:20, Psalm 4:1 – 8

      Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

      PSALM 4:1

      LIVE IT

      Picture collapsing on your bed after your most unpleasant day ever. It’s not hard to recall what pushed you into the misery zone. But you might wonder if God was around when you were hurting. He was. And he is.

      Psalm 4 doesn’t say why King David wrote these words, but the shape of his problem isn’t hard to detect. He’d prayed but hadn’t received an answer. He’d waited for compassionate relief from distress, after being humiliated by people who don’t worship God. He trembled on his bed, trying to figure out where he went wrong. He was so tired of people doubting God’s goodness that he just wanted to fall asleep and forget the day.

      David’s head was spinning with frustration. His heart was thick with sadness. But he fought back with true facts. He reminded himself that God watches over his followers and hears their cries. His own shaking wasn’t an excuse to sin in what he thought, said, or did. His pain was a chance to trust, look for God’s shining brilliance, and enjoy the Lord’s simple gifts. He could sleep peacefully because the Lord kept him safe.

      When you feel overwhelmed, you can be sure you’re not praying to empty sky. God was listening when you felt deep pain. He’s listening now.

      PRAY IT

      Lord, I trust that you’re there for me when I feel pain. I trust you to answer my prayers and help me deal with my problems. I count on you to be completely good.

      january 6

      day6

      READ IT

      Genesis 11:10 – 13:18, Matthew 5:21 – 42, Psalm 5:1 – 12

      The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.’

      GENESIS 12:1 – 2

      LIVE IT

      You know how it feels to have a plan where nothing turns out? When problems seem impossible, no one faults you for giving up.

      Not long after Adam and Eve sinned back in the garden of Eden, God looked at the human race and concluded, every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5). Even after the Lord started over with Noah—the one good person he could find—everyone slid back into sin.

      God had every reason to be done with the human race. Instead he picked Abram as the beginning of a new plan. When he told Abram to go to a distant, unnamed land, this faith-filled man heeded God’s command. He immediately obeyed, packing up and moving his entire household without any idea where he was going.

      God had an extraordinary future in store for Abram, but this blessing wouldn’t stop with one man. The Lord would make him a powerful nation and use him to bless everyone on earth. Abram was the start of the plan that comes to completion in Christ.

      Abram — tater known as Abraham — is your spiritual ancestor (Romans 4:16). When God blessed that ancient nomad, he had you in mind. The Lord wanted so much for you to know him that he refused to give up. He dreamed up a plan to lead you to him.

      PRAY IT

      Lord, I’m amazed you were thinking of me when you gave Abram a new life. Thanks for including me in your plan.

      january 7

      day7

      READ IT

      Genesis 14:1 – 16:16, Matthew 5:43 – 6:24, Psalm 6:1 – 10

      This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’

      MATTHEW 6:9

      LIVE IT

      You might have heard the Lord’s Prayer a thousand times. It’s the famous words Jesus gave his disciples when they said, Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11:1).

      Matthew showcases this prayer in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, the longest message we have from the mouth of Jesus. The Lord tells us how to live for him in every part of life. But he’s doing the opposite of trying to pile up religious rules. He aims to teach you how to have a real relationship with God. Jesus criticizes people who assume they have to pray loud and long to be heard, calling out hypocrites who make prayer a show or spew streams of babble to get to their point.

      Then Jesus gives a model prayer. While there’s nothing wrong with praying these exact words, they also give the gist of what prayer can be. Start by honoring God as your heavenly Father. Commit to fully obeying his will. Tell him about your daily needs, whether those requests are big or small. Ask for forgiveness, the same measure of mercy you show others. And ask him to guard you from overwhelming temptation.

      When you pray like that, prayer doesn’t have to feel scary. It’s a simple conversation with the God who never stops caring for you.

      PRAY IT

      God, you’re my Father in heaven. I want to honor you and do your will. Please give me everything I need today. Forgive my sins and keep me from letting evil draw me in.

      january 8

      day8

      READ IT

      Genesis 17:1 – 18:33, Matthew 6:25 – 7:23, Proverbs 1:8 – 19

      Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

      MATTHEW 7:1–2

      LIVE IT

      It’s tough to find a Bible verse more misused than Matthew 7:1. It’s a phrase everyone knows but hardly anyone understands. Like it says in a classic version, Judge not, that ye be not judged (KJV).

      Most people think those words mean you shouldn’t criticize another person’s decisions about right and wrong — that if a friend tells you she snuck out of the house without her parents knowing, you shouldn’t tell her that’s a bad idea. Or if you hear a friend planning to cheat on an exam, you shouldn’t remind him cheating is wrong. Speaking up would be judging or judgmental.

      Keep reading in Matthew 7:1 – 4 to see what Jesus really means. He doesn’t tell you to ignore the difference between good and evil but to be wise in how you respond to other people’s failings. If you’re arrogant in sizing up others, don’t be surprised when they don’t show you mercy. If you have a plank-sized sin of your own, get rid of it before you brush away the speck of sin you spot in someone else. Once you deal with your own problems, you can genuinely help others.

      Offering unhypocritical help is what the Lord wants you to do. Like another Bible verse says, If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently (Galatians 6:1).

      PRAY IT

      Lord, teach me to deal with my own problems before I point out other people’s sins. When a friend clearly needs my help, teach me to boldly speak up.

      january 9

      day9

      READ IT

      Genesis 19:1 – 20:18, Matthew 7:24 – 8:22, Psalm 7:1 – 9

      LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

      PSALM 7:1 – 2

      LIVE IT

      You might shudder when you read some of King David’s psalms. It doesn’t take long for the man who writes poetic words like The LORD is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1) to break out in violent cries. He even sent up frequent prayers asking God to crush his enemies.

      David wasn’t exaggerating his situation. As leader of a nation often at war with neighboring lands, he faced constant threats. People inside and outside his kingdom wanted to tear him apart, and he didn’t hesitate to ask the Lord for help.

      You might never face an enemy who endangers your physical life. But the New Testament identifies the real opponents you face every day. Ephesians 6:12 says, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. First Peter 5:8 says, Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

      People who get in your face aren’t your real opponents. Your biggest nightmare isn’t anyone you can fight with your fists. There are spiritual forces that want to put an end to your faith.

      So ask God to protect you. Cry out for him to defend you. Invite him to make you strong.

      PRAY IT

      God, I have a world of enemies I can’t see, dark spiritual forces that challenge my faith. Protect me as I count on you. Don’t let them do me in.

      january 10

      day10

      READ IT

      Genesis 21:1 – 23:20, Matthew 8:23 – 9:13, Psalm 7:10 – 17

      Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ And the two of them went on together.

      GENESIS 22:8

      LIVE IT

      Abraham had waited years for his son Isaac to be born, and so must have been incredibly shocked when God said to him one day, Take your son, your only son. […] Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you (Genesis 22:2). And Abraham leaves with his son to do as God commands.

      Bible critics point to this scene as an example of divine child abuse. But it’s actually a picture of the sacrifice God would one day make by sending his only Son to die for the world’s sins.

      The Lord’s command to Abraham challenged a father to obey an impossible instruction. Isaac was a miraculous gift from God, the first of a line that would outnumber the stars. God had promised to make Abraham the start of a great nation (12:1 – 3), and the Lord seemed to be going back on his word.

      Abraham came face to face with the Lord’s agonizing command. He led his beloved son up the mountain, carrying out his orders one tough step at a time. At some point Isaac realized he was the sacrifice, but Isaac trusted his father like Abraham trusted his Father in heaven.

      Just at the moment when Abraham reached for the knife to end his son’s life, the Lord provided the sacrifice he had planned all along: a ram caught in the thicket. Isaac was saved. And that’s when you see a flash of Jesus. Even though human sin deserves the punishment of death (Romans 6:23), the Father provided another sacrifice, his beloved Son (John 3:16). His death on the cross is payment for your sins. When death looms, the Son willingly takes your place.

      PRAY IT

      Lord, help me understand you love me so deeply you sent your only Son to die for my sin. When I wonder if you care about me, I will remember your sacrifice.

      january 15

      day11

      READ IT

      Genesis 24:1 – 67, Matthew 9:14 – 38, Psalm 8:1 – 9

      What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

      PSALM 8:4 – 5

      LIVE IT

      Teachers grade you, coaches score you, and parents seem to evaluate your every move. Bosses decide if you deserve to be hired or fired, and peers tell everyone whether or not you’re hot. Some days you might feel like no one thinks much of you. But never assume the Lord concludes you don’t measure up.

      Psalm 8 starts out by describing God’s stunning impressiveness. His majestic name ranks higher than any other on earth. Little children perceive him and worship. The skies shine with his glory. When you stare up at the heavens and study his handiwork—the moon and the stars he put in place—you can’t help but wonder what God thinks of people. Why does he bother with human beings? How could he possibly care about a little speck like you?

      That isn’t how the Lord sees things. He made you and every person to be extraordinary. In the grand scheme of things, you rank just below his angels. He designed you to show off his own glory and honor. He put people in charge of the planet, and together with everyone else you have the weighty responsibility of ruling all of creation.

      No matter how hard people might try to make you feel insignificant, they can’t change the way the Lord made you. They can’t undo your status. They can’t take away the importance he built into you and every person on earth.

      PRAY IT

      Lord, when people look down on me I will remember that you made me uniquely worthwhile. You crown me with your own glory.

      january 12

      day12

      READ IT

      Genesis 25:1 – 26:35, Matthew 10:1 – 31, Proverbs 1:20 – 33

      As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

      MATTHEW 10:7

      LIVE IT

      Jesus kept some of his most crucial words until his last moments on earth. Right before he went back to heaven, Jesus told his friends to go everywhere, tell everyone about him, make disciples, and teach those new followers to obey his commands (Matthew 28:18 – 20).

      Jesus doesn’t live on earth anymore, so people won’t get true insight into God without hearing from his followers, including you. Matthew 10 shows Jesus sending out his first wave of messengers into the world. He tells his twelve closest followers to go straight to his own people, the ancient nation of Israel. You can pick up important lessons from what they did.

      Jesus tells his followers to pack light, not getting tangled up in their possessions as they declare his message. They should be wise about knowing when to say more or when to move on. Not everyone will like their message, and they might even encounter violent opposition. But the most essential thing is to respect God enough to continue speaking his word.

      Talking about your belief in Jesus might be one of the toughest things you ever do. But remember why it’s worth speaking up. Not everyone will accept who Jesus is, but to everyone who trusts him, Jesus gives the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

      PRAY IT

      Lord, I need your help to boldly talk about you to my family, friends, and people I meet. I know that your love is real. Teach me how to share what I know.

      january 13

      day13

      READ IT

      Genesis 27:1 – 28:22, Matthew 10:32 – 11:15, Psalm 9:1 – 6

      Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’

      GENESIS 27:41

      LIVE IT

      Siblings fight. They might clash more with each other than anyone else they ever meet. In fact, the feud between Isaac’s sons Jacob and Esau grew so intense people still tell the story thousands of years later.

      These twin boys start fighting back in Genesis 25, where they elbow inside their mother’s womb. Esau is born first, and Jacob comes out grabbing his brother’s heel. They grow up into complete opposites, and their parents do little to help the situation. Old Isaac favors Esau, while Rebekah likes Jacob better.

      At the end of Genesis 25 Esau comes back famished from hunting. Jacob convinces Esau to swap all the benefits that belong to him as the oldest son for a pot of red stew. The scheming repeats when Jacob deceitfully steals his father’s blessing. When Esau’s anger grows into a murderous rage, Jacob has to flee for his life. It takes many years for the two grown brothers to call a truce and live at peace (Genesis 32 – 33). Even though they had their differences, they were still family. They had to find a way to get along.

      If you have siblings at your house, you’re setting patterns of getting along that will last a lifetime. So start by letting God be the Lord of your family. When you choose to live his way, there’s far less to fight about.

      PRAY IT

      God, you’re the real boss of my siblings and me. I want you to rule in my family. Teach me to make peace with my brothers and sisters.

      january 14

      day14

      READ IT

      Genesis 29:1 – 30:43, Matthew 11:16 – 30, Psalm 9:7 – 12

      Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.

      MATTHEW 11:28 – 29

      LIVE IT

      People who hear that you live for Jesus might think you have the worst life ever. But they must have swallowed a lie about what being a Christian is actually like. They should check out how the Lord describes the experience of following him.

      Jesus’s words in Matthew 11:28 – 30 rank among his most encouraging ever. But look around at what leads up to his point. In Matthew 11:16 – 19 the Lord vents his frustration with people who complain he doesn’t live up to their religious rules. In Matthew 11:20 – 25 he describes people who refuse to repent—to stop sinning and turn back to God.

      Those words illustrate how most people live. Some get wrapped up in keeping petty religious rules, loving every opportunity to stifle everyone else’s joy. Or others throw themselves into evil, constantly engaging in attitudes and actions that hurt themselves, others, and God.

      But Jesus describes a better way. He invites everyone to come to him and unload their hopeless old ways. He asks you to put on his yoke. In farming terms, a yoke is a wood harness used to steer animals. But Jesus reminds you he’s completely gentle — his yoke will not be used to harm you. If you learn from him and go his way, you discover rest. When you get to know the real Jesus, you discover his yoke is easy. Any burden he asks you to carry is light.

      PRAY IT

      Lord, I’m glad I follow you. You don’t want me loaded down by empty religion or entrapped by evil. Show me your best way to live.

      january 15

      day15

      READ IT

      Genesis 31:1 – 55, Matthew 12:1 – 21, Psalm 9:13 – 20

      The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

      MATTHEW 12:8

      LIVE IT

      Everyone expects Jesus to be down on people who do obvious evil. But he’s a guy who makes friends with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other notorious sinners (Mark 2:16). Glance at his story and you see Jesus actually aims his toughest words at people who make rules the most important part of their religion.

      The Pharisees were a group in ancient Israel famed for obeying any and all Old Testament regulations — and inventing new ones. While God himself gave these commands as a way for his people to demonstrate purity, the Pharisees forgot about the Lord and focused on rules, making laws even more strict than he intended. On the outside the Pharisees looked perfect, but inside they were full of filth (Matthew 23:27 – 28).

      So the Pharisees weren’t pleased when they saw the Lord’s disciples pluck snacks from a wheat field on the Sabbath, God’s appointed day of rest. And they thought it was wrong for Jesus to heal a handicapped man on the Sabbath. Jesus said the Pharisees completely missed the point: Doing good shouldn’t wait another day. Love is more important than legalistic rules.

      Jesus doesn’t want you to put all your energy into outward spiritual habits. You can listen to the right music, wear Jesus shirts, and spend all your spare time at church, but what really matters is showing him and others true love. And spending our time with those who bring us closer to God, and taking one day to really focus and reflect on God—instead of distractions like homework — can give us the renewal and peace to go forward with the week.

      PRAY IT

      God, don’t let me get so focused on keeping rules that I ignore people’s urgent needs or forget all about you. Teach me true love for others and for you.

      january 16

      day16

      READ IT

      Genesis 32:1 – 33:20, Matthew 12:22 – 45, Proverbs 2:1 – 11

      If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

      PROVERBS 2:3 – 5

      LIVE IT

      Proverbs 2 offers you a one-and-only chance to dig up buried treasure, but the wealth might not be what you expect. It’s not a hoard of cash, gold, or precious jewels. This treasure is all about God.

      The most valuable part of this fortune is the fear of the LORD, an attitude of living for God with total respect. It’s discovering the knowledge of God, an authentic understanding of the Lord who made the universe.

      The results of getting close to God are staggering. He gives you wisdom that leads to success. When you live with fairness and strive to be faithful to him, he protects you wherever you go. Instead of letting you wander through life, he helps you spot every good path and gives your heart satisfaction with everything he shows you.

      That treasure matters more than anything else in the world. But it doesn’t just show up in your backyard. These riches take more effort to find than all the energy you pour into school, sports, work, activities, and hobbies. You have to pay close attention to what God tries to teach you. You need to cry out for more wisdom. You have to hunt for it like silver. But when you go on this search, the Lord guarantees you will find what you’re looking for (Jeremiah 29:13).

      PRAY IT

      God, I want to know you well. I want your wisdom to get me through today. I commit to searching with all my heart for you and your insight.

      january 17

      day17

      READ IT

      Genesis 34:1 – 35:29, Matthew 12:46 – 13:17, Psalm 10:1 – 11

      Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

      MATTHEW 13:8 – 9

      LIVE IT

      You don’t have to grow up on a farm to understand how seeds work. This Parable of the Sower is one of Jesus’s most famous sayings, a small story with a major spiritual lesson. Make sure you read Jesus’s own intriguing explanation of this parable in Matthew 13:18 – 23.

      Jesus spoke to crowds who seemed unconcerned with understanding his message. They were so slow to process his words that he said they saw without perceiving and heard without understanding. They deliberately shut their eyes and plugged their ears, a sign of their hardness toward God.

      The Lord wants his disciples to take his words to heart, so he compares human beings to various types of soil. Some are like a path where birds snatch up the message before it can grow. Others are like rocky ground where his words can’t take root. Others act like a patch of life-choking weeds. Still others are like good soil. They hear his words and put them into action. Their life produces a bumper crop.

      You have a choice today to be good ground. You can accept God’s words, keeping them in mind all day long. If you make sure nothing steals them away or crowds them out of your life, you can be sure they will make you grow in ways no one will be able to miss.

      PRAY IT

      Lord, I want your words to sink deep into me and spring up like a healthy plant. Help me to listen to your words and apply them to my life.

      january 18

      day18

      READ IT

      Genesis 36:1 – 37:36, Matthew 13:18 – 35, Psalm 10:12 – 18

      Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.

      GENESIS 37:5

      LIVE IT

      Like the story of Jacob and Esau back in Genesis 25 – 33, the account of Joseph that spans from Genesis 37 – 47 shows off an ugly tale of violent sibling rivalry. This isn’t a band of brothers whose relationships you want to imitate, but God had a plan bigger than any of them.

      Joseph was exactly seventeen when he tattled about his older brothers’ bad behavior. The brothers boiled with hatred as their father dressed Joseph in an ornate robe (made famous in the Broadway musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). And Joseph had an unhelpful habit of sharing dreams that elevated him at his brothers’ expense. None of this helped Joseph get along at home, and it wasn’t a surprise when his brothers plotted to kill him. When the opportunity arose, they spared his life and sold him as a slave. They told old Jacob that his favorite son was dead.

      The saddest part of this story is watching it go from bad to worse. Jacob (who should have known better, having grown up in a family where his father preferred his brother) didn’t treat his sons fairly. Joseph wouldn’t shut his arrogant mouth. And ten adult brothers don’t bother to find a better way to deal with their upstart sibling.

      While God used Joseph’s dire situation for his own purposes later, that doesn’t excuse everyone’s bad behavior. You might be able to slide by with mediocre relationships in your family, but the Lord wants you to aim higher than that.

      PRAY IT

      God, I can’t fix anyone at home but me. But I choose to love my family like you love me. Help me be a better example of how to get along.

      january 19

      day19

      READ IT

      Genesis 38:1 – 39:23, Matthew 13:36 – 58, Psalm 11:1 – 7

      The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

      MATTHEW 13:41

      LIVE IT

      No collection of Christians is perfect. Whether you’re staring at peers in a youth group or random people in any church, you’re sure to spot examples of sin. To be fair, others don’t need to study you for long to notice your shortcomings.

      Jesus has that fact in mind when he says the kingdom of heaven resembles weeds in a field. Look back to Matthew 13:24 – 30 for the parable. Here in Matthew 13:36 – 43 his disciples admit the Lord’s story stumps them, and they ask for an explanation.

      Jesus says God’s kingdom is like a field full of good seeds. An enemy comes along and sows weeds. The specific word for weed is a plant that looks exactly like wheat but is poisonous to humans. Wheat and weeds grow together. They won’t be sorted out until Jesus comes back.

      That means real Christians and counterfeits will sit side by side in a pew, a prayer group, or Bible study. Some people are spiritually immature and need to grow up. Others might not be Christians at all. But it isn’t your job to decide which is which, because trying too hard to sort real from fake damages everyone involved (v. 29).

      You just have one job. When people claim to be your Christian brothers or sisters, your task is to help them grow up.

      PRAY IT

      God, teach me to love Christians I don’t like. Make sure my faith

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