Daily Devotion: The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (The Incomparable Value of the Kingdom) by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Matthew 13:44-51 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."
- Matthew 13:44 KJV

Jesus continued to unfold the nature of the kingdom of heaven with another brief but powerful picture. He spoke of a man who, while going about his ordinary work in a field, suddenly discovered something unexpected—a treasure hidden beneath the surface. It had been there all along, unseen and unnoticed, until that very moment.

Daily Devotion: The Parable of the Leaven (The Quiet Influence of the Kingdom) by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Matthew 13:33-35 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."
- Matthew 13:33 KJV

On another occasion, Jesus spoke again in a very simple image, something familiar to every household. He described a woman taking a small portion of leaven and hiding it within three measures of meal. At first, nothing about the mixture appeared different. The flour looked the same, the dough felt the same, and the change was invisible to the eye. But over time, something quiet and powerful began to happen. The leaven worked its way through the entire lump, until all of it was transformed.

Daily Devotion: The Parable of the Mustard Seed (The Kingdom’s Surprising Growth) by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Matthew 13:31-32 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."
- Matthew 13:32 KJV

Jesus often took the smallest and most ordinary things and used them to reveal the greatest truths. On one occasion, He spoke of a mustard seed—a seed so small it could easily be overlooked, dismissed, or even lost between one’s fingers. Yet He said that this tiny seed holds a remarkable secret.

Daily Devotion: The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (True and False Together) by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Matthew 13:24-30 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
- Matthew 13:30 KJV

Jesus once told of a man who sowed good seed in his field. The seed was pure, the field carefully prepared, and all seemed well. But under the cover of night, while men slept, an enemy came and sowed tares, weeds that closely resembled wheat, among the crop. Then he slipped away unnoticed.

Daily Devotion: The Parable of the Sower (Hearing the Word) by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Matthew 13:18-23 KJV 

Key Verse:  "But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
- Matthew 13:23 KJV

As Jesus sat by the seaside, a great multitude gathered around Him, eager to hear His words. He began to speak in a parable, simple in imagery, yet profound in meaning. He told of a sower who went out to sow seed. As the seed was scattered, it fell on different types of ground. Some fell by the wayside, where the birds quickly devoured it. Some fell upon stony places, where the soil was shallow; it sprang up quickly, but with no depth of root, it withered under the heat of the sun. Other seed fell among thorns, and as it grew, the thorns rose up and choked it. But some seed fell into good ground, where it took root, grew strong, and brought forth fruit in abundance.

Daily Devotion: Abiding Fully — A Life Rooted in Christ by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Colossians 2:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:" - Colossians 2:6 KJV

 

A Life That Begins and Continues in Christ

The Christian life does not start with Christ and then continue in our own strength, it both begins and continues in Him.

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him…” (Colossians 2:6, KJV)

The same faith that saved you is the faith that sustains you.

“…the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God…” (Galatians 2:20, KJV)

Daily Devotion: Chosen and Appointed — Living with Purpose by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: John 15:9-16 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." - John 15:16 KJV

 

Chosen by Christ

Jesus reminds us that our relationship with Him did not begin with our choice, but with His.

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you…” (John 15:16, KJV)

This means:

• You are intentional in God’s plan
• Your life has meaning because Christ has called you

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4, KJV)