One Year Bible - March 10

‍Scriptures to read:

Matthew 13:1-23; Leviticus 17-18; Proverbs 28

The Parable of the Sower is one that hits home every time I read it. This parable reminds me that the seeds of the word need to be sown in my heart. I pray often before jumping into Bible studies that the Lord gives me the heart to understand His word and the courage to live it, but that isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Those who know me know that I am a worrier - I worry about everything.

Looking back on the last year, I like to think that I’ve grown a lot in many ways, but mostly in faith.  So many things, much more than usual, have been out of our control and I find myself more often praying about giving my anxieties and worries to the Lord or saying, “I’m putting this in Your capable hands.”  The unknowing of this past year has been scary. One thing I know that has come out of this last year, is that I am diving further into the word on a more regular basis and finding myself focusing on not only understanding it but trusting it.

I now realize that prior to COVID, I did the routine of the Christian life. I went to church weekly, I prayed daily, I volunteered and did it all over again the next week. But looking back, I now question, was I hearing the word, understanding it, trusting it and sowing more seeds? Or was I part of the seeds falling among the thorns, hearing the words but allowing the worries of life to stop my seeds from growing? In these tough times, I have become more open and willing to hand things off to the Lord, more confident in His capabilities and omniscience and letting myself fall faithfully into His hands. This time of chaos has given me space to fall out of the regular routines and give myself new patterns of studying and understanding the word in a whole new way.

As we approach the one-year mark of the initial chaos, my prayer for all of us is that through this time we are able to understand the word more, continue to sow the seeds the Lord has given, and trust Him even in the unknowing and uncertainty.

Memory Verse: Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. - Proverbs 28:26

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, We thank You for Your Word.  We ask that even in times when we do not understand why things happen that You remind us that You are an omniscient God. Please give Your people the eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts and minds to understand and trust Your word and live it even when we are unsure of what the future holds.