FBC Daily Devotional – Feb. 9, 2021

Well, a good Tuesday to you. Hope your week has started off well and you're accomplishing what you need to accomplish in these days for your areas of responsibility. But looking forward to our thoughts from the book of Matthew today.

The Parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13

Did you get to read these parables that Jesus told in Matthew chapter 13? Well, the first couple of parables in that passage remind us that, you know, biblical Christianity and the kingdom of heaven may seem to be rather impotent and powerless.

You think about the opposition to biblical Christianity today. I mean, the opposition that's coming even from the very top in the White House, the current administration, I know some may argue that, but listen, the executive orders to expand abortion internationally and everything else, I mean, that in itself expresses a hostility toward the sanctity of human life and toward God and his word and his values and his law.

Well, that's only the tip of the iceberg and it's just one example of many, many, many that could be cited. But the point is that with that increasing hostility that we're starting to see in our own country, it could easily lead one to draw the conclusion that, you know, biblical Christianity is really kind of impotent and powerless.

But we need to remember what Jesus said about the kingdom of heaven. It's not like a mighty army. It's not like the kingdoms of this world. The kingdom of heaven doesn't advance like some invincible army.

It's rather like a subtle, almost imperceptible leavening agent. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like leaven. Consider how it all started. How did it all begin? Eleven men in obscurity and hiding in Jerusalem, and now every nation on the planet has been impacted in some way by the spread of the gospel, by the spread of the kingdom of heaven.

Who are the soldiers in this kingdom? They're not men and women who fight with the weapons of this world. No, not at all. What are our weapons for advance? We wield the sword of the Spirit. We wield the Word of God.

We hold out water, the water of life. These are our weapons. We need to keep that in mind and keep that perspective as we face that kind of opposition to the faith in this day and age. The Christian faith, the kingdom of heaven, is not like an invincible army.

It's like leaven. But then that imperceptible effectiveness of the kingdom can also lead to its devaluation. When we compare with what all the world has to offer, with its power and its material goods and everything else that is held out there for us as desirable in our culture and in the world at large, and compare that to the Christian faith, it seems that the kingdom of heaven doesn't really have all that much to offer.

The Treasure Hidden in a Field and the Pearl of Great Price

But then again, Jesus shares a couple of parables. He shares the parable of the treasure hidden afield and the pearl of great price. And the one who really sees the value of the kingdom of heaven will be like the man who sells everything he has to buy the field where that treasure is hid, or he sells everything he has to get that pearl of great price.

Which leads me to ask myself, and should lead us to consider, of what value is the kingdom of heaven to me personally? Is there anything that I would not sacrifice for it? If I'm faced with a choice, or when the time comes that I'm confronted with a choice, church and my Christian faith or whatever, which would I choose?

Which would I choose? Objectively, being in Christ's kingdom is worth anything. It's worth more than anything that this world has to offer. But, am I wheat or weed in that kingdom, to appeal to one of his other parables?

Am I wheat or weed? See, here's the thing. The weeds in the kingdom of heaven, those who profess to be a part of the kingdom of heaven, but aren't really followers of Christ, time will prove that what they value is not the kingdom at all.

Rich Toward God and Seeking First the Kingdom

What they value is this world and its goods. I came across one of the prayers in the Valley of Vision. It's a collection of prayers primarily from the Puritan era. The requests in this prayer put the value of the kingdom of heaven in relationship to this world in pretty good perspective.

I want to share some of these requests with you. May they be our prayer. The writer prays, May I never think I prosper unless my soul prospers, or that I am rich unless I am rich toward thee, or that I am wise unless wise unto salvation.

May I seek first thy kingdom and its righteousness. May I value things in relation to eternity. May my spiritual welfare be my chief solicitude. May I be poor, afflicted, despised, and have thy blessing, rather than be successful in enterprise and have more than my heart can wish or be admired by my fellow men, if thereby these things make me forget thee.

May I regard the world as dreams, lies, vanities, vexation of spirit, and desire to depart from it. And may I seek my happiness in thy favor, image, presence, service. Indeed, may this be the prayer and the desire of our hearts.

All right. Amen and amen. May God bless you on the rest of this Tuesday. Have a good day.