Day 250
Matthew 13:19 NIV
"When anyone hears the message about the Kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path."
Jesus told His disciples a parable to teach them a lesson that the Word is like a seed. In the parable, He said the natural seed, which was sown but fell by the wayside, was devoured by birds. In like manner, when the Word is sown without understanding, the enemy snatches it away. Just reading the Bible casually is not sufficient to get the benefit God intends for us to have. When we just read, we get a certain amount of benefit. When we study or meditate the Word, we are more likely to get understanding and not just knowledge. We can easily learn certain facts, like Jesus died on the cross for us. However, it takes study and meditation to grasp the full impact of how that affects our everyday lives.
Sometimes, understanding comes to us as we listen to the Word of God being taught. Our comprehension of other things will improve as we do personal study. Seeking understanding is so important. People dismiss things that can revolutionize their lives, simply because they lack understanding. We cannot enjoy the use of certain products or equipment we own if we cannot figure out how they operate. So, Jesus explained to us that the devil can rob us of the benefits the Word is supposed to bring to us when we do not understand.
Let us commit to meditating and studying the Word, in addition to exposing ourselves to anointed teaching. We can develop these habits by setting aside reasonable amounts of time for this. We should begin by investing an amount of time small enough to allow us to easily succeed until we have established a habit. Then, after the habit has been established, we can gradually increase the time we spend in the Word until we reach a goal we think is right for us.
I will regularly expose myself to teaching that will help me improve my level of understanding of the Word of God. In addition, I will create a habit of studying and meditating the Bible. The Holy Spirit will help me.