Read Matthew 16:13-19
“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16).
It is common practice for an individual seeking employment to provide a resumé along with the application for employment. Usually a part of the resumé includes references of individuals other than family members who know the applicant as more than just a casual acquaintance.
In this passage of Scripture Jesus asked His disciples what others were saying about Him. They responded with the hearsay of the day concerning Christ. But then Jesus narrowed His focus to the disciples, and outspoken Peter responded without hesitation, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
It is interesting that in this setting Peter readily recognized Jesus as Lord, and he was blessed by Jesus with deep spiritual insight. At a later time however, when questioned as to his relationship to Jesus, he denied three times any affiliation to the Savior.
If Jesus were filling out an employment application today, would your name appear as a reference? Do you know Him as Savior and Lord, or do you just know about Him? (Marshall Mosley)

But “I know whom I have believed, And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed Unto Him against that day.”
— Daniel W. Whittle

Do you know Him or just know about Him?

This is the Monday, October 20, 2014 devotional reading of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Resume - Glasses" by Flazingo Photos used under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped and Resized.

Read Psalm 1:1-6
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (v. 3).
Trees need a lot of water. They create the sugars and chemical energies that they need to maintain life and produce fruit through a proce- dure called photosynthesis. This food creation process mostly takes place in the leaves near the top of a tree where the needed sunlight most eas- ily reaches. However, water is also necessary for photosynthesis to take place, and it comes from the roots, often far below the treetop.
A process called transpiration draws water from the roots to the leaves. Water evaporates from the leaves, creating a suction that draws more water upward. As much as ninety percent of the water entering a tree evaporates, leaving just ten percent to aid the photosynthesis process.
However, that water is not lost! Trees play a major role in humidifying the air, helping maintain the rain cycle, and preventing the formation of deserts. Thus trees are beneficial to the earth, not just producing fruit for food, but enabling the vital water cycle that keeps our planet alive.
God wants His people to be fruitful. However, we cannot exert beneficial influence on people around us in our own strength. We must have an inflow from outside ourselves to fuel our fruitfulness. Thus our Heavenly Father plants His followers by rivers of water, providing us with the plentiful resources we need to be fruitful. (Steven Hight)

God fuels us for fruitfulness.

This is the Monday, October 13, 2014 devotional reading of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Leaves" by Pug50 used under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped.

Read Matthew 13:24-30
“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” (v. 30).
Travel back in time to that classroom, that subject, that teacher for whom you had to work the hardest. Whether your classmates wore poo- dle skirts and Elvis hairdos or bell bottoms and afros (or even something a bit more modern), chances are we all had that class — or maybe even that test, in particular — that was especially challenging. You skipped questions to come back to later. You stewed and chewed the eraser off your pencil. You figured and re-figured and searched your brain for the answer.
A few days later when the teacher handed the graded tests back, you dreaded and desired to see the result. Did you make the grade? Did you get enough right? What was that letter in red going to be?
Some people approach life that way. They believe there is a God and there is a heaven, and they hope that they get enough correct answers to pass the test. They do not expect a hundred percent but just hope that the good outweighs the bad.

The problem is Jesus did not allow for an in-between, good-enough result at the final judgment. There were wheat, and there were weeds. The all-knowing Judge sees which category our hearts fall into. (Ashlee Englund)

Are you ready to be gathered into His barn?

This is the Monday, October 6, 2014 devotional reading of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Frontier Classroom" by Corey Leopold used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.

Read 2 Peter 3:9-14
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (v. 10).
The business where I worked had an unwelcome visitor. The last employee locked up and went home. The late-night visitor gained entrance with a pry-bar and proceeded to do thousands of dollars of damage and also to steal some computers.
If only we had known he was coming! If he would have had the courtesy to call during business hours that day and let us know what he had planned, we could have prepared. We could have hired a guard for the night, but thieves in that part of the country do not give advance warning.
A thief in the night is a far cry from a welcome guest. Yet for those who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior, His return will bring the same element of surprise as would a thief in the night. Then again, while His coming will be “as a thief in the night,” He did let us know that He is coming. He even taught us about what would be going on in the world just before His return.
Jesus also told us what we need to know and be prepared for His coming. Those who repent, believe, and obey will be taken to heaven with Him. Those who reject Him will suffer needless, eternal loss. (Mark Avery)

Get ready; Jesus is coming.

This is the Tuesday, September 30, 2014 devotional reading of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Caught in the Act" by *sax used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.

Read Hosea 10:12-15
“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you” (v 12).
I find myself in the time zone called Urgent. Daily stress challenges my peace, and joy trickles through my soul instead of springing up as a fountain. Tyrants abound in the form of deadlines and due dates, each demanding exclusive and immediate attention. Fellowship with believers is a luxury regularly snatched away by some unavoidable crisis. Time in the Lord’s presence is routinely interrupted with the question, “Can’t you do that later?” Yet God urges me to draw even closer to Him. I turn to Him for guidance and strength for the many challenges surrounding me. Reading or listening to God’s Word inspires, waters, and nourishes the shriveled and trampled down parts of my life until they again show signs of life.
In this chaotic season of life, God reveals areas I must yet cultivate so even the seemingly wasted areas of my life will glorify Him. He enables me to touch others for Him in the midst of our mutually hectic lives. Living in the time zone of Urgent, it is always time to seek the Lord. He is faithful to bring needed guidance and showers of refreshment for my soul. (LeeAnn Davison)
“The first goal of guidance is to lead us into a closer relationship with Jesus. All other goals should be subservient to that” (Lorne Cunningham).
This is the Friday, September 25, 2014 devotional reading of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "prayer at night" by mrehan used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.