Read Matthew 9:1-8
“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house” (v. 6).
Forgiveness is often controversial. Scandalous, even. When one chooses to forgive, many people do not understand, do not agree, and may even attack the forgiver. “They need to pay for what they did!” “People need to know what kind of person he is!” “You need to teach her a lesson!”
Jesus was certainly attacked for His radical forgiveness. He was criticized for associating with people of shady reputation. “Doesn’t He know who that is? Doesn’t He know what they have done?”
Of course He knew. He still knows. He still sees the depth of the depravity in each of our hearts. And His forgiveness still reaches deeper than the cancer of sin can ever go. (Karen Speak)

From the depth of sin and sadness
To the heights of joy and gladness
Jesus lifted me, in mercy full and free.
With His precious blood He bo’t me;
When I knew Him not, He sought me,
And in love divine He ransomed me. — Julia H. Johnston

Choose to forgive even when you disagree.

This is the Monday, October 27, 2014 devotional reading of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Asking for Forgiveness" by Vic used under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped.

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.

Read 1 Samuel 12:13-15
“But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers” (v. 15).
Perhaps you have had the experience of following a mother with a small child through a grocery store. The experience begins in the produce section, where you first hear those words, “If you do that one more time, Mommy is going to have to spank you!” Of course, if you follow long enough, you will realize that the mother did not mean it at all.
Israel was not being warned by a doting parent. Israel was being warned by God through His prophet Samuel about the consequences of making poor choices. It is clear that Israel had a very short memory. Throughout their history, they failed and were judged. Fresh admonition came again, and they failed and were judged again. Their failure included wanting to be as other nations and have a monarchy instead of a theocracy, adopting pagan religions, and leaving off God’s commandments.
We are ripe for a harvest of penalties as we move farther and farther from the Judeo-Christian roots and God’s absolutes. We are faced with a truth crisis, and we can anticipate certain destruction of society as we move further from God’s pattern for an ordered society. (Lonnie Witt)

Photo credit: "DeCA opens new commissary in Belgium with a little help from USACE" by U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Europe District used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped, part of image blurred.

Read Romans 11:30-36
​“O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (v. 33).
​During the nineties, we had a gentleman who attended the church we pastored that became one of our best friends. We had many conversations about a variety of subjects, but especially about the Bible and religious things. I remember the time we were discussing what is commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer and he brought up the part that says, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” He thought the “in earth” meant “in us”, as we are earth. I marveled at his wisdom because he had only attended school through the third grade. I could only conclude that God had imparted to him a part of His wisdom.
​Our text talks about “the depths of the riches of the wisdom … of God.” “The depths” indicates something more than usual; something that surpasses what we expect. That is exactly how it is with the wisdom of God.​ Then it talks about “the riches of the wisdom of God.” The “riches of the wisdom of God” is more than gold or monetary things. It is the joy, peace and contentment that come from understanding the wisdom of God. We can obtain great knowledge through formal education or life experiences, but true wisdom comes only from God. (Larry DeOrnellis)

In our day of great knowledge, we need to understand that wisdom comes not from knowledge but from God.

This week’s featured devotional is the Friday, September 12​​​​​​​​​​​​, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "Money!" by Tracy O used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.

Read Esther 4:12-17
​“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish” (v. 16).
​During Emperor Nero’s first persecution, the believers begged Peter not to be seen in Rome. His life was considered necessary to the well-being of the church. Finally persuaded, he fled along the Appian Way only to be met by a vision of Christ traveling toward the city. The amazed Peter exclaimed, “Lord, whither goest thou?”
With mild sadness, the Savior replied, “I go to Rome to be crucified a second time,” then vanished. Peter immediately turned back and reentered the city. Some time later, he himself was crucified. (Ray Crooks)

I counted dollars while God counted crosses,
​​I counted gains while He counted losses,
​I counted by worth, by the things gained in store
​​But He sized me up by the scars that I bore.
​I coveted honors and sought for degrees,
​​He wept as He counted the hours on my knees;
​I never knew until one day by the grave
​​How vain are the things that we spend life to save;
​I did not yet know until my loved one went above
​​That richest is he who is rich in God’s love.
– Unknown

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose” (Jim Elliott).

This week’s featured devotional is the Thursday, September 4​​​​​​​, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "Wooden Cross at Souliers" by Andrew Bowden used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.