Our Blog

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.