The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute

Ezekiel pronounces judgment in Ezekiel 20 upon the southernkingdom of Judah because of their rebellion against God’s will. Heuses figurative language to describe a fire being kindled andspreading throughout the land. It cannot be quenched andconsumes every tree, both green and dry. 

We have come to the end of the week examining the parable ofthe growing seed (Mark 4:26-29). As the last devotional about thisparable, I

As we have already seen through this parable of the growing seed(Mark 4:26-29), the seed, which is the Word of God, is to be sownon the earth. Like the farmer, we must do our part and take thetime to “spread” the seed all around us. After all, “the harvest isplentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37-38, ESV)

A man was really struggling with patience. He was quick-temperedand easily flew off the handle at his family and friends. Aftertalking with his preacher about his struggle, the man wasencouraged to pray for patience. That night, the man decided heshould take the preacher’s advice and pray to be more patient. Heknelt by his bed and began to pray, “Lord, please give me patienceand give it to me right now.”

This week we are examining the parable of the Growing Seed foundin Mark 4:26-29. Yesterday, we saw how the farmer scattered theseed. Jesus expects His disciples to be people who go about sowingthe seed, the Word of God, in our daily lives. And while this issomething we are called to do, many followers of Christ struggle tofaithfully live out this important commandment.

Jesus loved to tell stories. Those stories called parables weremoments where Jesus took something His hearers were familiarwith and used it to teach a powerful spiritual lesson. In ourScripture reading today, Jesus used a parable unique to the Gospelof Mark to teach us the importance of the Word of God in growingthe Kingdom.

We despair the most when hope is lost. In his parable, Ezekiel effectivelydeclares the end of the Davidic dynasty. It seemed at the time as thoughall hope was lost. The prophecy is problematic since God swears thatDavid will always have a descendant on the throne of Judah (2 Samuel 7).Zedekiah’s removal and the Babylonian destruction of David’s thronecalled God’s truth into question.

The trait of patience is graphically described in biblical Hebrew. To be“long-suffering” is literally translated “long of nose” (’erek ’apayim). Theapparent image is that heat (a symbol of anger) takes longer to fill largecavities; thus, people with large noses are calmer. Of course, themetaphor does not match emotional reality, but that is not the point. Goddoes not anger easily, but once the he

In his Maxims, the French aristocrat François de La Rochefoucauld wrote,“We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end webecome disguised to ourselves.” The nation of Judah suffered from anidentity crisis. God redeemed them from Egypt (Leviticus 26:45) andprotected them from Assyrian conquest (2 Kings 19:5–37). Yet, they wereungrateful and sought an international reputation. They graduallysacrificed their God-given identity to meet the expectations of the world.As a result, they were destined for destruction (2 Kings 21:10–15).

The French author Montesquieu once quipped, “The best is the mortalenemy of the good.” We often miss the blessing of the good because we aresearching for something better. People who constantly change jobs, homes,or vehicles are expressing a deep-seated desire for something different,hoping to find “the best.” Maybe God is calling us to embrace the good.Though the vine (Judah) had been planted by the first eagle(Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon),

The annual World Happiness Report (representing 2024 data) recentlyranked the United States as the 24th happiest country in the world, downnine slots since 2014 and five slots since 2020. Indeed, 24th is the WorldHappiness Organization’s lowest ranking of the U.S. since 2011, when theybegan ranking countries.

In this teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25, it is not difficult to see theconnection Jesus makes between Himself and the King. It is the King thatsays, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these mybrothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40, ESV). While Jesus as King ishardly debated, some raise the question concerning who “my brothers”references. The phrase, “the least of these my brothers,” could refer toChrist’s disciples (cf. Matthew 10:40-42). It could also refer more broadlyto the vulnerable, the downtrodden, the marginalized. Regardless, theimportant factor is clear: Jesus identifies personally with “the least.”

In his book, Christian Ethics, Wayne Grudem states, “Christian ethics isany study that answers the question, ‘What does the whole Bible teach usabout which acts, attitudes, and personal character traits receive God’sapproval, and which do not?’” He goes on to point out, “Thus theologyfocuses on ideas while ethics focuses on situations in life. Theology tellsus how we should think while ethics tells us how we should live.” 2Jesus, in His life and ministry, taught His followers how to live out thecommands of God. Some have suggested that much of Jesus’ teachingshould fall in the realm of ethics.

Humility may be the most needed and most difficult virtue to possess forthe follower of Jesus. Norman McGowan shared that Winston Churchillwas once asked, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make aspeech, the hall is packed to overflowing?” “It’s quite flattering,” repliedSir Winston. “But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that ifinstead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd wouldbe twice as big.”

Sheep and goats are interesting animals. Certainly, they are mentionedthroughout the Bible and were very much a part of daily life in antiquity. Infirst-century Palestine, sheep and goats often grazed together. However,they would be separated at night due to their different needs. To connectwith the symbolic nature of sheep and goats, Jesus taught that they wouldultimately be divided–some on His right and some on His left.Sheep and goats had particular symbolic meaning in the biblical world ofJudaism

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus served others in many ways. Infact, Jesus clearly explained to His followers that He came not to beserved, but to serve. This is the life to which Jesus has called Hisdisciples: service.In His teaching in Matthew 25, Jesus illustrated that the righteous wouldask questions as to when they saw Him hungry or thirsty, as a stranger ornaked, sick or in prison (Matthew 25:37–39). His response to them wasinstructive for them and for us today: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it toone of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40,ESV). “The least of these…” Jesus called His followers to serve not justthose who may be considered prominent, but the marginalized as well.Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that all humanity has beencreated in the image of God. The visual lesson from Jesus is that in ourservice to others, we are serving Him. If we refrain from serving, werefrain from serving Jesus.

In 2005, at the graduation ceremony for Stanford University students, thecommencement speaker stepped to the podium and spoke about how tolive before you die. Specifically, he said: “You’ve got to find what youlove… Your work is going to fill a large part of your life. And the only wayto be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the onlyway to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet,keep looking and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’llknow when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets betterand better as the years roll on. So, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

My grandfather was a master gardener. He maintained a large garden atmy house and a smaller one at his house. He grew everything imaginable.If he were still alive, he’d tell me not to phrase it that way. He would saythat God grew it. My grandfather would never take credit for the producefrom his garden. He’d always say, “Look what God gre

A vacuum cleaner serves a very useful purpose. It has all sorts ofattachments. Many of them have an extension wand, a crevice tool, adusting brush, and an upholstery tool. Some are even more advanced andhave a ceiling fan tool and a pet grooming tool. There’s a tool for any job.And, of course, there’s the standard use—just pushing the contraptionacross the carpet to pick up dirt. Yes, a vacuum cleaner is a highly usefulpiece of technology and one that just about everyone utilizes. Virtuallyeveryone has a vacuum cleaner. But here’s the important thing to knowabout vacuum cleaners

Hair is a funny thing. We recognize the beauty of hair on otherpeople. We compliment women and men alike for their long,flowing, wavy locks of curly, blonde, brunette, or black hair, but allbets are off when the hair becomes disconnected. We garner a verydifferent attitude toward hair that has fallen out. Hair covering theshower drain is disgusting, even if it is our own hair. We don’t wantto touch it. A big clump of hair clogging the pipes will trigger ourgag reflex. “Waiter! There’s a hair in my food!” Thick, beautiful,cascading hair is not so beautiful once it becomes disconnectedfrom the scalp. In fact, it becomes repulsive.

Ezekiel was a priest living in Jerusalem during the first Babylonianinvasion. He was among the first wave of captives taken by theBabylonians. God commissions Ezekiel to be an alarm. The first part ofthe book that bears his name contains accusations against Israel. God’speople are primarily guilty of idolatry and injustice, and Ezekiel has theunenviable task of warning them, knowing full well that they will notlisten to him.

When we were in kindergarten, we learned that a dot does a lot whenwe work with glue. When you consider the size of the mustard seed,it is smaller than the periods found in this devotional.James tells us in James 4:14 that life is a vapor. Some have said thatvapor lasts for three seconds. At the end of our time on earth, ourlives will seem smaller than a mustard seed. The question is, whatwill you do with your three seconds? We can do a lot in our dot oftime on this Earth.

Have you ever planted a garden? I am tag-teaming a garden withmy neighbor and there is more work that goes into it than I couldhave ever imagined: tilling the ground, planting in the soil,watering, and so much more. It blows my mind to think that a plantso big started as a little seed.

Have you ever thought on a Saturday night, “I am not going tochurch tomorrow, no one will even notice if I am not there.”A visitor arrived in a small French village. Evening was drawingnear and the people were rushing around town. The travelerdiscovered that everyone carried a small, personal lamp. When heasked one local resident, he was told, "We are going to the house ofworship." 

Have you ever looked up pictures of a mustard tree? If you havenot, get your phone and look up images of mustard trees. Noticehow much shaded area they can provide and imagine how manybirds’ nests they could house. Then consider how many peoplecould rest beneath th

The mustard seed is the smallest of any seed that can be planted, yet ablack mustard plant can grow up to six feet six inches tall.We think small things we do for people do not matter, like sending a textto someone who had surgery or wishing someone happy birthday on theirFacebook wall. I assure you, trivial things matter to people. What seemslike a small thing to us can make a significant difference.

During my freshman year of college, my great-uncle drove thirteen hoursto meet with me and encourage me to become a minister like him.Thanks to a music scholarship, I was blessed to attend a university well-equipped to instruct students in ministry, though I had not yet chosen topursue ministry myself. I enjoyed our meal together in Searcy, AR, but Iwas afraid of leading, so I told him, “No, thank you.” Not long after, hepassed away. I never got to tell him, “Thank you.”

My mother was diagnosed with polio when she was five months old. She’snever walked straight or ran. We could admit she wasn’t blessedphysically with what others had, yet she has doubled it with her spiritualinfluence. We often forgot about her physical limitations because shedoubled what she had by her zeal and thirst for the Lord. It had nothingto do with how “talented” she was, but what she did with what she was

The age we live in has more free and abundant access to Bibles,devotionals, commentaries, podcasts, and other resources thanever in the history of the world. The availability of it all placestremendous responsibility on Christians. The five-talent man wasactually a ten-talent man. He decided to double and use what hewas given by the Master, stewarding it wisely. He received praiseand reward from the Master for his decision, and note that he didthis “at once” (Matthew 25:16).

Shout for joy, we live and breathe between our Master’s departure andHis return! The parable of the ten virgins was about preparation for thebridegroom, and this parable challenges us not to sit on our hands whilewe wait for the Master. Jesus left this earth in Acts 1:9-11, and beforeleaving, He gave His disciples authority, gifts, and a commission. Theyalso were entrusted with talents, and though His absence would be hardto fathom, He gave them great comfort and responsibility (John 14).Much like us, they wouldn’t survive without instruction, love, gifts,comfort, and power.

Today, we are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 25. He reminds usthat God distributes gifts with expectations along with them. The parableof the talents in Matthew 25 and the parable of the ten minas in Luke19:11-27 supplement one another and emphasize that our Master hasexpectations. Every servant received sums entrusted to them, and theMaster (or Nobleman) communicated expectations alongside those talents.

Regardless of the reason, we’ve all experienced drowsiness. In the US, welive in a caffeine-dependent culture. Many of us spend our days feelingmore like zombies than functioning human beings. Some of us can alsoslip into laziness and complacency, while allowing ourselves to feellethargic and drained too often.Could this affect us spiritually?It seems so…

Can you hear them? They’re troubling, and often terrifying words:“I’m too late.”“You’re too late.”“Too late.”Too late to help someone.Too late to see a dying loved one.Too late to catch your friend before they leave town.Too late to mend a broken relationship.Just…too late.

The five sensible virgins brought spare oil with them in flasks, but theother five foolishly neglected to bring enough. They were caught withtheir lamps running out of oil at the very moment they needed it most, atthe arrival of the bridegroom!

Weddings are important occasions! They typically involve multipletraditions, and each culture relies on its own sentimental customs. Thisparable from Jesus contains some customs that may sound strange to ourWestern ears. However, aspects like bridesmaids waiting on the groom,his arrival in the middle of the night, and the announcement of hiscoming are drawn from real Ancient Near Eastern practices.

“Are you ready?”Parents pose this question to their children, often daily. The coachensures his star pitcher is ready to stand at the mound. Skydiversare quizzed as they are about to leap out of an aircraft.There are many moments in life when being ready significantlymatters. We spend countless hours preparing on the practice field,in the library, at school, and at a desk. We prepare for storms andother disasters. We work to be financially prepared for the future.

Nathan’s parable set a trap that David walked right into—and in doing so,he condemned himself. Believing the story about the rich man’s senselesstheft of the poor man’s beloved ewe lamb to be real, David was furious. Asa shepherd-turned-king, he knew both the value of sheep and theinjustice of such an act. He declared that the guilty man deserved to dieand should make fourfold restitution (2 Samuel 12:5–6). He even sworeby the name of the Lord, perhaps hoping to demonstrate his owncommitment to justice—or to ease his conscience by punishing someoneelse’s greed.

Hospitality was a vital way of showing honor to guests in the world of theBible. It was expected that a host would do their best to serve and care forvisitors, especially when it came to food and shelter. This standard wasrooted in God’s own character. The children of Israel were instructed toremember how God had provided for them during their time in Egyptianexile and, in turn, to treat the “strangers” among them as honored guests(Leviticus 19:34).

 (2 Samuel 12:3, ESV)In this verse, the poor man’s relationship with his one little female lambis described in deeply personal and emotional terms. The lamb was notjust livestock—it was like a member of the family. It grew up with himand with his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup, and even layin his arms. The lamb was like a daughter to him.This description is more than just a touching image—it’s part of Nathan’sparable designed to awaken David’s conscience.

On more than one occasion, Jesus said, “You always have the poor withyou” (Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 12:8). Throughout Scripture, wesee God’s consistent concern for those who are less fortunate. He builtdebt-forgiveness into the Hebrew calendar (Deuteronomy 15:1–11). Heensured that gleanings from the fields were left for the poor(Deuteronomy 24:19–21). He cared for the widow and the orphan (Psalm68:5). God deeply valued the vulnerable and expected His people to begenerous toward them.

Readers of 2 Samuel 12 have not forgotten David’s shameful actions. Inthe previous chapter, King David forsook the soldiers under his command(11:1), lusted after a married woman (11:2–3), committed adultery withBathsheba (11:4–5), and ordered Uriah, her husband, to be killed beforemarrying her himself (11:6–27). What a scandal!The powerful king did whatever he wanted and, based on the eventsdescribed in 2 Samuel 11:26–27, lived for nearly a year without anyobvious consequences.

Years ago, a man named Mark M. Jones asked this question in song. Itechoes Romans 14:12, “So then everyone of us shall give an account ofhimself to God.” The words to the song are as follows:Verse 1: Someday you’ll stand at the bar on high, someday yourrecord you’ll see; someday you’ll answer the question of life, whatwill your answer be?

Our text today takes us again to the parable of the bridegroom andthe banquet. When we left the Biblical account yesterday, we sawthat the king was enraged that his guests arrived at the banquetimproperly dressed. In verse 12, one man was asked why he came tothe banquet dressed incorrectly. The man did not have an answer.The king had the man bound hand and foot and cast into the streetduring the night! That must have been frightening.

Have you ever attended a party or a special dinner and foundyourself “underdressed” or even “overdressed?” There is an oldsaying, “The clothes make the man.” The formality of the occasiondetermines the style of dress one is expected to wear. The rightclothes honor the host or hostess of the function. Dressing sloppilyis an insult to the host. I want to please God, don’t you?

Have you ever received an invitation in the mail and, after readingthe complete invitation you saw these small letters at the end—R.S.V.P.? Many in our busy culture do not pay attention to thosesmall letters, but they are very important. The letters are from theFrench language, and mean: “répondez s’il vous plaît.” This directlytranslates to, “Respond, if you please.” The acronym is often usedto confirm attendance at an event, such as a wedding, birthdayparty or baby shower. If a R.S.V.P. is requested, good mannersdictate that you answer or give your regrets that you cannot attend.

A parable is defined by some as “an earthly story with a heavenlymeaning.” This parable should be read along with the accounts byMark, Luke, and John. The other writers differ somewhat, butMatthew’s account is listed during the final week of Jesus’s life onearth. If I had to give a title to this parable, it would be “You HaveBeen Invited to a Banquet... Please R.S.V.P!”

What brings you joy? There might be many things that God hasgiven that come to mind. Your spouse, your children, your friends,your job, traveling, working out, coffee, reading, watching andplaying sports, hiking, cooking, gardening…the list could go onand on.

What happens when you don’t have enough money to pay for anitem you want? Do you give up and walk away? Or do you find away to pay for it? Our man in Matthew 13:44 found a way to pay forit. He sold everything else that he had to pay for it! He knew thatwhat he would receive from the field would be far more valuablethan anything that he already had.

Married people…do you remember when you first started likingyour spouse? That moment when you thought, “This person mightbe the person for me!” Maybe you were not so sure that your crushhad the same feeling for you. Maybe you were afraid that you mightmiss out on the opportunity to date and marry this person. Maybeone of the scariest thoughts to you was the possibility that theywould eventually become interested in someone else.

In February of 2025, a couple of hikers in the Czech Republicstumbled upon an aluminum box that was hidden in a stone wall.Imagine their joyful shock to open it and find several items,including 598 old gold coins and 17 gold bracelets. The hikersimmediately brought their amazing find to the Museum of EasternBohemia and had a coin expert evaluate it. The gold is worth wellover $300,000.