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Monday, March 3, 2008
Folding Under Fire
"Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They
hear the teaching and quickly and gladly accept it. But those
people don't allow the teaching to go deep into their lives.
They keep that teaching only a short time. When trouble or
persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they
quickly quit."
-- Mark 4:16-17 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
So many of us can get excited about new things, especially new
spiritual undertakings. Unfortunately, when the going gets tough, we
tend to bog down and give up. Self-discipline has never been a
commodity found in abundance. Those who are first responding to Jesus
will find difficulty awaiting them. There is no way to avoid this. At
the very least, these new believers will find themselves in a culture
clash as the values of the Kingdom conflict with the values of the
world around them. Often times, the world around new Christians pushes
back. Sometimes it is overt persecution. Other times it is that
incessant ridicule or condescension that gets to them. If Jesus faced a
time of trial for 40 days after his baptism, we must know that new
followers of Jesus will too. Persecution isn't an option for most
believers! (See John 16:33!)
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Give me strength, O heavenly Father, to withstand the ridicule,
persecution, and opposition of others. Help me be an encouragement to
new believers so they do not succumb to the same kinds of problems in
their lives. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
>> NEW: Phil's What Jesus Did devotional is now
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>> The WJD! web page has related scriptures and the
>> full text of today's key passage. Read it at:
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/mark/0303-wjd.html
>> For further study of today's passage, use our
>> online Bible study site: SearchGodsWord.org!
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Mark+4:16-17&sr=1&t=erv
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