DAY 1 – January 18, 2010

TITLE: “HARVEST TIME”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 21:33-46

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 21:33-34

KEY VERSE: “When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.” Matthew 21:34

When I was a child, my dad had a record that had an old song on it titled, “Harvest Time.” Memory of the words has faded away through the years, but I do remember the focus on harvest time. It is the season for the gathering of grain and fruit. In the parable of the tenants, the season for harvest time had come. The landowner who had planted a vineyard and provided everything for a harvest, sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. After all the landowner had done to prepare the vineyard, he expected fruit. He held the tenants, or managers, of his property accountable.

God has provided everything we need to be fruitful. He is the source of fruit. John wrote, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5. God expects to receive fruit in its season. John later wrote, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last...” John 15:16

Matthew 3:8, tells us that we are to, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” True repentance results in the fruit that comes from true confession of sin and a change of heart and direction. As servants of the Lord, we are to please the Lord and bear fruit for His glory. Paul wrote, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10

Clovis Chappell, a nineteenth century minister, used to tell an interesting story about two paddleboats. The two boats, powered by coal, left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side-by-side, sailors from one vessel made some critical remarks and jokes about the snail's pace of the other boat. Heated words were exchanged between the men on the two boats. Challenges were made. So the race began. The competition was hot and heavy as the two boats roared through the deep south. Eventually, one boat began falling behind. The problem: it didn't have enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship's cargo and tossed it into the boat's ovens. When his fellow sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. Guess what? They ended up winning the race. But they burned their cargo. They did not accomplish the reason they were going down the river. God has not called you to race through life, but to bear fruit. At harvest time, will you have a cargo of fruit?

DAY 2 – January 19, 2010

TITLE: “REJECTION”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 21:33-46

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 21:35-39

KEY VERSE: “So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.” Matthew 21:39

What comes to mind when you think of the word rejection? When I think of the word rejection, words like exclude, deny, dismiss, renounce, and discard come to mind. Rejection is the opposite of acceptance, receptivity, and openness.

The scripture reading for today speaks of rejection. The tenants of the property rejected the owners demand for the fruit that was rightfully his. The story vividly describes the depth of their rejection. Not only did they beat, kill, and stone the servants that were sent at different times, but they killed the land owner’s son.

The story clearly speaks of the chief priest and Pharisees rejection of Jesus. Matthew 26:1-4 provide this sobering account. It says, “When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ‘As you know, the Passover is two days away-and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him.”

There is an old story that many years ago, while on a visit to America, a wealthy Chinese businessman was fascinated by a powerful microscope. Looking through its lens to study crystals and the petals of flowers, he was amazed at their beauty and detail. So he decided to purchase one of these devices and take it back to China. He thoroughly enjoyed using it until one day he examined some rice he was planning to eat for dinner. Much to his dismay, he discovered that tiny living creatures were crawling in it. Since he was especially fond of this staple food in his daily diet, he wondered what to do. Finally he concluded that there was only one way out of his dilemma -- he would destroy the instrument that caused him to discover the distasteful fact! So he smashed the microscope to pieces. The truth was rejected.

Will you open your heart, mind, and eyes to the truths of Christ today? Ask God to give you a receptive and teachable heart, to show you the truths He wants you to see. Open your arms, eyes, ears, mind, heart, and soul to the Lord today.

“Open our eyes, Lord, We want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch Him, And say that we love Him.
Open our ears, Lord; And help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord; We want to see Jesus.” Robert Cull

DAY 3 – January 20, 2010

TITLE: “THE LORD HAS DONE THIS AND IT IS MARVELOUS”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 21:33-46

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 21:40-42

KEY VERSE: “Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures:’ “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes?” Matthew 21:42

Today’s passage is taken in part from Psalm 118. As I reflect on this passage, my heart is stirred as I think about Jesus. He is the stone the builder rejected, yet He has become the capstone. This is truly amazing. His rejection was vindicated, for He is the foundation of the new Israel. Jesus is the victor, for He is the cornerstone of hope and life. All that has taken place in Jesus Christ is marvelous to those who can discern the divine action.

As I take a few moments today to think about the mighty things the Lord has done, my heart does say, “It is marvelous.” As we reflect on the miracle of His birth and the incarnation, we cannot help but say, “It is marvelous in our eyes.” As we think about the teachings and miracles of Jesus during His life, our hearts do respond, “It is marvelous in our eyes.” As we ponder the death of Christ and what that means for our lives, we cannot help but say, “It is marvelous in our eyes.” As we reflect on the reality of the resurrection and His victory over death our hearts respond, “It is marvelous in our eyes.”

Take a moment to reflect on what the Lord has done for you. Think about where He has brought you from and how He has helped you. Take a few moments to think of the difference He has made in your life today and the hope you have in Christ Jesus. It truly is marvelous, what the Lord has done.

“The Saviour has come in His mighty power

And spoken peace to my soul;

And all of my life from that very hour

I’ve yielded to His control,

I’ve yielded to His control.

From glory to glory He leads me on,

From grace to grace every day;

And brighter and brighter the glory dawns,

While pressing my homeward way,

While pressing my homeward way.

Wonderful, wonderful, marvelous and wonderful.

What He has done for my soul!

The half has never been told

Oh it is wonderful. It is marvelous and wonderful,

What Jesus has done for this soul of mine! The half has never been told.” Lelia Morris

DAY 4 – January 21, 2010

TITLE: “PRODUCE THE FRUIT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 21:33-46

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 21:43-44

KEY VERSE: “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” Matthew 21:43

God calls us to be a productive people. The Kingdom of God is given to a people who will produce its fruit, the fruit of the Kingdom. How do you protect yourselves against being unproductive for the Kingdom of God? Peter points out that God’s divine power is our source of productivity. He wrote, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” II Peter 1:3-4. God has provided all that we need to be a productive people. He makes it possible for us to live productive Godly and Christ-like lives in this present world. God alone enables someone to be Godly. Godliness is God shining through our lives. Godliness comes through dependence on God.

Though God has provided all we need, we still must take responsibility for being productive by doing our part in response to all that God has given us. Peter gives us some key qualities that keep us from being ineffective and unproductive. Peter goes on to say, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:5-8

Several centuries ago, the Emperor of Japan, commissioned a Japanese artist to paint a particular species of bird for him. Months passed, then years. Finally, the emperor went personally to the artist’s studio to ask for an explanation. The artist set a blank canvas on the easel and within fifteen minutes, had completed a painting of a bird. It was a masterpiece! The emperor, admiring the painting and the artist’s great skill, asked why it had been such a long delay. The artist then went from cabinet to cabinet in his studio. He pulled from it armloads of drawings of feathers, tendons, wings, feet, claws, eyes, beaks-virtually every aspect of a bird, from virtually every angle. He placed these silently before the emperor, who nodded in understanding. The magnificence of any whole can never be greater than the magnificence of any singular detail.

Every day we are to make every effort to add to our lives those qualities that result in being productive for the Kingdom of God. Producing the fruit of the Kingdom of God is not something we do occasionally. God calls us to be productive every day. This is possible as we live in a close relationship with Him and depend on Him, day by day.

DAY 5 – January 22, 2010

TITLE: “HOW DO YOU REACT?”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 21:33-46

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 21:45-46

KEY VERSE: “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them.” Matthew 21:45

How do you react when someone sneaks up and surprises you? Most of us have some type of reaction of surprise or fear. How do you react when someone tells you some bad or troubling news? Most of us respond with sympathy, tears, sadness, or some other type of reaction that is appropriate. How do you react when someone says something about you that troubles you?

The scripture says that the chief priests and the Pharisees knew that He was talking about them. They realized that they were the target of His lesson. Jesus’ parables carried the idea that they comprehended the meaning. They understood that the parable was announcing their judgment by the Messiah and that they had pronounced their own doom.

One night, I went out into the garage to get something. I did not turn on the light until I had stepped into the garage and shut the door behind me, because I did not want the light to awaken others in the house. As I stepped out into the garage and turned on the light, I saw a black widow on the steps. The light did not make the black widow appear, but only revealed its presence. The light of the gospel of Christ reveals darkness and sin. Paul wrote, “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible…” Ephesians 5:13-14. Jesus was not the cause of their problem, but really exposed their sin and rejection of the truth.

Their reaction was not repentance, sorrow, or remorse for what they had said and done. Instead their reaction was defensiveness and anger. They wanted to get rid of Jesus because of what He said and who He was. They wanted to silence the truth instead of learn from what was being said and make adjustments in their lives.

Though they wanted to arrest Jesus, they were afraid of the people. The crowds perceived He was a prophet though they had not yet recognized Him as the Messiah. Because the chief priests and Pharisees knew an attack upon Jesus would bring a response from the crowds, they plotted and planned looking for a way to arrest Jesus at a later time.

The chief priest and Pharisees reacted to the truth of Christ with resistance. Their self-righteousness and religious traditions blinded them to the truth of Christ. How do you react when the Holy Spirit convicts you or reveals things in your life that need to be addressed? Open your heart to what the Lord wants to teach you and show you today. Ask God to help you to react in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.