Welcome to our new project, the Daily Bible Devotional. The goal is to help you understand and apply

scripture as you go through a New Testament Bible read five days a week, Monday through Friday,

as we move from Matthew straight through to Revelation. In under four minutes each morning, we will recap the chapter,

make some application, present thought questions for the day, and offer a prayer together.

I'm excited about exploring God's word with you, so let's get started.

Welcome to our study today from Matthew the 13th chapter.

In this packed chapter, Matthew records seven earthly stories Jesus told to make spiritual points.

He begins with the parable of the sower and the seed, which teaches the gospels should be shared with everyone,

but few will have the right heart to accept it and share it.

Then he turns attention to the wheat and the tears, indicating that God is patient,

waiting until the judgment to separate the saved and the lost. The parable of the net and the fish makes this same point at the end of the chapter. Mixed in are stories about a mustard seed and pecks of

flour. Two seemingly small things would grow and affect everything around them, just like Christ's

kingdom. Jesus pictures his kingdom as a priceless pearl and a treasure worth every cost to possess.

These parables are Jesus' way of helping us understand the kingdom he was coming to establish, as well as the kind of people who would be in it. Many would

hear the gospel and reject it, or let the world pervert it, but only a few would take it in and build

their lives around it. Right now, God allows all to live on

this earth, but a time is coming when he will gather his people, the faithful, and the rest will be

destroyed. We must see a relationship with Jesus and his people as the greatest treasure of our

lives. The kingdom started small and seemingly insignificant,

but now it reaches through time and affects the entire world. Let's move straight to our prayer

and praise God for that. Wonderful Father, thank you for sending Jesus to teach us about His kingdom.

Thank you for his parables. They give us unforgettable imagery

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