“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”       Matthew 13:23 NIV

Why do farmers plant their seed? Because they expect to harvest a great deal more than they sow. A single seed that sprouts can yield dozens, scores, even hundreds of seeds. It is the same way with both sin and righteousness – a small decision to do either good or bad reaps a much bigger crop, resulting in either joy or sorrow. Jesus used the picture of a sprouting seed to show that when we allow God’s Word to produce good things in us, the results multiply. On the other side of the ledger, the prophet Hosea describes what awaits those who choose to sow seeds of wickedness: “They sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7). Some are deceived because their present seed does not appear to be producing an immediate crop. So they continue down their course, mistakenly believing that there will never be a harvest. But unlike the crops of the field, which get harvested at approximately the same time each year, there is no regular timetable for the harvest of life. Some crops we reap quickly; others take a long time. Let us not be deceived, their season will come. By going the second mile now and giving more than is required, we will reap rich dividends later. What a comforting and assuring thought to those who faithfully labour under difficult circumstances. Faithfulness in such situations will produce a rich harvest in the future, for our Heavenly Father always keeps His promises.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, may we labour faithfully no matter the circumstances.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Thank You, Father, that as we remain faithful to You in challenging circumstances, it will produce a rich harvest in the future, for You always keep Your promises. AMEN

I.B.R.A. Readings

Luke 12:22-26

LISTEN TO TODAY’S DEVOTION

If you received our daily emails, please listen to today’s devotion on our website www.ffdl.co.za
On Facebook follow this link to start listening.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”         Galatians 6:7 NIV

The principle of sowing and reaping applies to everyone, both Christians and non-Christians. This principle is irrevocable; there is no escape, either for the believer or for the unbeliever. It is a law of life. Did you notice how Galatians 6:7 begins? It says, “Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked.” Herein lies the root cause of the careless and indulgent lifestyle of many people. They are deceived! They either do not believe the truth or they think they will somehow be the exception to God’s laws. To mock God is to turn up one’s nose at Him, to hope to outwit Him, a foolish thought, as 2 Corinthians 5:10 reveals: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” The fact that we reap what we sow is good news for those who sow good habits, but a frightening thought for those currently involved in ungodly activities such as promiscuity, drug and alcohol abuse, neglect of family, or mistreatment of others in order to climb the ladder of success. We cannot sow oats and expect to reap pineapples. We cannot sow disobedience to God and expect to reap His blessing. What we sow, we reap. Let us not deceive ourselves: we will reap what we sow in our life. If you were required to appear before the judgment seat of Christ in the next five minutes, what kind of harvest would you be reaping?

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, may we sow in obedience to You, for the glory of Your Name.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, we cannot sow disobedience to You and expect to reap Your blessing. What we sow, we reap. Help us not to be deceived, for we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. AMEN

I.B.R.A. Readings

Matthew 18:10-14

LISTEN TO TODAY’S DEVOTION

If you received our daily emails, please listen to today’s devotion on our website www.ffdl.co.za
On Facebook follow this link to start listening.

“. . . ‘you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’”        Judges 2:2-3 NIV

What we are today is the result of what we have been thinking and the way we have lived in the past. Those who act wisely today will have wisdom in the future to make wise decisions. The same is true when we come to the subject of finances. Those who save wisely today will have plenty tomorrow. Those who spend everything they have today will have little or nothing in the future. It is a short-sighted person who thinks only of the now, doing as little as possible, for on payday he will have no way to avoid the poor quality and small quantity of his rewards.

From our text today, we see that the nation of Israel had to learn this in a very personal way. Their waywardness and failure to do what God instructed them to do often placed them in a position where they would not experience His blessing. The Lord gives principles in Scripture to serve as warnings and as encouragement. His Word states, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7). This is an unalterable law that affects everyone in every area of life, family, work and pleasure. Every farmer understands the meaning of this principle: we reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, may we live with an awareness of what we are sowing in our life.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Holy Spirit, make us aware of what we are sowing in this life. Let it always be to the glory and honour of our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN

I.B.R.A. Readings

Jonah 4:4-11

LISTEN TO TODAY’S DEVOTION

If you received our daily emails, please listen to today’s devotion on our website www.ffdl.co.za
On Facebook follow this link to start listening.

“The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.”      Genesis 1:12 NIV

Most of the Bible was originally written to those living in an agrarian society, people familiar with working the land, managing livestock and growing crops. Many of Jesus’ parables involve the farming life. Not surprisingly, then, the Bible contains many references to sowing and reaping. Sowing and reaping is a law of the natural world. On the third day of creation, God commanded the earth to bring forth living plants “bearing seed” and fruit “with seed in it”. These plants were then given to us for food (Genesis 1:29). Ever since the beginning, humanity has understood the process of sowing and reaping and has applied it for their benefit. God uses the principle of sowing and reaping to pour out His blessing. God’s blessing comes generally to the whole world as He sends sun and rain to the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). In some cases His blessing comes more specially to those of His choosing, such as Isaac. Genesis 26:12 says that Isaac sowed a crop and received a hundredfold in one season because the Lord targeted him for blessing. Israel’s gratefulness for God’s yearly blessing was expressed in the Feast of First Fruits, when the first of the harvest was brought to the Lord as an offering (Exodus 23:19a; Leviticus 23:10). God warned Israel that, if they forsook Him and pursued idols, the principle of sowing and reaping would be suspended and their crops would fail (Leviticus 26:16b). This happened to disobedient Judah on a couple occasions (Jeremiah 12:13; Micah 6:15). May we never forget the principle of sowing and reaping.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, teach us to never forget the principle of sowing and reaping.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, You have put in place the principle of seedtime and harvest, sowing and reaping; may we never forget this in our daily living. AMEN

I.B.R.A. Readings

Genesis 4:1-12

LISTEN TO TODAY’S DEVOTION

If you received our daily emails, please listen to today’s devotion on our website www.ffdl.co.za
On Facebook follow this link to start listening.

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”    Genesis 8:22 NIV

In this verse, God establishes a covenant with all of humanity and assures us of the ongoing cycles of nature. It carries a message of stability, order and God’s faithfulness. It assures us that as long as the earth remains, certain regular patterns will continue, displaying God’s constancy, reliability and His commitment to sustaining the natural order He has established. The continuity of “seedtime and harvest” signifies the ongoing process of sowing seeds, cultivating crops and reaping the harvest. This not only provides for our physical needs but also symbolizes the principles of diligence, stewardship and provision. The persistence of seasons reminds us that the changing seasons are part of God’s design and that they serve a purpose in the rhythm of life. Each season brings unique challenges and blessings, contributing to the overall harmony and balance of creation. The constancy of day and night affirms the perpetual cycle of day and night. This rhythm not only influences natural phenomena but also shapes our daily lives, providing opportunities for rest, work and reflection. Let us find comfort and reassurance in the steadfastness of God’s promises. It encourages us to trust in His faithfulness, knowing that He upholds the world and its cycles. It also reminds us of our role as stewards of creation, with the responsibility to care for and nurture the earth in harmony with God’s design. As we navigate the changing seasons, both in nature and in our personal lives, may we find strength and hope in the unchanging character of our faithful God.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness and stability in our lives.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, we find comfort and reassurance in the steadfastness of Your promises. We are encouraged to trust in Your faithfulness, knowing that You uphold the world and its cycles. AMEN

I.B.R.A. Readings

Matthew 20:29-34

LISTEN TO TODAY’S DEVOTION

If you received our daily emails, please listen to today’s devotion on our website www.ffdl.co.za
On Facebook follow this link to start listening.

“To put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”       Ephesians 4:24 NIV

“Created to be like God” means to be a new creation. Paul is not telling us to renovate or remake our old self into a new self. He is telling us to put on a completely new and different person. We are not putting on old clothes after they have been washed and mended. We are getting a whole new wardrobe; a whole new set of clothing; a whole new person. This new creation is according to God. In other words, it is what God is. Those who believe in Jesus Christ and then seek to become like Him are made like God! This doesn’t mean we become God, but rather that we become what God has intended for all of humanity. We become like Christ. Paul says here that we become like Him in His true righteousness and holiness. Righteousness refers to how we interact in our relationships with other people. Holiness refers to how we interact in our relationship with God. So what is Paul telling us today? He’s saying, “Hey, as Christians, you need to free your mind from all that it once was. This begins by going to school. By learning the Word of God, hearing Christ and being taught by Him. Get rid of those old, moth-eaten, manure-covered, garbage-bound clothes you used to wear, and put on heavenly clothes of light.” We do this by rejecting sensuality, pride, materialism, bitterness, anger and all forms of sin that drag us down into the mud. Do you want to change something in your life? The way ahead is quite simple but it’s not easy – learn from Christ, hear Him speak, be taught by Him as you read the Bible, pray and join a church where the Word of God is faithfully proclaimed.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, we choose to lay aside our dirty clothes of our old self and put on clothes of light.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Thank You, Lord, that we can lay aside the dirty clothes of our old self, and put on the new clothes of light as we read Your Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to change us. AMEN

I.B.R.A. Readings

Isaiah 6:6-10

LISTEN TO TODAY’S DEVOTION

If you received our daily emails, please listen to today’s devotion on our website www.ffdl.co.za
On Facebook follow this link to start listening.

“To be made new in the attitude of your minds.”     Ephesians 4:23 NIV

The first thing to do if we are going to put on the new self is to get a new mind. The mind is the root cause of sin and corruption and deceitful lusts. If we want to gain victory over sin, we need to begin with our mind. What we know and what we think determines who we are and how we behave. Physically, we are what we eat, but spiritually, we are what we think. That is Biblical truth. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks . . . so is he.” We’ve got to stop the old self from doing the thinking! Our minds are not renewed simply by gaining knowledge, but rather by changing the way we think (Romans 12:1-2). The only way to do this is through Bible study and prayer. As we immerse ourselves in the Word of God, reading, studying, memorizing, meditating upon it, as we pray through God’s Word, as we attend Bible Studies and as we sit under the teaching of God’s Word, the Bible, which is living and active, it will transform our minds, it will renew our minds, it will change our thought patterns, it will give us a whole new perspective and outlook on life. It is that simple. But it’s not easy. There are no shortcuts here. It takes time, and effort and patience, and diligence and faith. As we do this, we will gain a new mind. Are you willing to embark on the journey of renewing your mind with the Word of God?

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, we choose to embark on the journey of renewing our minds.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Thank You, Lord, that as we embark on the journey of renewing our minds through You Word, day by day, and through the power of Your indwelling Holy Spirit, our perspective and attitude towards life changes. AMEN

I.B.R.A. Readings

Luke 10:33-37

LISTEN TO TODAY’S DEVOTION

If you received our daily emails, please listen to today’s devotion on our website www.ffdl.co.za
On Facebook follow this link to start listening.

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”     Ephesians 4:22 NIV

If we are going to mature in Christ, if we are going to walk in purity, we are to put off the old self. The term Paul uses here for “put off” means to take off or to strip off. It is frequently used of getting out of filthy clothes. Imagine yourself working in a manure pit on a hot summers day. It is slippery so you occasionally fall into the manure, and it’s hot so everything – including yourself – stinks. Now, when you get home, what is the first thing you do? Do you go and sit on the couch and grab a snack? No! You are filthy! The first thing you do is strip off those filthy clothes. That is what Paul says here. Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old person which grows according to the deceitful lusts. The old person/nature is the filthy clothes. It is characterized by deceitful lusts and everything which is our former conduct, the way we used to live. Take note that it can still grow. It grows according to the deceitful lusts. This means that, although it has been crucified with Christ, and although it has been defeated and done away with, it still resides within us, and is a part of us. This old person/nature can grow into a strong person when we feed it by giving in to our lusts. Rather, we need to die daily, and put to death the old self, and not give in to our lusts, and strip off those old clothes. Once we have removed those old, filthy, stinking clothes, are we done? No, we are not. We still need to get dressed into new clothes. It’s out with the old and in with the new. Are you putting on the New each day?

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, we put off the old self each day as we put on the New.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, thank You that each day we can put off the old self and put on the New self that is in You, through the indwelling power and ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. AMEN

I.B.R.A. Readings

Matthew 26:26-29

LISTEN TO TODAY’S DEVOTION

If you received our daily emails, please listen to today’s devotion on our website www.ffdl.co.za
On Facebook follow this link to start listening.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”           Romans 12:2 NIV

We demonstrate our commitment by refusing to conform to this world by being transformed through renewed minds. When we give ourselves to God it is reflected in how we live. Believers live in the secular world without being trapped by it and moulded by it. We live as holy people. People who are distinct, separated from the ways and the wiles of this world. We live as non-conformist people; people who are not chameleons, that is, people who do not take their being and likeness from their surroundings. We live as transformed people; people who have been changed on the inside. Worshiping people are changed people. It is reflected in their walk, their talk, and their personality. When we give ourselves to God, we live a life that is not self-centred but Christ-centred. The world seeks to pressure our mind from without, but one who has given themselves wholeheartedly to God allows God’s Spirit to release His power from within. This happens when Christ comes into our lives. We become a new person; our mind is different, for the mind of Christ is in us through the indwelling power and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Rather than allowing the world to squeeze us into its mould, we allow Christ to shape us into His likeness. Worship is a moulding process. We are to be to Christ as an image is to the original. For example, we don’t go around trying to do right things; we become the right sort of person.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Holy Spirit, transform my life through the renewal of my mind.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord Jesus, rather than allowing the world to squeeze us into its mould, shape us into Your likeness, through the Holy Spirit working in and through us. AMEN

I.B.R.A. Readings

Romans 14:13-21

LISTEN TO TODAY’S DEVOTION

If you received our daily emails, please listen to today’s devotion on our website www.ffdl.co.za
On Facebook follow this link to start listening.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.”         Romans 12:1 NIV

Living implies life. Life is an everyday experience. Offering ourselves to God is not something that should be contained within a sixty-minute worship session. A living sacrifice is a sacrifice that is alive and continuous in action. This means worship occurs not just in the sanctuary but in our whole world. It moves away from one activity of coming to worship to all of our activities: each relationship, each task, each opportunity, each problem, each success, each failure. True worship is our personal linking of faith and works, the offering of everyday life to God, and it isn’t something that only takes place in church. Real worship sees the whole world as the temple of the living God and every common deed as an act of worship. Real worship is the offering of everyday life to God. A person may say, “I am going to church to worship God” but he or she should also be able to say, “I am going to the office, the school, the garage, the garden, the field, to worship God.” To truly know who and how you worship, let me see you in your office, let me hear you speak in your business affairs, let me know how you treat your neighbours, let me know how you earn your money, how you save it, and how you spend it. Worship affects everything we do. Sadly, we have developed a selective kind of Christianity where we are deeply involved in worship and church activities and yet we are almost totally pagan in our daily lives. Worship is not just a church activity; it is a life activity.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord Jesus, let all my life activities be an act of worship to You.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, we confess and repent that we have developed a selective kind of Christianity where we are deeply involved in worship and church activities and yet almost totally pagan in the daily business of our lives. Let our worship not just be a church activity, but a life activity. AMEN

I.B.R.A. Readings

John 2:1-11

LISTEN TO TODAY’S DEVOTION

If you received our daily emails, please listen to today’s devotion on our website www.ffdl.co.za
On Facebook follow this link to start listening.