Links for today’s readings:
Read: Daniel 8 Listen: (4:39)
Read: Hebrews 6 Listen: (2:58)
Scripture Focus: Hebrews 6.7-12
7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Reflection: Mature Fields and Faith
By John Tillman
Those who live in rural areas know rising smoke is not always a distressing sign. After the fall harvest, it is not uncommon to see burning fields, pastures, or sections of brush.
Fire can be dangerous, but fire is also a cleansing tool. Fire purifies precious metals and clears unwanted growth for new agriculture or buildings.
The teacher (the unknown writer or writers of Hebrews) gave dire warnings for believers to move on from elementary teachings to a more mature faith. Growth was the goal. Included in this warning was an agricultural metaphor. Fields that do not produce good crops will be burned.
One way of measuring the maturity of our faith is whether what we produce helps others or harms them. Our fields should produce helpful crops that are blessings. Immature fields are likely to produce harmful crops instead. The rain of God’s blessings falls on us, but what are our fields producing? Are we producing blessings or curses?
Do our fields yield thorns and brambles of rancor, violence, and enmity? Have we produced harm? Let us burn our fields and replant.
Have we produced help? Let us praise God that he blesses others through us. The teacher says that we should not become lazy. We must help people and continue to help them. (Hebrews 6.10)
Mature faith is fruitful, producing what God desires. Let God burn what is harmful from your life and replant what is helpful. God will not forget our work.
Pray that God will mature the fields of our faith.
We pray to you, God, planter of the first garden, burn out our harmful thickets and plant in our hearts things which, watered by your Spirit, produce crops of blessings.
Let us produce welcome. Give us wide limbs and branches, providing shade and shelter (Matthew 13.31-32). Let peoples of every tribe and tongue take shelter with us under our vine and fig tree. (Micah 4.4; Zechariah 3.10)
Let us produce wisdom. May our work produce bountiful fruit and seed, both physical and spiritual nourishment. (John 6.27-35) Let us fill bellies with food and hearts with the gospel, strengthening bodies and souls.
Let us produce welfare. Let us produce leaves, roots, and other treatments that promote health and healing. (Revelation 22.1-2) May our words and actions be purifying and therapeutic aids and channels for the healing of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God who makes things grow. Amen.
Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. — Psalm 103.1-2
– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.
Read more about A Long Journey to Maturity
Marks of spiritual maturity include character growing in likeness to God and actions that demonstrate our love for God and care for his people.
Listen to Being Anti-Antiochus
Antiochus is the model Jesus chose to warn about “Anti-Christs” and false messiahs to come.
