The reading for Sunday is Mark 10.
When it is time to read, please start first by praying and thanking God for His many blessings. Be specific.
Record your thank you’s on paper or on the computer.
Next present your requests to Him. Ask Him for whatever you want and need. As you do, record your requests and questions on paper or on the computer.
Third, ask Him to guide you in your reading, so that you will hear his message for you today.
After you read, record your SOAP observations and then listen for five minutes. (Yes, I upped it by two minutes this time. I think you’re ready to listen a bit longer.) Set a timer and just listen to what he might be sharing. Don’t ask. Don’t thank. Just listen. (You can pray more after you listen, if you like.)
Here is what I heard in the reading:
God-reliance is better than self-reliance
Scripture: Mark 10:23
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Observation:
In this passage, Jesus had just told a rich man to sell his possessions, give to the poor and follow Him. The man was distraught.
Jesus explains in verse 23 that it is very difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.
I’m taking this another step to say that it is difficult for the self-reliant to enter his kingdom, because I think that is what He means.
Application:
Entering His kingdom, or truly following Christ, requires complete faith. This is difficult for those who are taught self-reliance, but it is still necessary. Yes, self-reliance gets you what you may need and want for worldly success, but God-reliance (and following His lead) brings eternal success.
I fight this because I want to do things myself. When I was younger I realized that I needed to take matters into my own hands financially if I wanted to complete college. And, through the years, I looked inside to get things done, practicing more self-reliance.
Yes, self-reliance can be good… but it is better if you start with reliance on God and listen to His direction first.
I often jump in and go, go, GO before asking His guidance first. I want to get things done.
I am learning, though, that I need to let go and rely on my Heavenly Father more, seek His guidance and do as He directs.
He will never let me down. I have heard that from Him time after time.
Stepping out in faith is hard. But it is what I must do. I must have complete faith and rely on Him. Always.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me when I want to do my own thing and don’t ask and follow your guidance first.
Please show me how to be better at that. Self-reliance has brought me a lot– and it is hard to turn everything over to you… Until I realize that you were behind all of those successes I thought I achieved on my own, too.
In my heart, and in my mind, too, I know God-reliance is even better than self-reliance.
Help me to lean more on you and your eternal wisdom and less on myself.
Help me please, as I ask so that I may hear you even more clearly and follow the path you have set out for me.
Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness.
What about you? What did you see and hear in your reading of Mark 10?
Do you struggle with complete faith? What is holding you back?
Feel free to leave your thoughts, or a link to post with your thoughts, in the comments. If you do link a post, please include a link in your own post back to this post so your readers can see what others had to say, as well, and potentially join us.
Didn’t start reading or Blogging Through the Gospels with us? That’s okay, join in anytime. Each Sunday evening I post the reading schedule for the week ahead and each evening I post the next day’s reading assignment and devotional. Feel free to jump in where we are anytime and blog or journal along using the SOAP format. Feel free to share your thoughts on Twitter using the #Gospels hashtag, too.
If you would be interested in sharing your own SOAP observations on MomsToolbox as a guest SOAP’er, please send me an email using the contact button on the top right. I’ll be in touch soon to discuss the details.
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