April 26th, 25: Seeds of Life, Weeds of Despair: Finding Miracles in Messy Soil

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One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you.

TODAY'S EPISODE:

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today’s episode, host Hunter guides us through day 116 of our journey through the Scriptures. We begin in 2 Samuel 1 with the aftermath of Saul and Jonathan’s deaths and David’s lament over the fallen heroes of Israel. Next, we seek God’s protection in the heartfelt words of Psalm 140. Finally, we dive into Matthew 13, where Jesus shares the parables of the sower, the weeds, the mustard seed, and more—revealing truths about the kingdom of heaven and the miracle of new life.

As Hunter reflects on these passages, he invites us to consider the miracle of life that takes root even in the messiest soil. Through prayer, he encourages us to see God's loving intervention in our everyday lives and to remember that, no matter our circumstances, we are deeply loved.

Settle in as we read, reflect, and pray together—discovering hope, purpose, and the wonders of God’s love for each one of us.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

Jesus is telling stories about seeds and soil and the miracle and mystery of new life. Seeds are being thrown out on every imaginable kind of soil, not to waste the seed, but because the miracle of life can take place in any kind of soil. Life is a miracle. And yet there are so many things that come against life. The fact that there's any life at all is simply a miracle. When you consider all that we're up against, that's true in agriculture as well as in our own lives. The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, the desire for things, and the thief that comes to plant weeds in the field, and on and on it goes. One thing after another. So much standing in the way of life. So much is coming against that seed. On its own, it doesn't stand a chance.

And that's the point of the gospel: that God, seeing that we don't stand a chance at life apart from him, apart from a miracle, has done that very thing. God has intervened. God has provided the miracle that we need. His intervention wasn't by appearing in some otherworldly apparition or vision, sitting high and lofty above all in his brilliant and impenetrable light. That's not how he came. That could have been the miracle, but it wasn't anything like that. God's miraculous intervention was far more humble than that. God became a human being.

The creator assumed the life of the creature. He put on flesh and bones and lived among us. He came and sat with us. In this messy soil. He came to give us his life in the midst of this messy world, in the midst of your messy world. And the prayer of my own heart today is that I will see what God has done in Christ, that I'll see the miracle of the incarnation of God with us, that I'll see the miracle of the seed that died for all so that all might live, that I'll see the heart of God who saw our need of a miracle, and he came, humbled himself, and gave himself on behalf of all, that I'll worship him today and that I'll have his joy.

That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so.

TODAY'S PRAYERS:

Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  

Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those wh