In today's devotional we learn about the important role faith plays in our walk with God and in receiving from him. Many times as we've read the gospel, we hear Jesus use these words; "your faith has healed you." The very words he said to the woman with the issue of blood. In today's devotional, Jesus encounters two blind men, and they asked him for mercy; "As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”

Matthew 9:27‭-‬30 NIV. You noticed Jesus asked them first if they believed before praying for them, why? Yes he was prompting their faith but he needed to make sure it was not misdirected. Another version says Jesus told them; "have what your faith is expecting." What if what they were expecting when they asked for mercy was money? That was why Jesus clarified. In the other story we read, Jesus could not do many miracles in the village he grew up in because of their lack of faith; "He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.

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Mark 6:5‭-‬6 NIV. Lessons; faith is essential to knowing God and receiving from him. Faith here is knowing that God is, and that he exists even though we've never seen him before, and that he is reaching out a hand to us through Christ.

Today's devotional gives us an excellent example why an harmonised study is essential to truly understanding the gospel. Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5.21-43 and Luke 8:41-56 shares with us the story of Jesus raising a girl and the healing of a woman who had suffered bleeding for 12 years. If you simply read Matthew's account, you won't know the identity of the man who came to ask Jesus to come heal his daughter. In fact, Matthew makes it look like she was dead by the time the man came to ask Jesus. You won't also know Jesus asked who touched him on his way to the girl and whether Jesus said anything when he raised the little girl. However, harmonizing this one event amongst all 3 gospel makes it clearer that the name of the leader of the synagogue was Jairus. His daughter was terribly sick when he came to Jesus and died as Jesus was on the way to her. And yes, Jesus asked who touched him and it was due to his persistence that someone had that the woman who had been healed of her bleeding revealed herself. Lastly, Jesus specifically said; "talitha koum, little girl, I say to you, get up" when he raised her back to life.

In today's reading, Jesus teaches us a very important lesson on faith and how faith work. The background of the story sees the disciples facing a not so natural storm and they were terrified they might die. In the same way I see many believers today afraid of living, there are devils and demons lurking at every corner that they have to be constantly fighting. In our story, the disciples likely sent someone to wake up Jesus and ask if he didn't care if they drowned? What a silly question, it sounded like they were saying, Jesus, is it that, you are ready to die, because we are not. Don't you care if we might drown and not see our loved ones again? "Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:38‭-‬40 NIV. Jesus' response was to speak to the waves and give a command. The lesson here is; faith in God should not be expressed in fear but in confidence. It is not your wailing that will resolve the situation. If you are confident God is with you, then boldly, despite the fear, call on him to intervene. Finally, Jesus' question to them is quite revealing, is it that Jesus can't see why they are afraid? Of course he can. He is asking despite the waves and storm, why were they afraid God was no longer with them.

In today's devotional we took Mark's and Luke's takes on the parable of the sower. Comparing all 3 synoptic gospel, we learned something new on what it takes to be productive with the word of God. We already pointed out what Matthew said; 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. He emphasized hearing and understanding the word to be productive. Mark tells us that; "Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

Mark 4:20 NIV. Mark emphasis was; the good soil, hearing the word, and accepting the word. These are what makes for productivity. Luke on the other hand says; "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Luke 8:15 NIV. Luke adds what makes for the good soil that receives the seed; a noble and good heart. He then adds; hearing the word, retaining it and presevering with the word is what makes for productivity. Adding all three together, if you want to be productive in word; your heart is important. Next the commonality of all 3, you must hear the word. After hearing; accept what the word says as your own reality. Understand and retain it, remember it, meditate in it daily. And finally, persevere, don't give up on what God has said to you. I declare you are extremely fruitful in the word in Jesus' name.

In today's devotional, we concluded the study of the parables Jesus shared with his audience in Matthew 13:1-52; we looked at the parable of the sower yesterday, today we took on the parables of; the weeds, the mustard seed and yeast, the hidden treasure and pearl, and the parable of the net. While most of today's parable point to what will happen at the end of the ages where there will be a separation between the good and evil, our key lesson comes from the parable of the hidden treasure and pearl. In both instances, the man and the merchant who found the treasure and pearl did everything to acquire them. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

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Matthew 13:44‭-‬46 NIV. The hidden treasure, the pearl is the kingdom of God. In our case, what we give up to obtain the treasure and pearl are our very lives. To be willing to give everything to serve the Lord of the kingdom we treasure.

In today's devotional, Jesus begins teaching the people using parables or stories. Parables are relatable and helps those listening to both remember what was shared and the lessons intended. In the parable of the sower, a farmer sets out sowing seed. The seeds were received by 4 types of grounds; a path, a rocky ground, a thorny ground, and the good soil. Jesus said each of these grounds represented people and how they received the word. “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 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 13:18‭-‬23 NIV. The path represents things common to everyone; culture, traditions, etc. It represents those who put those things ahead of the word of God, and they can hinder them from receiving the word. I tell my students, culture will defeat the word everytime if you allow it. The rocky ground represents those who have never bother cultivating a relationship with God and as such have no depth in him and do not know him. They fall quickly whenever they have to stand for their faith. The thorny ground represents those who have added something extra to serving God. Money, their position in life, etc. is now competing with the heart they should have given wholly to God. The good soil represents those who are totally sold in, they not only hear the word, they put them to practise and in turn cultivate a healthy relationship with God. Jesus says they will be fruitful. I pray; you are the good soil in Jesus name.

In today's devotional, we learn in this one sitting of how Jesus handled and overpowered demons by the power of the Holy Spirit. We also learned that demons can cause physical ailments in people. Matthew 12:22-37, Mark 3:20-30, Luke 11:14-26; "Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.

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Matthew 12:22 NIV. If you had taken this man to doctors, they would not have been able to do anything for him, all the medicines he will be given will not work because the source of his being blind and dumb is not natural, it is not an infection. He wasn't even born like that. He is blind and dumb because he is possessed by a demon. Big lesson! "But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

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Matthew 12:28‭-‬29 NIV. Jesus is teaching us here the place authority in casting out demons because he was being accused of doing so by the authority of another individual, the prince of demons, Beelzebul. Jesus instead says, he does it by the person of the Holy Spirit. We do it, in the name of Jesus. Secondly, Jesus says for deliverance to happen,, one needs to literally enter the house of the demon (the one being possessed) and throw him out. He compares the situation when a demon is possessing someone with a strong man guarding his possession. In other words, a spiritual fight takes place. To deliver this person, one has to overpower the strong-man in the name of Jesus, and disposes him of the property he is claiming.

In today's devotional, Jesus tells us to receive or accept the kingdom of God like little children. He condemns and chided all those who saw him, saw his miracles and still refused to believe him. "But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Matthew 11:22‭-‬25 NIV.

In today's devotional we again see the usefulness of doing an harmonised study, Mathew and Luke both shared with us Jesus healing a centurion's servant; Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10. Reading closely, it can be a bit confusing, did the centurion come to Jesus himself or not? This is important because it is his faith we are learning about. If the centurion did not even have to come to Jesus and was still able to wow Jesus with his faith, it teaches us a new concept about faith. "Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

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Matthew 8:13 NIV. Reading Matthew, it looks like the centurion came to Jesus himself. But when harmonised with Luke's account, the scenario becomes clearer; "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Luke 7:9‭-‬10 NIV. Luke seems to be saying others came to Jesus on the behalf of the centurion and that Jesus only referred to the centurion's faith in his absence or through a third party. Your faith can move mountains if it focuses totally on God.

In today's devotional, while looking at the sermon on the Mount, we completed Matthew take of the sermon in chapters 6 and 7. This sermon contain Life's Hacks, paradigms you can stand on and know you can never fall; meekness when judging others, personal reflection before advising others, persistence in prayer, giving to the needy and how to do it, how to prayer, giving, the purpose of wealth and treasures, the hopelessness of worrying and many more lessons. In the Jesus ties it all together by telling them all he had said would not mean anything if they don't each practice the lessons learned; “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24‭-‬27 NIV.