Weekly devotion

1. This week's Quiet Times: January 2-6, 2012
Worship-Centered Living
MONDAY
In order to take a good look into your life, to see
if you are allowing transformation (maturity) to
take place, we are going to look into four
parables that illustrate worship-centered living.
The first one is in Luke 12:35-48. The Parable
of the Shrewd Manager. Look up the word
shrewd in a good dictionary. How can you
justify the definitions of the word shrewd in
light of what the faithful and good manager
does? What has this kind of manager been put in charge of (v. 42)? What do you
think the food represents? What else is this kind of manager put in charge of (v.44)?
Could it possibly mean material possessions? Notice that verses 45 & 47 depict the
manager that is unfruitful and unproductive (unfaithful). What are some
characteristics of this manager? Does he manage God’s blessings well? How about
the way he treats his brethren? What will be the end for this manager? From verse 47,
what does the manager have to know? You, being the manager, how are you going to
know your Master’s will? God expects you to be fruitful with what He has given you!
BELIEVE AND BE TRANSFORMED! Write Psalm 29:2 on an index card and
memorize it. Are you mismanaging some blessing God has given to you? Don't be
surprised if it is taken away unless you have a change of heart!
TUESDAY
The parable of the talents and the parable of the minas are very similar, yet teach two
different viewpoints you need to have about the spiritual supplies God has blessed
you with. Read Luke 19:12-27. To each servant the Lord gives one mina, totaling
ten. A mina is a Greek monetary unit, equivalent to a three month salary. What is the
commission given by the nobleman to his servants in verse 13? What was the
response of his subjects? Could it be that they didn’t want to work hard? Could it be
that they didn’t want to earn their responsibility? There were at least two servants that
didn’t respond negatively. Describe what these servants did. What do you think their
attitude was? Look at the Master’s response. What does he call the servants who
earned more from the solitary mina they were given? Notice he describes them as
trustworthy! (Look up trustworthy in a good dictionary) What does He call the
servant who just simply returned the mina? What was the attitude of this servant? Are
you expected to produce, or what? Write Psalm 100:2 on an index card and
memorize it.

2. WEDNESDAY
The parable of the talents is found in Matthew 25:14-30. Notice that each slave
receives talents according to his/her abilities, in contrast to the parable of the minas in
which each servant receives the same amount. This could be that the mina stands for
the life which God gives each of us to live, where the talents represent the
gifts/abilities that God gives each of us and make each of us different. For now,
meditate on the abilities you know you possess. Think about the blessings God has
granted to you. Make a list of them and next to them write how you are worshipping
God with this ability/gift (could be a material gift (possession). Do you realize that
depending on how you manage these things that God could take them away from you
or put you in charge of more things and/or bless you with more (better) abilities? Do
you believe this? Don’t you know that what the Lord has given is holy?! (Even the
relationships He allows you to have!) Don't treat them with contempt! Write Psalm
99:9 on an index card and memorize it.
THURSDAY
The parable of the sower focuses more on the maturity aspect of growth. The same
also applies to the previous parables. Without the desire to grow and mature in and
through God’s Spirit you couldn’t be a good manager in the affairs of God. Read
Luke 8:4-15. Four soils are described. One was able to be fruitful. If you were the
farmer, would you be pleased with soil that does not bring forth a crop? Why not?
What would you do with the thorns? What kind of soil are you? If you are doing this
study you probably are not the path (wayside). If you have received the word with joy
you are one of the last three soils. If you are not deeply rooted in the Word and/or are
worried by the things of the world (not trusting in God) then you are not the good
soil. What three things characterize the good soil?
The seed on good soil lets the Word change and mature them so they can produce!
Write Luke 8:15 on an index card and memorize it.
FRIDAY
Let’s look at Josiah for a minute. Let’s examine his attitude. He was a man who
worshipped God with all his heart, soul and strength. You will be reading from
2 Chronicles 34 & 35. According to verse 2 in chapter 34, did Josiah seek to follow
his own way, or the ways of his father? According to verse three, what caused Josiah
to begin reform throughout Judah and Jerusalem? What was Josiah’s response when
he heard the Word of God (v.19)? What was God’s response (v.27)? From verses 31-
33, would you say that Josiah was a lazy servant of God? Do you think that his
convictions were heard throughout the kingdom? Do you think that he let worldly
ways influence him? What kind of revival happened due to renewed commitment?
(35:18)? Did the people miss him when he died (35:24, 25)? What kind of mindset
did this servant have? Do you think he put his talents (mina) to work?
Write 2 Kings 23:25 on an index card and memorize it.