April 14, 2026:

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: ‘Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.’”

(Romans 10.17-18)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Stop and think about this: faith comes by HEARING. That means there is nothing we can do to be faith-filled. Nothing. Hearing is not a choice it is a physical reality we are born with. We do not need to do anything but exist and we hear… we just hear. Just as we smell, taste, touch, see and somehow “are aware” without knowing. Are these senses refined as our self-discipline to focus increases? Absolutely. But at the most fundamental level we are created in the image of God to be sensory beings interacting with all creation. Scripture teaches: let those with eyes to see, see; let those with ears to hear, hear. Can we impede our hearing? No! If you follow this concept for communication, then “hearing” is the receiving of a message via any or all of the senses. As human beings, even with impairments, we still “hear;” we still receive messages. Faith being “of God” is communicated to us. It is the essence and opportunity of God shared with us. It is not random, it is not biased. Faith is spoken to all people just as God pours out His will on the just and the unjust alike. They hear it, see it, smell it, taste it, touch it and (as deep calls unto deep) they “know” it. It does not mean that we understand it fully. That comes with the intentionality of using those senses to focus on what is being communicated. That is when our hearing becomes listening. Faith comes by hearing (receiving the communication of God’s word for our lives.) Faithfulness comes by listening (focusing to understand what has been communicated.) As Christ’s disciples then, we are to “speak” the word of the gospel like the sower who went to sow seed and broadcast it across all the soils. The sower trusted the seed to do what the seed was created to do- bring life. The seed, God’s word, trusts the sower to do what he/she is supposed to do. Thus, all things work together for good His will to make known. Hear. Listen. Obey. Speak. Explain. Repeat.

TODAY’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.