Daily Devotional
Are You a Squash or an Oak Tree?
“Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.”
Ephesians 4:13-15
October 9, 2023
Ponder This
What is maturity? Maturity is Christlikeness. Are you becoming more like Jesus? That was the goal of Paul’s ministry. In Colossians 1:28, Paul said, “Him we preach,” that is Jesus, “wanting every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” That word, perfect, means mature.
Now maturity is a lifelong process. It’s not a hundred-yard dash, it’s a marathon. Nobody is instantly mature. A wise man said if you want to grow a squash, you can do that in forty days. If you want to grow an oak, you can do that in forty years. You can be instantly spiritual, you can be gifted, you can be healthy, but you cannot be mature. This is why it is so important to know how to move into maturity, to grow spiritually from childhood to adolescence to fatherhood. We need to grow in our faith daily—it will bring us to maturity in Christ, closer fellowship with each other, and a more intimate relationship with God.
- Who in your life is mature in his or her faith?
- How can you pursue maturity in your faith?
Practice This
Consider one step you could take to grow in maturity in your faith, whether it’s sharing your faith, praying, or reading your Bible.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
