Connect the Testaments: A Daily Devotional
November 4 Cutting a Deal with God Mark 4:1–24 Sometimes we think we can make deals with God . We hear His commands, but we plan on being faithful later. Or we make light of our rebellious thoughts and actions, thinking they're only minor offenses in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps we think God will overlook them just as easily as we’ve rationalized them. Jesus put special emphasis on “having ears to hear” in the Gospel of Mark . He expected much more than a captive audience, though: “ ‘If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!’ And he said to them, ‘Take care what you hear! With the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you, and will be added to you’ ” ( Mark 4:23–24 ). Jesus issued this command shortly after giving His disciples special insight into the parable of the Sower and the Seed . The rocky soil, the thorns, the road, the good soil—these represented various responses to the good news. The good soil was receptive to the seeds. Bu...