The brothers of the Shulamite maiden had sent her to work in the vineyard. She kept so busy tending the vines that she neglected her own vineyard, that is, her personal appearance. Her skin had become swarthy and dried, and no doubt her hair was unkempt.There is always the danger of neglecting our own vineyard by becoming overly occupied with someone else's. There is the peril, for instance, of becoming so engrossed with the evangelization of the world that one's own family is lost. If God gives us children, those children are our number one mission field. When we stand before the Lord, one of the greatest joys will be to be able to say, "Behold, I and the children which God hath given me" (Hebrews 2:13). Not all the accolades from appreciative audiences will compensate for the loss of our own sons and daughters.It does seem from the Scriptures that responsibility begins at home. After Jesus had driven the demons out of Legion, He charged him, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee" (Mark 5:19). It often seems that the most difficult place to evangelize is in our own backyard, but that is where we should start.Again when the Lord commissioned His disciples, He said, "…both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Begin in "Jerusalem" (your home base)!Andrew was determined not to neglect his own vineyard. We read of him, "He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ" (John 1:41).There are, no doubt, cases where a believer is faithful in seeking to win his loved ones to the Lord Jesus, and yet they persist in their unbelief. We cannot guarantee the eternal salvation of our relatives and friends. But what we must guard against is the possibility of being so preoccupied in ministering to others that we neglect our own family circle. Our own vineyard, in such cases, should have priority.

With reverence, humor and skill, William MacDonald wove a daily devotional tapestry that challenges the reader to think deeply and Biblically, and apply God's Word to their lives.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

"…they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept." (Song of Solomon 1:6 b)

When we are first saved, we think it is so simple, so wonderful that all our relatives will want to believe on the Savior when we tell them. Instead we find in some cases that they are resentful, suspicious and hostile. They act as if we had betrayed them. Finding ourselves in such an atmosphere, we often respond in ways that actually hinder their coming to Christ. Sometimes we lash back at them, then become distant, moody and withdrawn. Or we criticize them for their unChristian lifestyle, forgetting that they do not have the divine power necessary for meeting Christian standards. It is easy under such circumstances to give them the impression that we consider ourselves superior to them. Since they are likely to accuse us of a "holier than thou" attitude anyway, we should carefully avoid giving them just cause for doing so.Another mistake we often make is to force the Gospel down their throats. In our love for them and our zeal for their souls, we estrange them by our offensive evangelism.One thing leads to another. We fail to show loving submission to our parents, as if our Christian faith released us from any obligation to obey them. Then we increasingly absent ourselves from home, spending the time at church services and with Christians. This, in turn, increases their resentment against church and Christians. When Jesus healed the demoniac, Legion, He told him to go home and tell his friends what great things the Lord had done for him. That is the first thing we should do - give a simple, humble, loving testimony of our conversion.Then this should be coupled with the witness of a changed life. We should let our light so shine before them that they will see our good works, and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).This will mean showing new honor, submission, love and respect for our parents, taking their advice unless it conflicts with Scripture. We should be more helpful at home than we have ever been before - cleaning our room, washing dishes, taking out the trash - and all this without being asked.It will mean taking criticism patiently without retaliating. They will be pleasantly stunned by our spirit of brokenness, especially if they have never seen it before. Little kindnesses help break down opposition - letters of appreciation, greeting cards, phone calls and gifts. Instead of cutting ourselves off from our parents, we should spend time with them in an effort to strengthen relationships. Then they will be more likely to accept an invitation to attend church with us - and eventually to commit themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." (Mark 5:19)

For if I preach the gospel … willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge. § They called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said … , “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” § The love of Christ compels us. “I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.”. . . “You wicked and lazy servant. . . . You ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.” Go . . . to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you.

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Evening Daily Light

 His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not. 

19 Jesus did not let him, but said, <woj>“Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”</woj>

Jesus did not let him, but said, <woj>“Go home to your own people and tell them<cr>1</cr> how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”</woj>

Mark 5:19

 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them   how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

Jesus did not let him, but said, <woj>“Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”</woj>

 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them   how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Bible Verse of the Day

May 13, 2024

Verse by Verse Bible Study

More on the web

Group of Brands