11B24.    Ezekiel 17:22-24. “I, the Lord, bring low the high tree, lift the lowly tree, wither the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom.”  Some presume to be their own god who can do without God but eventually they will amount to nothing.  “I am the Lord and there is no other, there is no god beside me.” (Isaiah 45:5a)

Mark 4:26-34.  Jesus “said, ‘To what shall we compare the kingdom of God?’”   God begins almost imperceptibly with an effort that is like a small seed.  Without our knowing how, he makes his work magnificently fruitful and productive.  Jesus spoke in parables. To those who were not committed to the Lord he only lightly committed himself.  To those who fully committed themselves to him, Jesus committed himself fully to them.

2 Corinthians 5:6-16.  “We are always courageous,” that is, our hearts belong to the Lord.  While we are here on earth, although we cannot see the Lord, we put our faith in him.  Our faith in Jesus is so deep and strong that we desire to please him in every way.  When we finally die and go before Jesus, King of the Universe, he will recall the life we lived on earth and judge us accordingly.