Daily Devotion

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

John 12:24–25 · Mrs. Howard Taylor, The Triumph of John and Betty Stam (1935), which sums up their martyrdom with this verse

Scripture

John 12:24 “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single seed; but if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

Reflection

A grain of wheat that clings tightly to itself may escape the darkness and decay of the soil, but it is destined to wither in solitude. The Lord Jesus is that grain of wheat that breaks through the soil and is reborn for us. When faced with the choice between the comforts of life and the price of faith, I often struggle with the decision of whether to retain my sense of self. True life lies not in clinging tightly to earthly comforts, but in willingly "breaking" oneself for the Lord. Only by letting go of attachment to self can life, through service and love, bear eternal fruit.