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Mark 4:24-25

²⁴And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. ²⁵For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

Jesus was sharing parables with a crowd when He inserted this important point. He was warning them to listen with their whole hearts. That would be a large degree (or measure) of listening.

The scale on which you listen to Jesus and apply what He teaches is the amount that you will get out of it. If your mind goes wandering off, you are probably not really listening at all. You won't get anything out of it. If you wholeheartedly listen and apply it to yourself, you will get even more than what is on the surface.

When I preach a sermon, I observe the faces of the congregation. I see some not using any measure, others using a small measure, and some are using the largest measure they can find. When I talk to the congregation after the message, it always surprises me that some got even more than I shared. Still more was added to them because they took the large measure with which to hear. Others are talking about the afternoon football game. They had a nice nap. The little that they caught of the message was soon forgotten.

This applies to reading Scripture, too. Whenever we approach God's Word, whether in a sermon, Bible study, or devotions, we should expect to hear what God would say to us. A "big measure" is seen in our excited anticipation of hearing God's instruction for our life. Those with this attitude are the ones who go away with even more than what the teacher taught that day.

Consider: With what measure am I reading these devotions?