Delight*Abide*Love For People in Pursuit of God
This Month: * They Were Still Rotten *Man or Messiah * Give, My Friends, Give *The Meanies We Know * And much more‌
June 2013
Dear Reader: Yes, we’re late. As I type this my newest wee-one is now four weeks old and I am amazed. I certainly didn’t think I would get this done this month and to be honest, part of me didn’t want to, I’m not going to lie. I am tired, exhausted is probably the best word, but I can’t just leave you hanging and I can’t forfeit what I know I’m supposed to be doing at least for this season. I will tell you that it is a distinct possibility that this magazine will undergo an overhaul in the very near future. I am still praying about it though and so I will do my best to go where the Father leads. In case you didn’t know, we are starting our second year in publication and I am now the mother of three. I was sitting in my recliner discussing that truth with another mother and I revealed to her that I thought since I now had three children that I should have some kind of motherly, child-rearing advice. That I should have learned something worth sharing with other mothers and then I looked her in the eyes and said, “But, I got nothin’!” and I meant that. I wish I could tell you the secrets to joyful parenting and successful child-rearing. Instead all I can say is it’s frustrating and overwhelming a lot of the time. No one wants to hear that though so don’t look for a book on mothering skills coming out of me any time soon. Instead, we’ll just keep plugging away at the devotions. This month you’ll notice a distinct difference, and I suspect that difference will continue for some time at least until I know what other changes are necessary. I recently started rereading the New Testament and so the devotions you find each month will be chronological. Thusly you’ve got the joy of studying the first nine chapters of Matthew this month. Perhaps this will inspire you to go and reread the whole book for yourself. Father, please use this jumbled mass of just-had-a-baby ramblings to bless someone. Be with the readers as they seek You even if I do a terrible job. Use me in spite of me and make Yourself real to them this month. Thank You! Amen. Peace and blessings, Ginny Mink
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They Were Still Rotten “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Matthew 3:8(ESV) John the Baptist says this to the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to the Jordan to be baptized. First of course, he calls them a brood of vipers which is interesting because we see in later texts, that Christ tells them they are children of their father, i.e., satan, that old serpent. Anyway, John is asking them who warned them that they would need to be baptized and then he explains a very important theological truth to them. Essentially, being dunked in the water alone will not save you, you must bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Repentance here is the Greek word, mĕtanŏia. According to Strong’s this word means, compunction (for guilt including reformation) and its implied meaning is that of reversal. Compunction isn’t a typical vocab word, so I looked it up and Merriam Webster tells us that compunction means, “anxiety arising from awareness of guilt; distress of mind over an anticipated action or result.” When I think about that definition along with this concept of reversal I get the idea that John is telling them, “unless there is a true awareness of your vileness and therefore a change in your behavior, a complete 180°, getting wet in this dirty river will do you little good.” I wish our churches and perhaps even some of those that call themselves missionaries and/or preachers, would present this blatant truth to those who think the sinner’s prayer is a get out of hell free card (by the way, Scripturally there is no sinner’s prayer). This concept of bearing fruit that keeps with repentance, compunction, reversal, means that there should be visible, tangible evidences of the fact that someone has truly come to grips with the fact that he/she is a filthy rag, a worm and that this revelation has created within him/her a completely different attitude- actions that could only be attributed to a dedication to the Savior he/she claims to follow. You know, we are told that we will know people by their fruit. That’s what John was getting at here, and the Pharisees and Sadducees were still rotten.
Manipulations and Tricks “Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple…Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.” Matthew 4:5 & 8 (ESV) So, I chose to utilize both these verses because of the statement, “the devil took him.” If you are unfamiliar with the context, these occur in Matthew’s description of the temptation of Christ. What I find both interesting and disturbing is the fact that the devil took Christ, that means he, at that moment, had the power to transport our Messiah elsewhere. However, if we go back to verse one, we discover that Jesus was led up by the Spirit. So here’s what I gather, the Holy Spirit placed our Savior in a position in which the enemy had the ability to manipulate His coordinates. There is comfort in that concept because it assures me that our enemy can only mess with our lives when the Father has allowed him to and there are other verses to back that revelation. Something else to note is the fact that Christ was confident enough in His own allegiance to the Father that being moved like a pawn by the serpent for a brief period was not worrisome to Him. That all said, I want to direct you to the fact that satan took Christ to the temple, the very place that the Jews believed God dwelled, the location of the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, etc. In fact, the enemy took the Messiah to the highest point of the temple, the pinnacle, and then challenged His position as King of Kings, “If you are the Christ…the Son of God” satan said. He took Jesus to the Temple and asked Him to sacrifice, suicidally, Himself in the presence of God, at the Most Holy Place in town to prove that the angels would come to His rescue. The enemy was desperately trying to trick the Prince of Peace, he used God’s own Word and yet Jesus had no interest in proving anything, He knew who He was; He knew what His purpose was and it didn’t have any sky-diving inclusions. I wish that we all were as confident in our positions as children of God that we could just as easily deny the enemy’s manipulations and tricks.
Blind Faith “Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Matthew 4:20 (ESV) This verse is specifically attached to the calling of Peter and his brother, Andrew. However, if you read further you will find a similar, if not identical, description of the method in which James and John left all. I’ve read these verses on multiple occasions and yet I am always amazed at the simplicity of the account. Maybe I am weird, but I really think on these verses. I mean, here’s this Guy, whom Isaiah (53:2) tells us had no special features that made Him stand out more than anyone else (no, those feminine-white-beautyboy depictions are not accurate), walking down the beach and He calls to these fishermen, “Come follow me,” and like this verse says, they left everything and did so, immediately. I suppose it’s the immediately that really gets my attention. I mean, how in the world did they just say, “Peace out,” and leave mom and dad, wife and family? If somebody walked by me and said, “Follow me,” I’d probably think that individual had lost his/her mind. I certainly wouldn’t drop everything and obey. As I write that I think, man, even in my Christian life I didn’t drop everything and follow Him. Yeah, I accepted His position as King of Kings and I accepted my necessity for a Savior, namely because hell doesn’t hold too much interest for me, when I was twelve, but after about ten years of trying to be a good Christian girl I chose to do my own thing. I never really dropped my “self.” I admit returning to bury the dead, grabbing the plow and looking back. Jesus says that if we do that we aren’t worthy of Him or His Kingdom. So, the fact that these ordinary men, these smelly fisherman, just walked away from everything they knew, everyone they knew, to align themselves with some normal looking Guy, well, that blows me away! Where is our abandon? Where is our willingness to go where He leads simply because He calls us to do so? Oh that we would take His voice seriously, that we would learn not to question or to look back and walk in blind Faith. Yes I said it, blind in that we’ve no idea where He’s taking us or how we’ll get there, but we trust that His way is best.
This Really is a Big Deal “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:19(ESV) Let me recommend that you go back and read verses 17-20. You’ll discover that these are Christ’s words, that He assures those listening (and reading) that He’s going to fulfill the law, that this law will never go away. Then in verse 20 He tells us that we have to be more righteous than the Pharisees and Sadducees or we’re not getting into heaven. This is a big deal dear one. First of all, this world is constantly trying to revoke the Law. It’s constantly trying to rationalize and reason away the Word of God. I read a book, when I was a lesbian, by a gay Christian pastor that pointed out the fact that the word homosexual isn’t found in the original texts. Therefore, his argument was that people have added that concept to God’s rules and regulations. Yet, the Word specifically discusses a man lying with another man as he would lay with a woman, it’s pretty vivid imagery and therefore quite clear what the Father intended whether or not the word homosexual existed at that time or not. I bring up the gay thing, one because I am quite familiar with it, and two because it is at the forefront of the media these days. Let me tell you, a lesbian or gay man that read that guy’s book and had not read the entire Bible would readily dismiss the Christian’s argument that homosexuality is a sin. Those who are teaching anything aside from the Scriptures, anything that deviates from or manipulates the Word, will face the consequences and I think that people take God a little too lightly. Jesus warned us that if we taught other people to do something other than what the Word tells us to do then we will be least, and actually, if we are less righteous than the Pharisees and Sadducees we won’t enter the Kingdom. What does that mean? Well, quite simply, they followed every iota; every dot of the law, their sin was within. So, as followers of Christ, we should not only be guiltless in the eyes of the Law but our hearts will have been made right through our relationship with our Messiah. This really is a big deal.
Sometimes it’s Better to Just Say No “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” Matthew 5:37 (ESV) I’ve heard people use this verse to condemn the usage of profanity but I see it as the condemnation of making promises. Perhaps that will bother you. However, when I think of the definition of the word oath, I immediately understand that to mean making a promise. Here’s the thing, we don’t know if we’ll be here tomorrow, or a minute from now. So, when we make a promise there is an assumption that we will be around to fulfill that. Yet, if something happens then we are people who break oaths, we are people that can’t be trusted. Surely you’ve heard that you’re only as good as your word. Well, if your word is good then you won’t have to say, “I promise.” You’ll just do what you say you’ll do and therefore if something happens to prevent you from doing it, you won’t have to apologize because you didn’t promise; there was no guarantee or expectation. There are other verses that tell us that God will hold us to our promises and those verses scare me. They scare me because undoubtedly I have promised and given my scout’s honor oath that I would do this or that if He would do xyz. I’m certain that I didn’t uphold my end of the bargain and though I can’t think of any specific instance, I know that I will be held accountable for every idle word. He hasn’t forgotten those little deals I made with Him as a new believer, or sarcastic faithless sinner. Does He still love me? Of course. Am I forgiven? Absolutely, but I suspect my heart will be deeply grieved when He rewinds those moments for me to see. So I try now, to hold all I say to Him and to everyone else to a “yes,” or “no,” answer. Perhaps you recall the parable about the two boys, one tells his dad that he will do something and then doesn’t do it, and the other tells him that he won’t do the thing but does. Jesus asks which one did his father’s will and the answer is the latter of the two. Sometimes it’s better to just say no to something and then show up to do it anyway. Consider that before you say, “yes” just to appease the person asking.
Give, My Friends, Give! “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” Matthew 5:42 (ESV) I’ve had many a discussion about this verse. It happens right after Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek, to give up our cloak and to go with our captor an extra mile. People are bothered by the concept of giving to beggars and of handing things over to those that wish to borrow. We are all so skeptical of everyone else’s motives, probably because our own are so pitifully whacked. The big thing I see in this verse of course applies to the homeless and I’m sure that if you are a frequent reader you have seen me bring that topic up on more than one occasion. Here’s the thing, the Bible tells us that God loves a cheerful giver and thusly it is our heart’s position in the giving that makes a difference to Him, not what the other person will or won’t do with the gift. We are not responsible for their choices, they are. So if we give to each one who begs from us, cheerfully, then we have obeyed the Father’s command, plain and simple. That’s my soap box and though I have stood on it many times I see now that there’s more to it than that. Perhaps you have really never considered that everything you have, every penny in your bank account or change jar has been provided to you via the blessings of your Savior. We seem to forget that all that exists is His and was created for His good pleasure. We see this issue come up a lot when it applies to tithing. One hundred percent of your wealth is from Him and He only asks that you demonstrate your Faith and Love by handing Him back ten percent of that. He lets you keep the other ninety without strings. Why then are we so reticent, so reluctant to let other people benefit from the blessings He has bestowed on us? Perhaps we have forgotten the verses that tell us not to collect interest from a brother or sister, to give parties for strangers never expecting anything back. We are the Lights in this world and unless we behave in a manner that shines brighter than every false luminescence what good are we? Give, my friends, give!
The Meanies We Know “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:44-45 (ESV) I love the fact that the Bible is the Living Word because that translates to the fact that it will speak to you in different ways each time you read it. There are things that you will glaze over in one reading and then the next time around will be illuminated before your very eyes. Surely we are all familiar with the golden rule, the love your neighbor as you love yourself concept of the Christian life. That’s not a new notion and has probably been so beaten into us that the impact therein is not nearly as incredible as it should be. That is why I bring these verses to your attention, no doubt it’s why they shone so brightly this time around for me. Take a look again at verses 44 and 45. Here’s what popped out for me, there’s a conditional statement there that I never really paid attention to before; I just breezed on past it. Do you see it? Yes, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you SO you may be sons of your Father. These are behaviors that demonstrate the fruit we are to be known by, these are Godly qualities and we know that because Christ informs us that the Father treats every human the same (namely because He meant what He said in John 3:16, for God so loved the world – yes, He loves them all). This seems like a hard thing to swallow, that we have to love our enemies and pray for people that treat us badly in order to prove our relationship to the Father. Truth be told most of us don’t like conditional phrases, we like the if it’s free it’s for me concept, we like amazing Grace, we like the free gift of salvation, but we are a little less thrilled about being nice to even the meanies we know. When you are tempted to feel like that condition is too much to bear, or is unfair, I ask you to envision your Savior on the cross asking His Father to forgive them for they know not what they do. Guess what, your sin nailed Him there just as horrifically as that snake at work who spreads lies about you, just as painfully as your enemy, and truly your enemy needs Jesus as much as you do. Pray for him/her.
Cheerful Giver or Pharisee? “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” Matthew 6:3 (ESV) Jesus tells us that the scribes and Pharisees like to have the big recognition, that they make a spectacle about their prayers and their giving and therefore we are warned not to even let our other hand know what we’ve doled out. I’m deeply convicted by this verse and maybe you’ll think me a little extreme with regards to the level in which I take the interpretation. I’ve told you before that I have no need to argue theology or doctrine that doesn’t affect my salvation and so if this position is a point of contention for you, don’t get all riled up, let Him convict or not convict you as He will. That’s my disclaimer. We are the Body of Christ, right? So then, we should not let other believers know what, how much, where, whatever, we give, they would represent, in my mind, the left hand. I feel very strongly about that. So strongly in fact, that I personally am opposed to the concept of churches giving out tax papers at the end of the year for people to get breaks from the IRS. I understand that others will disagree, and I don’t fault you for utilizing a refund that the government provides. That’s why I said that I personally disagree. I do not write checks to the church I attend because I do not wish for the left hand to know what the right hand is giving. I don’t leave a paper trail to any charity or other organization. When and if I give, I want it to be with the right motive and in secret so that the Father who sees in secret will reward. I guess what I want to say to you today, is please, check your motivations. Do you give to your church, via check, simply because it’s easier than going to the ATM or is it because you want the pastor to see how much you’re giving, or because you’re looking for that extra write off at the end of the fiscal year? What is your reason, honestly? Are you being a cheerful giver or a Pharisee?
Dumb Recliner “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,” Matthew 6:19 (ESV) This world is a hard place to live, dear one. Every day is a battle to discern what is truth and what is worldly. There are things that seem ok, that appear innocent enough but when held up to the Word, well, there is either no value in them, or they are actually completely counterintuitive. Let me give you an example. It seems innocent enough, reasonable enough, acceptable enough, to have a matching color scheme in your living room, to have coordinated bedroom furniture and fine china for holidays. These things are not sinful in themselves; they are indeed “ok.” At least on one level. Herein lies the problem and the arena in which we have a tendency to screw up. We are blessed with some money, we then spend hours online, or shopping, looking for and thinking about the furniture, knick knacks and chinaware we desire. We invest inordinate amounts of time considering and imagining what it is we want; we have therefore made these inanimate, completely noneternal objects treasures. Listen, if you value something beyond your time with Christ, your time in the Word or in prayer, on some level that something has become a treasure to you and that’s a problem. I’m speaking from my own convicted heart. I spent weeks looking for a stupid recliner. I was trying to get the best deal, I told myself, trying to spend the least amount of money because for me that was what determined whether or not the recliner would become a treasure, but here’s the thing, I spent more time on craigslist and driving to thrift stores looking for a recliner than I spent reading the Bible, than I spent praying, etc. That dumb recliner became a treasure even though I was trying to be frugal (not to mention I ended up getting so frustrated that I bought the cheapest new one I could find and trust me, that was a bad decision). I am guilty of being more concerned with finding a chair than spending time with my Redeemer. I really want my heart and treasure to be with Him, and I pray that this has been an eye-opening, life-changing lesson for me, and you.
Not Just Part “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Matthew 6:27 (ESV) I had a friend ask me, just yesterday, whether or not she should be hurt by something another friend had said to her. I know she was looking for approval, that she wanted me to tell her that her hurt feelings were justified, I know that. Truth be told, the situation would, understandably, be a bit painful. However, my answer to her was, “Will that be beneficial to you?” I think she was slightly taken aback at that moment, but she had to shake her head, no. She admitted quite readily that feeling hurt wouldn’t change the situation; it was completely out of her control. So I told her not to waste her emotions on things that would be pointless any way. I suspect that this is part of Christ’s lesson here. We are powerless to control a vast array of everyday life situations, we cannot worry our way into more control, it’s just not possible. We are told elsewhere we can’t change from black to white one hair on our heads. This is completely contrary to what the world tells us. We are instructed from a young age that we are the author’s of our own destinies (and we definitely see a lot of hair dye commercials). The world wants us to believe that we have control so that we will be tricked into failing to relinquish our lives to the Author of them. There are many times that I see people I love getting very bothered by what they view as loss of control. When things don’t go our way, when they are contrary to our expectations, when a 24 minute drive turns into an hour plus, it’s really easy to lose our cools, to concern ourselves with things that are already set in motion. Here’s the thing I guess I’m in the midst of learning right now, I may have a wonderful plan for my day, my week, heck, my hour, but if it doesn’t turn out the way I planned it, I just need to grin and bear it, move on and take the punches as they come. I tend to be ok in the not worrying department, but there are a bunch of other moments of wasted emotion that are just as useless as that W word. Father, help us to surrender all, not just part. Amen.
Smacking Myself Too “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 (ESV) I’ve seen this verse misconstrued multiple times. I’ve seen the name it and claim it, prosperity preachers insinuate that Jesus meant we could have all kinds of wealth and other ridiculous worldly concepts. However, if you read the verses prior to this one you’ll see that He’s talking about food, drink and clothes. In fact, it has been my experience that if you read through the Word you will discover that Christ only promised us those same three things. He didn’t promise us money, BMW’s or mansions. At this moment there’s a preacher pushing the prayer of Jabez and while I am not going to dispute it, I will point out the fact that this same preacher advertises his show while sitting in a makeshift throne surrounded by pictures of planes and yachts. Look, friends, Jesus told us He didn’t even have a place to rest His head! The best thing He had was a robe; people weren’t rolling dice for His acreage or His Mercedes. I know that’s one of my soap boxes and it’s so easy for me to go on and on about it, but I’ll refrain at the moment because I think the real point is, what are we seeking first? That’s where we screw up. Jesus was talking to the Jews at this particular moment in Scripture and He makes a point of telling His hearers that the Gentiles are seeking after food, drink and clothes. That translates to, non-believers are seeking the wrong things as the first and foremost. We are supposed to be different. Here’s the promise: Jesus basically tells us, look for Me, search for Me, focus on Me and I’ll provide your basic needs, those are nothing, I AM everything. Oh if we’d just get that through our fat heads! Prime example, I just had a baby, weight is coming off and now my clothes either sag or sausage… thusly I have a tendency to contemplate clothing purchases, is that relevant to eternity? Is it important what I wear (especially since I’m not going anywhere anyway)? No, and what suffers when I start focusing on worldly desires? My prayer life, my Bible reading. I’m not just telling you to seek first His kingdom; I’m smacking myself around too!
Keep Your Big Mouth Shut “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Matthew 7:1 (ESV) I used this verse to slam anyone who pointed out my immorality as I walked the prodigal road. It served its purpose, and that was to shut up the other person. I mean, who can tell you that your lifestyle is wrong without feeling a little bit judgmental when he/she says it? In addition, believers are constantly being attacked for judgmentalism and hypocrisy so when I threw this verse back at them it had a certain ring of truth to it. In fact, this verse is the one that popped into my head when my grandfather told me I was going to burn in hell for being a lesbian. However, something held my tongue and for whatever reason, his burning condemnation didn’t change how intensely I loved him. I understood that he was profoundly disturbed by my lifestyle and that even though judgment rang loud and clear in his tone it was backed by his deep love and concern for me. This is something we all need to think about. What I mean is, if we read the next verse Jesus tells us that we’ll be judged with the same judgment we pronounce. That’s pretty intense and therefore we need to examine our hearts before we call anyone out on any misdeed. My Pappaw loved me; he didn’t want me to miss out on being with Him for eternity; that’s why he said what he said, and even though I was bothered by his statement I knew it came out of a heart that loved me. Scriptures tell us that we will judge the angels, and that we should let our Spiritual siblings know when they are doing something contrary to the Word. That may seem to contradict the concept here but really it doesn’t, it’s all about the heart behind what we say and do. We are told to do everything in love, that we shouldn’t point out specks when we’ve got logs. I guess what I want you to get here, is that yes, you can redirect someone who has gone astray, yes there are definitive black and white lines in the Bible, but if you aren’t redirecting out of a sincere heartfelt concern for their eternal well-being, then keep your big mouth shut. Father, help us to examine ourselves and our motivations before we endeavor to point out someone else’s issues. Hold our tongues when necessary. Amen.
Needs Improvement “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3 (ESV) Perhaps you already know this, but if you don’t I am here to inform you that pretty much anything bad you recognize in someone else is probably prevalent in your own life. It’s real easy to see someone else’s controlling nature when you are a control freak. It’s super simple to call someone out on their lack of anger management when you’re prone to flying off the handle. Let’s think about this from a different perspective. I used to play the flute, I was first chair for many years and did the whole marching band thing, yes, I was a band nerd. Anyway, I became quite familiar with the sound of a flute and now, whenever I’m listening to music it is super easy for me to recognize the sound of the flute in the background. What I know, what I am accustomed to, what I am familiar with, will stand out to me wherever I am and that covers a wide gamut of things. People who collect certain things see them instantly in a pile of other rubbish because their eyes are trained to recognize those things. Aside from the Father, no one knows you better than you know yourself and therefore you are trained to recognize things that pertain to you (yep, even the bad stuff). I hope that explanation hasn’t been too redundant. It’s a lesson I am still having to go ‘round the mountain on. I am quite adept at recognizing my husband’s faults (I live with him after all) but I am trying not to point them out to anyone (including him) because I am equally aware of the fact that most of the things I would point out are really aspects of myself that I dislike. Biting your tongue is an art form, but it’s an invaluable one especially if you are married. In marriage it is always easy to discern areas that could be labeled needs improvement on your spouse’s report card. What’s not so easy is realizing and admitting you’ve got the same grade and your’s might actually be an unacceptable. Many times my husband’s got the speck and I’ve got the plank, what about you?
Hold Your Treasure Close “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Matthew 7:6 (ESV) While I don’t advise you to start labeling people dogs and pigs, I would recommend that you learn to recognize when someone falls into either of the two categories. Something else I’d like to point out (and this may be a little weird but it just hit me), is that both dogs and pigs have been considered pets. So, even when you have discerned the pigs and dogs in your life you can still love them; just don’t waste all your spiritual strength and knowledge on conversations with them hoping to win them over, or as the verse reminds us, they might turn on you and attack you. Maybe this is a good place to discuss how to recognize the animals in this world. Indeed I’ve known and still know a couple pigs/dogs and if I were to evaluate life truthfully, I’d say that while I was living the prodigal life in the pigpen of worldly lusts I adopted piggish behavior. No doubt I attacked a good number of people that called themselves believers (some of whom needed to be attacked – the real ones just didn’t give up). Anyhow, one surefire giveaway to the four-legged nature of some people is the way they respond to the name Jesus. When the eyes start rolling you might as well hear the barking and oinking. Another give away is those who want to immediately change topics whenever Scriptures or Faith are brought up. Listen, if someone doesn’t want to hear about His Love then no matter how much you try to beat it into him/her you are wasting your time and your pearls are just gonna get trampled. The Word of God is a precious thing, it’s a treasure to be sure and while some people place little value on it, if you know Him you realize there’s nothing greater on this earth than His Word and though you might want to share that Word with everyone you meet, some people just don’t care. They can’t tell the real thing from costume and are just as happy with plated trash than pure gold. Pray for those people, but hold your treasure close.
Stones and Serpents “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 (ESV) I heard someone talking about how we view the Father’s love for us. I want to say it was Charles Stanley’s son, Andy, but I could be wrong. Anyway he was saying that we look at our own children and adore them, we love them insanely and yet we doubt the Father’s immense love for us. He said it was like we are telling God, “I love better than You do.” I guess I’d never thought about it that way, but really, as with most things, it boils down to a pride issue. We think no one could love our children to the depth and dedication we do and thusly we doubt the Word of God that tells us He loves and treasures us. God is love so any love we provide to our children has come straight from Him and since most our friends (I hope) love their children that implies that God’s love is pretty extensive. Essentially, His love is way bigger than ours and way purer. Look at verses 9 and 10. Would you give your kid a stone instead of bread? A snake instead of a fish? I dare say not. So then, why do we think that our Father, who loves us more than we love our own children, won’t give good things to us? It’s unfortunate, but it seems to me that people are either on one side of the spectrum or the other when it comes to their understanding of God’s character. There are those who cling to the name-it-claim-it preaching, they grab onto the God is love verse and translate it into some doting, spoil-His-kids-by-giving-them-everything-they-want grandpa. Then there are those who are so attached to the fear Him verses they seem to think He’s nothing but a strict disciplinarian there to simply keep the kids in line. No doubt our understanding of the Heavenly Father generally gets its start based on our experiences with our earthly fathers. However, none of them are exact replicas, they aren’t Jesus after all. We need to study His Word in order to get a true feel for Him and His abounding love for us. He only does things that will ultimately result in our good and yeah, some of those things hurt, but He’s never going to gives us stones and serpents when we need something else.
Arenas of Personality to Repair “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (ESV) Have you ever really thought about this verse? I mean really thought about it to the point you could quickly list the things you want people to do to you? Truthfully that seems like a daunting task, what would I want people to do to me? Maybe that’s why we have such difficulty treating each other properly. Perhaps it’s because we’ve never taken the time to consider what proper treatment of another human being involves. Also, if we really had a tangible list of our own desires then it seems to me we’d be better equipped to react the way we’d like other people to. Hmm…this is certainly something to think about. So, if I did have to create this list, what would be at the top? Honestly, two words popped into my head immediately, respect and listen. Respect is a big one and no doubt a bunch of us can grab onto that one, but the fact that listen came instantaneously too tells me something about myself. Obviously I feel like people don’t listen to me. I can think of one person right off the bat, I’m sure you can too. But, like we said in a previous devotion, the things we notice as faults in others are typically our own as well. So that implies then that I don’t listen like I should and truth be told, I have recently noticed myself zoning out when people are talking to me. I can honestly say this hasn’t been a problem in the past for me; I have always been dubbed a good listener but now, well, yeah, I’m failing in that arena and that failure is what’s making me notice when other people aren’t giving me their undivided attention. Now that I’ve got things to think about and arenas of personality to repair; what about you? What was at the top of your list and did it occur to you that it was an area of weakness in your own life? One more thing about this verse, perhaps we should think through certain situations and how we would like other people to handle them if we were in it, that way we’ll know how to react when someone hits us in the Home Depot parking lot. Just saying.
A Heap More “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:14 (ESV) I hope that I am not the only one who has been sitting in her recliner, a newborn baby nursing away, thinking, “Man, the Christian life is hard.” I hope I’m not the only one who’s thought, “It would be so much easier to run away.” If I am, well, thankfully my Father loves me anyway! I heard some television preacher telling the audience that anyone who said the Christian life was hard wasn’t living it right. That bothered me. First of all ,that individual was insinuating that I wasn’t living my Faith properly but secondly, the statement contradicted this verse which tells me that this preacher was dead wrong and probably caused some damage to those listening. If Jesus, Himself, told us that the Way is hard, we should anticipate the fact that claiming Faith in Christ isn’t the easy road, it’s not all peaches and cream. In fact, we know full well that He told us we would have troubles in this life, that the world would hate us. How then could we possibly assume that a life aligned with Christ is an easy, happy-go-lucky one? I am so bothered by preachers that imply that when we aren’t living in abundance, wealth, and excessive happiness we must be doing something wrong. Here’s the thing, that peace and joy we have in the Savior is an internal, eternal one, it’s not the same peace and joy that world wants to offer us, in fact Christ said that, “My peace I give to you and not as the world gives you.” Here’s the most disturbing thing I think in reference to this verse, there are a ton of people who think they are on the narrow path, that assume they’ve entered through the narrow gate but the truth is, they are on their way to destruction. Remember, Solomon told us, “there is a way that seems right to a man…” So, even if someone’s living it up and claiming the Faith and therefore is looking down on you as you struggle through the hard Way, don’t give into envy, what you’ll have at the end of the voyage is a heap more than what they’ve got now.
Give Everyone a Try “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” Matthew 7:16 (ESV) The verse before this is in reference to false prophets who Christ compares to ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing. Then He tells us that we will recognize these wolves based on their fruit. This is a hard verse to digest (excuse the fruit-based pun). I say that because I can think of some things that are labeled fruits but in my personal opinion are absolutely disgusting. For instance, have you ever tried the Chinese cherry that grows on a vine? I’m not sure what its scientific name is, I know my Pappaw liked to eat them, but in my opinion they are terrible. So, though they are indeed a fruit, they aren’t good. I think that sometimes these wolves are quite convincing. The fruit that is seen, can only be revealed as bad upon taste. A lot of times the wolves are producing nice looking fruit but the heart of the wolf reveals the putrescence of his/her motivation. Here’s something else to think about: Blackberries (though I’m not a fan, some people find them delightful). Blackberries grow on a thorny vine, in case you were unaware. Likewise, some people’s thorny appearance will deter you from recognizing the healthy fruit therein. That’s why we are told not to judge based on appearances. That makes this verse less simplistic than it initially appears. You see, things are not always as they seem, some delectable looking fruit is really vomitous and some scary and dangerous looking plants produce some really delicious fruit. People are more than their first impressions imply. There is depth in every individual, some of them are deeply dark while others are bright as the sun but hidden by the shade of their exterior portrayals. Not every tattooed person is still a rebel. Not every serious face is representative of an angry personage. Not every smile is sincere. Sometimes we have to sample the fruit, get to know the person, before we can recognize him/her for who he/she is. Don’t be afraid to give everyone a try, but don’t be too timid to walk away from the wolves either.
Nodding and Grinning Like Everyone Else “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24 (ESV) Herein lies the problem. I heard someone talking today about people being passive listeners. Perhaps he was speaking on this verse, but regardless of the passage of choice, the truth is, we go to church, we listen to Joy FM or Moody Radio, we watch Joyce Meyer and we read our Bibles, but if that’s all we do, we are simply wasting our time. Harsh? Maybe, but truth nonetheless. Jesus didn’t say, everyone who hears My Words, no, He added, and does them. That’s the key to having a house that withstands the storms, of living a life that makes it through the tumultuous psychoness of the world. We have to do what the Savior tells us in His Word, we can’t just nod and smile. Faith is an active participator sport. I’m not big on sports, though I do like soccer, so I will run with that illustration. Here’s the thing, this life is a contact sport much like soccer. I realize some people don’t see soccer that way but I would bet those people never played the game for real. I played in college and I ran into a lot of people and a lot of people ran into me. That’s the way of life. People try to drive through you, they try to trample you just for the sake of getting to their own goals, they couldn’t careless whether or not you end up on your rear end due to their taking you out. The only time anyone cares about what they do to someone else in this life is when a foul is called, just like in soccer. They’ll barrel through you without any sense of guilt or concern until the ref throws a card their way and then they’ll do all they can to argue their way out of it. Life is just like that. We have to be different than those on the other team. We have to recognize that the Savior asks us to live differently, to be different. Actually, not only do we have to recognize this truth, but we really truly have to DO it, that’s what makes the difference in the stability of our homes, our lives, and our families. Are you living what you hear, or just nodding and grinning like everyone else?
Sandcastles Don’t Last “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:27 (ESV) It’s the last part of this verse that really gets my attention. It’s the concept of the fall of that house being great. The problem is, people walk around thinking that their houses, lives and families are in good shape. They walk around thinking that they are good people and therefore they won’t experience the greatness of what will be an eternal fall. My heart hurts for people like that. Part of me wants to scream, “WAKE UP! JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY!” but then I’d be equated with the guys on the street corners doing that same thing. Does that ever work I wonder? Anyway, if you are living a fake Christian life, if you’re claiming the Faith simply because you go to church and you have five Joyce Meyer books on the shelf in your living room and you can quote a few choice Scriptures, please oh please realize that you’ve built your home on sand. Oh dear one, the world would much rather we see the sand as stone, but trust me, they are not equivalent. Yes, sand can eventually be prepared to make bricks and concrete and things that will last but unless those things are held together by the glue of doing what Christ tells you (in the midst of a relationship with Him), your life will remain unstably sandy. Look, we live in Florida so we should be quite familiar with the beach and the building of sandcastles. I want you then to visualize the travesty that one ocean wave wreaks. If you’ve ever seen those shows where the professional sand sculptors build intricate and massive structures, I dare you to consider those creations, the time consumed in building them, the loveliness of their appearances and then, whamo in your mind’s eye watch a wave crush it in one fell swoop. Consider then the devastation not only to that precious sand sculpture, but the loss experienced by its creator. Yes indeed, the fall is great. Now imagine a wealthy, seemingly content, has everything he/she could ever want individual and in so imagining make sure you visualize that person without Christ in his/her world. When eternity’s wind and waves smacks him/her at the end of life, and unquenchable fire engulfs him/her, you better believe that fall is great. Sandcastles don‘t last and neither does life without Christ.
Authority is Found in Love “for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” Matthew 7:29 (ESV) Jesus talked a lot to people. He gave many impromptu speeches and in most of them He shared parables with His listeners. In this particular instance He has just finished comparing life without Him to being a house built on the sand. The previous verse says that people were astonished by His teaching. That’s when we get to this verse, the reason they were astonished. Now maybe this verse doesn’t really hold much value or weight to you, but as a writer it speaks volumes to me. In other verses we see that the Sadducees are not mentioned rather they are called scribes and the Pharisees are referred to as lawyers. The Sadducees and Pharisees were the most powerful people in the Jewish faith, they were the leaders, those who memorized and practiced the law and those who wrote it down. I see them as the Senate and House of Representatives, powerful political figure heads that don’t do us any good (sorry if you’re really pleased with the current political arena). Anyway, the concept then for me is that these people had a semblance of power, or authority, but they really didn’t have the respect of the people. That’s why Jesus stood out to them. Here’s what I’d like you to consider. We’ve all had the joy of education at least to some degree therefore we have all been subjected to a variety of teachers. There were those that came to work and did their jobs, taught the curriculum and got their pay checks without ever winning a single one of us over, without making an ounce of difference in any child’s life. Then there were the real teachers, the passionate ones that not only loved their subjects but loved their students. These were the ones you found yourself looking forward to. Why? Because the authority they demonstrated to you was really only evident in the way they treated you. You see, Jesus had compassion on the people He spoke to, that was hugely obvious to the crowds that followed Him and that’s why His authority was real to them. As representatives of Christ we need to get that major point, people must know that we care before they’ll care about what we know (surely you’ve heard that adage before).
Let Him “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:11-12 (ESV) I have read that verse many times and only recently did it dawn on me that Jesus was referring to the Jews. He was telling them that though they claim Abraham as father, they weren’t going to get to sit at the table with him. He was warning them of their need for Him and yet they refused to acknowledge His position as the Son of God and that was why they would and will indeed end up in that place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. The Jews were supposed to be sons of the kingdom, they were His chosen people and they knew Him not. While this is a sad sad thing, it is a blessing because through their disobedience we have had the opportunity for salvation opened up to us. The Word tells us as much. Jesus told people that He had come only for the Jews; in fact He calls one woman a dog simply because she’s not a Jew. He came here for His people and they spit in His face, however if they hadn’t there’d be no hope for us. This should change our perception of the Jews. Oft times we judge them for their forever trip around the mountain, or their displeasure with Manna from Heaven, or whatever other thing we think we’d never do. Wake up! Listen, we are saved by Grace because the forefathers of the Jews rejected Christ. The Scriptures tell us that because we have been saved, because we have become lights for this world, the Jews will find Him in us. So, while it was necessary for the Jews to reject Him that we might be welcomed into the Kingdom, that we might be grafted into the original vine, it is imperative that our salvation have an affect on the Jews. We were saved so that He might reach the rest of them. Don’t ever think you’re better than a Jew, or that the Jews are forever condemned. God hasn’t given up on them; in fact He intends to use you to reach His chosen ones, Jew and Gentile. Let Him.
No Turning Back “And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Matthew 8:19-20 (ESV) It’s all or nothing. Let the dead bury the dead and don’t turn back once you’ve put your hands to the plow. It is all or nothing with Jesus; He makes that abundantly clear here and in the verses that follow. I think too, that He wanted the scribe to realize that the road the Messiah tread was not a comfortable one, it wasn’t one of wealth and luxury, it wasn’t some six month cruise around the world vacation. No indeed, it was three years of threats on His life, no where to call home, rejection, potential stonings and eventually utter torture and sacrifice. He wanted that scribe to understand the trials, the un-fun things that would come to pass. I wonder if Christ told us the junk we’d have to endure for His name’s sake (specifically) if we’d still agree to follow Him. I know that He warns us that the world will hate us and that we will have troubles and that the Way is hard. He makes no false promises of utter pleasure and jubilation. Yet, so many of those who call on His name do so with this false sense of a genie in the bottle, always wants to bless you, abundant life, prosperity God and when they discover they’ve no place to put their heads they give up, they reject the road that leads to salvation. I was struck, in my first allthe-way-thru reading of the Bible by the verse that tells us that if we turn back to our old lives then our situation will be infinitely worse than what it was when we supposedly accepted Christ (go read it as that’s a paraphrased-by-Ginny-translation = Luke 11:26 & Matthew 12:45). I think that was another way of telling us it’s all or nothing. Before you decide to commit to this Christian life, take some time to really consider what that means. “Yes,” to Christ means “no,” to the world and to yourself. It means trouble and being hated and acknowledging that you’d rather die than deny His Name. Understand just how serious this is because you’d be better off saying no the first time than turning back later.
Freak Out “And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:25-26 (ESV) Jesus was sleeping and His disciples were wigging out. I find that kind of amusing. How many times is Jesus just chilling in Heaven while we’re down here freaking out about our stormy circumstances? I bet somewhere inside Himself He has to laugh at our timidity, our chicken-hearted, lily-livered selves. I mean really, if we are children of the Most High God, if we are friends of Christ, if we claim to trust Him, then why in the world do we shake in our boots whenever something gets a little bit tumultuous in life? Truth is, we don’t really trust Him and that’s where most of our problems stem from. The storm starts to swamp the boat and the disciples think they are going to die and that’s when they cry out to Him. I find this interesting. It makes me wonder if they first started off like most of us do when life gets rough. I mean, did they try turning around, or did they try to scoop the excess water out? Basically, did they try to fix the problem themselves? I bet they did, they’re human, and only until they were willing to admit their inability to save themselves did they cry out for His help. How many times have we said (and heard others say), “all that’s left to do is pray”? Calling on our Redeemer should always be the first thing we do, not the last. I suspect if they’d called on Him first, then He wouldn’t have had to rebuke them prior to calming the storm (note that He points out their little faith before He halts the wind and waves). Think about it, if they’d just woken Him up and said, “Jesus, there’s a storm brewing and we think we might need your assistance,” He could have told them it was no big deal, that they’d be fine and to wake Him when they got to shore. Instead they battled it on their own until they couldn’t handle it anymore and went to Him in a panic. Don’t you deal better with calm people? I suspect Christ would prefer our calm request for assistance than our oh-manI-can’t-handle-this freak out.
They Stare Blindly Past “And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of
God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Matthew 8:29 (ESV) Surely you are familiar with the Gadarene demoniac story as that’s where this particular verse takes place. However, throughout Scripture you will discover that the demons knew exactly who Jesus was and often times He told them to shut up. While this might not astonish some of you, I personally am amazed by the fact that Jesus came to earth with the sole purpose of sharing who He was with the Jews and they refused to acknowledge Him. He did all kinds of miracles, signs and teachings as a means of testifying to His Divinity and they were still blind. Yet, the enemy’s minions, the very entities fighting to keep His children blind, immediately recognized Him and acknowledged His power aloud. I remember reading James 2:19, even the demons know and tremble, thinking that verse was a slap in the face to every atheist and agnostic out there and this verse is more than that, it’s a smack to the Jews. It’s really sad that the bad guys knew who Jesus was but the ones He came to share Himself with couldn’t recognize Him. Something else that’s intriguing about this verse is the fact that the demons are aware of their imminent end. We see that when they ask Jesus if He’s come to torture them before the right time. That tells the reader that our enemy knows his end and so do all that serve him whether they are willing to readily admit it or not. Another thing that I note here is that there is fear in the demons that their end has arrived before they anticipated it. I know that Jesus tells us that only the Father knows when the end will come but I have to wonder if perhaps the enemy has some inkling. Not that he knows, because Christ certainly didn’t lie, but I suspect he’s aware of all the signs that will lead to his ultimate destruction. I so wish that people were as adept at recognizing the King of Kings and Prince of Peace, that more of them would be anticipating His return and the abolishing of all evil. Sadly, they continue to stare blindly past all His miracles, signs and teachings.
Think About How Badly We Hurt Him “And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.” Matthew 8:34 (ESV) Still in the Gadarenes, after Jesus has cast the legion of demons into the pigs and released the demon-possessed men (yes, in Matthew it says there are two) from the heinous life they’d been resigned to for so many years, the pig herders went into the city and told everyone what Jesus had done. There are a couple of issues here, the first is, if these people were claiming the Jewish faith and lineage there is absolutely no way they should be raising pigs. Secondly, the destruction of said pigs meant some serious loss to the owners and probably to the whole town. It is certain that they were making money off the pigs and quite possibly, since they’d lowered themselves to raise them, feeding their families with them as well. So while we see Jesus save two tormented men, the Gadarenes see Him destroy their livelihood and dinner. I think we forget that when we act shocked that they sent Him away. I wonder if we ever see the miracles of Christ as bad news? Here’s an example that comes immediately to mind: I have a friend that was severely (made for TV movie) sexually abused. She told me once that her abuser had claimed to have received salvation on his death bed. She then said, “If God lets him in, I don’t want to go there.” That man did evil horrid things to her and though his salvation is a miracle for him, she finds it to be a slap in the face. I think there are a lot of victims who feel that way. What I’m about to say next may seem a little insensitive but I feel it should be said anyway. I heard Joyce Meyer say, “When are you going to let go of what happened to you when you were three?” Yes, I understand that some of us have never really injured someone like that guy did, but we have all fallen short of the glory and are therefore in need of a Savior. That abuser’s salvation is no less and no more miraculous than our own and when we come to understand that, we’ll be significantly less likely to tell Jesus to leave our region. His miracles for others are applause worthy even if they hurt us a little bit; think about how badly we hurt Him.
Man or Messiah? “When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.” Matthew 9:8(ESV) Go read verses one through eight. I have to tell you I love that verse four tells us that Jesus knew the evil thoughts the scribes had in their hearts. There are other instances in which He responds to people’s questions before they’ve even voiced them. I wonder if the scribes wigged out a little when He called them out and asked, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” I imagine their eyeballs got huge and their hearts started to race. Think about it, what if your Spiritual doubts were broadcast? What if Jesus called you out on your lack of Faith? Anyway, that’s not the point. A paralytic has been brought to the Savior and He tells the man that his sins have been forgiven. However, the scribes and other people think that this is a blasphemous statement and so Jesus goes a step further and tells the crowd that He’ll prove His ability to forgive sins by healing the man. The man’s paralysis leaves him and he carries off his bed and goes home just as Jesus instructs him. Thusly we arrive at verse eight, people saw this miracle, there were witnesses. This is where I have to stop and ponder the verse… First, the people react in fear. A paralytic picks up his bed and walks and the people start shaking in their boots. I suspect we’d probably do the same thing. I know there are all kinds of people that advertise themselves as faith-healers and their churches as having signs and wonders following each service, but I’m not gonna lie, I don’t believe a word. However, if someone I knew to be ill was miraculously healed before my eyes I think I’d get a little shaken up too. What’s great though is the next part of the verse, they glorified God! Surely we’d praise Him too. And then the world slips in…notice that they glorified God for giving such authority to men. They praised God but continued to disbelieve in Christ’s divinity. They lowered His status to the level of mere human. I am bothered by that order of thought, get scared, praise God, and demote Jesus. What’s His position in your life? Man or Messiah?
Let His Spirit Draw “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.” Matthew 9:9(ESV) We’ve talked numerous times about the fact the disciples just dropped everything without question and followed an ordinary looking individual with extraordinary magnetism. I like that last word, that last image, magnetism. Jesus is magnetic, true Faith, lived out Spirituality, will draw people to the Father just as Christ did when He simply said, “Come follow me.” I think back on people that I have known, ones that exuded intense Faith and devotion to the Messiah; there was something about them, whether it was their smile or their tone of voice I couldn’t tell you, but something about those people made me want to talk to them. My best friend, Susan, comes to mind now. When I first met her I thought she was a snob because she didn’t speak. Then a few years later I met her again and for whatever reason I knew that I needed to try to get her to be my friend. People that know Jesus have a sweetness of spirit that your average Joe just can’t emulate. Twenty-two years later she and I are still deeply attached and I rest easy in the knowledge that should one or the other of us be called home we won’t be separated for long. I imagine that Jesus’ presence pulled at people. I’ve long thought that God, in His infinite wisdom, designed our solar system to represent His divine order. What I mean is the sun is the center and its magnetic pull is what holds all things together. So, just as the earth is drawn and forever attached to the sun, so Christ is our central focal point, the One that keeps us in orbit. Matthew was sitting there at that table making money off his own people, ripping them off; that’s what tax collectors did and then the righteousness of God approached him and all his sins became abundantly clear. I bet he expected to be lashed, or punished or at least reprimanded but when Christ simply asked him to come and follow, well, I bet he breathed a sigh of relief and thinking it the least he could do, got up and followed. When Christ calls we should let His Spirit draw us.
Show Us “for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.” Matthew 9:21-22 (ESV) I love this story so much. I don’t think I can tell you how incredible I feel it is! While I certainly wouldn’t want the issue of blood this woman endured, I can tell you that I’d like her sense of certainty when it came to approaching her King. I’d also love the Messiah to tell me that my faith has made me well. That runs right along with, well done good and faithful servant in my mind. How many times have my doubts ruled out my victories, canceled answered prayers? I love that this woman understood that anything Jesus touched would have the potential to heal her. She knew that she wouldn’t have to hold His hand; that He wouldn’t have to spit on her eyes or make any other skin to skin contact. She knew that His power was so expansive it even penetrated His robe. I wonder how different our lives would be if we really got this concept? Here’s what I am thinking: if you have been touched by Christ, made a new creation in Him, if His amazing Spirit lives within you, then you have more power than you realize. We are so weak because we don’t believe that we have access to the King, or to His strength and power. We don’t have the Faith that the bleeding woman had, the Faith that says, if I’ll just reach out to Him, He’ll heal me. Instead we mope around this planet constantly trying to fix things on our own and all we do is mess them up and keep right on bleeding; we spend all our money on earthly fixes when all we have to do is reach out for His garment in Faith. Father, help us to surrender to you immediately when the blood comes. Help us to realize that no amount of money or human ingenuity can solve our problems. Enable us to reach out to You in Faith and then Father, show us Your grace and mercy and heal us based on the Faith we exhibit at those moments. Thank you for empowering us to lean on You completely. Amen.
Don’t Keep it a Secret “Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” Matthew 9:29 (ESV) These blind men were following Christ, screaming out to Him to show them mercy. Perhaps they just wanted alms, but I suspect they knew that He had so much more than a denarius to give them. What’s interesting here, and actually there are a couple things I’d like to discuss, but first things first; in verse 28 He asks them if they believe He is able to “do this.” Now, the men haven’t asked Him for anything besides a showing of mercy and yet Jesus knew what they wanted and He wanted to make sure they believed in His power. Of course they tell Him that they believe. Now, the next thing is interesting in that Jesus could have simply said, “according to your faith be it done for you,” but instead He touches them first. Two things, sometimes we need to feel the hands of healing on our bodies. We need to tangibly experience the compassion and power that will make us well. Secondly, Jesus doesn’t say, “Gain thy sight.” No, He leaves it open in that these men will be healed according to their Faith. To me that means if they had more than just blindness as an issue, if they believed for a healing of cancer and a marriage and a prodigal child along with their sight then it would have been done for them. Can you see that possibility in Christ’s words there? Maybe I’m just odd, but I see Him telling them that whatever they’ve believed He could do, that’s what will be done. Obviously the two men are healed and then Jesus warns them not to tell anyone. However, if you jump down to verse 31 you’ll see that there was no way they could keep such an incredible miracle to themselves. No, that verse tells us that they spread His fame throughout the district. Basically they went around telling everybody all that Christ had done for them. Can you imagine going up to a buddy who’s known you were blind your whole life and then declaring, “All I had to do was believe that Jesus would heal me and…” then answer the, “How many fingers am I holding up?” question. You couldn’t keep that a secret, why do you keep salvation to yourself now?
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