Tag: Truth

Posted on

Pray For The Fathers

OCTOBER 7

MATTHEW 7:9_Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask…

To become a parent rates very high in the blessing category. Psalm 127:3-5 (KJV), “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” 

According to this verse, children are one of those ways God rewards His people. Arrows in the hand of a mighty man are powerful. If hunting is the goal, then the bow is no good without the arrows. The arrows are everything to achieving the purpose of the hunt. Fathers should realize the reward God gives them in children. They should feel strength and might in fatherhood, and they should feel happy. 

I wish these verses were true in the life of every child who is born. However, since they are not, I pray for Malachi 4:6 (KJV) to become a reality, “And he [Elijah the prophet] shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers …”

As much as is possible in my tiny space in the world, I want to contribute to this becoming reality.

Pray for the fathers in your circle of life.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, Help me feel the specialness that is mine as Your child. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ teaches children are a reward—I am one!

Posted on

The Right Place

OCTOBER 4

MATTHEW 7:8_and he that seeketh, findeth…

Proverbs 20:27 says my spirit is God’s candle. We’ve talked a lot about candles in these devotionals. We’ve talked about the purpose of light—to dispel and overcome darkness. We’ve talked about candles set on candlesticks. We’ve talked about replacing the smaller candle and candlestick with larger ones as life moves on, and more light is needed. In this verse, a candle is used to in a different way – to gain insight into who I really am.

Now, the candle (my spirit) is used by God not to share light with others but—to search inside of me. God uses my spirit to shed light into my heart, and all that I am. He uses it to see what my heart seeks. Does it seek to know Him and make Him known, or does it seek to make me known?

Jesus told me to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Is that where He finds my spirit shedding light—on God’s righteousness? If God finds me seeking how to turn the other cheek, go the second mile, give to those who ask, and do good to those who hurt and use me, then He’s found me in the right place.

According to Jesus, if I’m seeking to live that kind of life—I’ll find it.

PRAYER

Almighty Father, I’m seeking the truth of Your kingdom. I’m seeking Your righteousness – to dwell in me. Thank You that I’ll find it. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                   

Christ knows if I seek righteousness—If so, I’ll find it!

Posted on

Priceless and Unsurpassed

SEPTEMBER 27

MATTHEW 7:6_lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

This is not a lesson against pigs or dogs. It is a lesson on the priceless and unsurpassed value of your faith and trust in Jesus. The pathway of life He has been teaching in these three chapters.

To have the teachings of Jesus poured into you only to cast them aside for temporal pleasures, is a waste. Jesus compares His teachings to that which is holy. He also compares them to pearls—of the very highest quality. To throw His words out to dogs and pigs, like table scraps is deplorable.

Once you’ve learned the truth and rejected it, or worse cheapened it by trying to live spiritually and worldly at the same time, you’ve strayed from the path. There is something you can count on—life itself will in some form or another come back and rend you under foot. You can live life like this the rest of your days, or you can cry out to God to save you. 

Luke 15:20 (KJV), “And he [prodigal son] arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

God’s compassion is stronger than an earthly father’s.

PRAYER

Father of Compassion,  I praise You that You call me back if I go astray! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                    

Christ’s pathway has unsurpassed value—He guides me!

Posted on

The Bottom Line

SEPTEMBER 21

MATTHEW 7:5_Thou hypocrite…

Jesus knew two things in the incident of the woman taken in adultery. He knew the condition of her heart now, and in her past. He knew the circumstances which led to this incident at this time. We can’t expect our earthly authorities to know all of this, but the Holy Spirit can reveal truth. Besides the fact that He knew her heart, Jesus had the ability to read her heart in her facial expressions and body language. 

There was something else Jesus knew – the hearts of the Scribes and Pharisees who brought her before Him. He knew more about them than they knew about each other, or even about themselves. Remember John 8:5-6 (KJV), “ ‘Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such [adulterers] should be stoned: but what sayest thou?’ 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him …”

Jesus understood the real purpose for the Scribes and Pharisees bringing the woman. It had nothing to do with justice of the Law. It had nothing to do with adultery.  The bottom line was to bring Jesus down. At the time this occurred, Jesus was in the temple teaching. The Pharisees’ goal was to cause Jesus to look ignorant before the multitude of followers who sat at His feet.

If Jesus were a true God-fearing Jew, He would uphold the Law. If He didn’t enforce the Law, then everyone in the temple that day would know Jesus was a heretic.

We’re not finished with this subject yet!

PRAYER

Father God, Help me become discerning of the hearts of others. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                              

 Christ knows true hearts from false—He helps mine!

Posted on

A Big Stick

SEPTEMBER 18

MATTHEW 7:4_and behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

According to Zechariah 2:8 (KJV), God considers Israel as the apple of His eye, “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me [an angel] unto the nations which spoiled you [Israel]: for he that toucheth you [Israel] toucheth the apple of his [God’s] eye.”

Paul saw Israel and the Jews as the apple of God’s eye. He saw Christians as a blot in God’s eye. He could not see the true blot – his own sect, the Pharisees.

God saw the fervor with which Paul attacked Christians. And because God sees the heart, it was clear Paul’s fervor came from love and devotion to God. It was that love and devotion which caused God to choose Paul (not the other way around) to become a two-fold fixer for His beloved Israel.

God used Paul’s great zeal to publically proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. This cleared away the beam from the eyes of any Pharisees with a true heart for God. God also used Paul’s zeal to bring salvation to the Gentiles – the Messiah died for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.

Because Paul was so far off the path, God used a big stick (discipline) to straighten him out.

Then God used Paul in an amazing way.    

PRAYER

Holy God, Please use my zeal to share Your truth. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.   

Christ chooses to use me in the world—I will let Him!