Some of my favorite commercials have come from the Klondike Bar ice cream company. Their catchphrase is “What would you do for a Klondike?”, followed by some of the most extreme examples of people doing something to get their ice cream bar. One of my favorite commercials involved a man willing to shave off one of his eyebrows and looking ridiculous for the ice cream (I apparently am not willing to do much, because I’ve never actually eaten one).
We are asked a similar question in our devotion today, but not involving ice cream: this involves the kingdom of God. In Matthew 13, the kingdom of God is compared to two gentlemen willing to sell everything that they possess to acquire it, like a hidden treasure or a precious pearl. They recognize two things: the kingdom of God is something of tremendous value, and that everything they own cannot compare with its marvelous wonder. Although they are sacrificing much, they are making the wisest investment of their life. Imagine if you had the opportunity to possess a winning lottery ticket that would give you 100 million dollars: all it would take is to sell all your possessions… would you take that deal? Would that lottery ticket not be able to buy back everything you had and more?
See, Jesus also promised that if we give our lives for the kingdom of God, we would receive a hundred times as much in this life and in the next age (see Matthew 19:27-30). He wasn’t asking us to simply give up everything just because he felt like it: he promised infinitely more than we could ever imagine, if we would simply trust him and follow his kingdom-way. You would be making the wisest investment of your life if you chose the kingdom of God over every possible path that this life has to offer, and you would gain much more than this life could ever offer. So, “What would you do for the kingdom of God?” What are you willing to risk for eternal life?
Perhaps a more direct question is in order as well: “What are you NOT willing to risk for the kingdom of God?” We all have something we hold dear, whether that be personal possessions, a deeply-held family connection, or a desired career path. There are some things that will be difficult to let go of to pursue Jesus and the kingdom of God, but that’s the point: he wants you FULLY committed, willing to give him everything because he gave everything for you. This is something that we must consistently ask ourselves and reflect on what we are holding back from our Lord.
What would you do for the kingdom of God?
Talon Paul
Reflection Questions
Both men in today’s parables recognized the kingdom of God as something of great value. What value do you place on the kingdom of God? Why?
What have you already given up to pursue Jesus and the Kingdom of God?
What are you having a difficult time letting go of in order to gain the kingdom of God?
Explain how giving it all can be a wise investment.
What is the wisest investment you can make with your day today, and with the week ahead of you, if you are fully committed to living for the kingdom?
Genesis 35 begins with God telling Jacob to go to Bethel and make an altar there to “the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” God is reminding Jacob of what He has done for him in the past. Do you remember what Rachel did a few chapters back? She stole her father’s idols! Jacob’s household STILL has these foreign gods in their possession. The very first commandment in the Ten Commandments (which will be) given to Moses is “You shall have no other gods before me”. What have Jacob’s people done? They have sinned!
I find this next part so interesting. In verses 2 and 3 Jacob gives instructions to his people. He says “put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.” This is repentance. Did Jacob say that they could keep the idols in their spare room and ignore them? NO. They took everything that was an idol or connected to paganism and buried them in the ground. They cast the items of sin out of their midst. Then, after turning away, they purified themselves and changed their clothes.
One commentary makes an interesting point about the garments. There are multiple places in scripture where garments symbolize the character of people. How interesting is it that Jacob told his people to change their garments, almost like a physical way to visualize the heart change of repentance? This gives even more depth to the verses that say things like “put on Christ” or “put on the new self”. WOW! Let’s take a second to thank the Lord for the true gift of Jesus and what that means for our personal lives. The Old Testament is filled with people making altars to God for numerous things. We don’t have to do that anymore because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. Now, our lives are an offering to God and Christ is the one to cover all of our sins. How amazing is that?
Okay, back to Jacob. What do you notice about God in this chapter? I notice how gracious God is. These people had taken false gods! There was no reason why they deserved to have God on their side. But He is still faithful to them! He guides them, protects them, and then blesses them by giving Jacob an incredible promise at the end of the chapter.
How amazing it is to have a God that will forgive us. I want this story to prompt us today to think about any areas in our lives where we are holding on to sin. If we are in Christ, we are a new creation, and although that doesn’t mean we are perfect yet, it does mean that we are continually being transformed. Ephesians 4 says, “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” What does that look like in your life? Think about how you can “put on the new self” today.
-Katelyn Salyers
Reflection Questions
What will it look like to take off your old self? What do you need to get out of your house, your heart, your life? Are you hiding any foreign gods?
What will it look like to put on your new self today? How can you put on a clean set of clothes?
“The Kingdom of heaven is like…”Six times we will read that phrase through the rest of Matthew 13 as Jesus shares parable after parable, with the purpose of explaining the Kingdom of heaven, first to the large crowd on the shore and then more directly to his disciples. Jesus knows that they are expecting a Messiah to come rule and set up a kingdom that will overthrow the Roman army and government. Jesus wants them to know the Kingdom he is teaching about is far greater and very different from what they are looking and hoping for.
It is interesting that Matthew is the only Old or New Testament writer who will use the phrase “kingdom of heaven”. Many of the same parables will also be told in Mark and Luke and they will use the phrase “kingdom of God”. John doesn’t include all of Jesus’ parables in his gospel account, but does write of the “kingdom of God.” So, why is Matthew different? As a Jew himself Matthew was writing to convince the other Jews that Jesus was indeed the Messiah promised to Jews long ago. His original audience was very aware of God’s laws about misusing His name and so they cautiously omitted referring to God by name and replaced God’s name with the place God dwells – heaven. Matthew was not trying to create confusion about where this Kingdom would take place. As we read these parables and continue throughout the gospels and New Testament let’s look again and again to see if the hope of the kingdom Jesus taught is to be whisked away to live in clouds or to inherit and possess the land. And when does it take place?
A word repeated many more times than “kingdom” in Matthew 13 is “hear”. Open up your ears and really listen to what Jesus has to say. Don’t assume you’ve heard this sermon before so you can check out. He has mysteries to reveal about the kingdom, but so many will miss it because they don’t really listen to the words of Jesus. So, this year instead of reading through Matthew 13 in one day we thought it would be profitable to slow down and take the parables one day at a time. Many times through the year in our SeekGrowLove Bible reading plan when we come to a new parable we will give a day to the reading and thinking and hearing of that parable. Sometimes the devotion might be written about one of the other Bible passages, but you can still take the opportunity to soak in what Jesus is saying and teaching, often about God’s kingdom.
So, today’s parable is about weeds (we’ll go back and hit the mustard seed and yeast tomorrow). Who doesn’t love a good weed story? And, with this particular weed parable we get the benefit of hearing Jesus’ explanation when the disciples questioned Jesus after the crowds were gone. But the story didn’t start with weeds – it started with the Son of Man planting good wheat seeds in the world. But then the devil sneaks in at night and plants weed seeds. And so the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one grow up together. This is your neighborhood, your school, your office environment, your world. Side by side. Sons of the kingdom and sons of the evil one. Growing older and taller, together. All mixed up, together. Side by side. Wheat and weeds. Righteous and wicked. Until…
Why do we have to wait? Can’t we just take out the weeds NOW? No, Jesus says. Both will grow together until the time of the harvest at the end of the age. Will the weeds and the wheat be sorted out when they each die? No, Jesus says. Both will grow together until the time of the harvest at the end of the age. We aren’t there yet, but every day we are a day closer. What will the harvest look like? Let’s hear what Jesus has to say: “The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:41-43).
Wheat or weeds? You are one or the other. There isn’t a third choice. Which do you want to be?
Son of the Kingdom or Son of the evil one? You are one or the other. Which do you want to be? Which will you strive to be? What will it look like?
Fiery furnace or shining like the sun? Which will the harvest reveal as your destiny?
Have you heard the words of Jesus? How will you respond?
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions
What have you been taught about the Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven? Does it line up with Jesus’ words and teachings?
How can we better listen to and actually hear and then respond to the words of Jesus?
What encouragement and warnings do you find in the parable of the weeds?
How can you grow as a Son of the Kingdom living amongst the sons of the evil one?
What are some of the “everything that causes sin” that you look forward to being destroyed at the harvest at the end of the age?
Today’s reading in Matthew covers the parable of the sower. I want to focus on one of the soils. The last of the four types of ground that the seeds fall on is good soil. This soil allows the seed to grow deep roots without competition from neighboring weeds. Roots play a crucial role in the life of a plant – both anchoring it to the ground and absorbing important nutrients. Jesus explains later in the chapter that the good soil is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom and understands it.
There are a couple of other places in the New Testament that use the idea of being rooted. One of those places is Ephesians 3:16-19, which says that Christ dwells in our hearts and that by being rooted and grounded in love we may fully grasp the incredible love of Christ. I love using plants and roots as a metaphor for our lives as believers, both individually and together. When we hear the message of the Kingdom and it takes root in our lives, the power of God’s spirit strengthens us in our inward being. We have a union with Christ, as well as a union with each other as brothers and sisters in him. What does this mean for us?
The idea of being “rooted and grounded in love” seems to imply the love of the believers around us. That together we can fully know the love of Christ. “Grounded” can also be translated as “to lay the foundation.” It is actually the same word used in Matthew 7:25 when Jesus talks about the wise man’s house being founded on the rock. This foundation, this ground that we are rooted into is love.
Reading these verses made me think of the tree called Pando. Have you heard of this tree before? It is a one-tree aspen forest in Utah. There are over 47,000 trunks all connected through ONE root system. On the surface, they look like individual trees, but underneath, you see that they are all one–together. Crazy, right?
I think this is a beautiful representation of the body of Christ. When the word of the Kingdom is planted in your heart you join the foundation called the Church. We are built up, encouraged, and loved by each other.
As you read this parable, I want to encourage you to think about how the gospel has taken root in your life. Can you see how your faith has grown? How are you being rooted and grounded in love in your local church body? Is there one way this week that you can build those roots further?
-Katelyn Salyers
Reflection Questions
Can you see how your faith has grown? How are you being rooted and grounded in love in your local church body? Is there one way this week that you can build those roots further?
Can you give an example of each of the other types of soil in the Parable of the Sower? Have any of these been a problem for you?
Have you ever eaten a fresh orange straight from a tree? Or maybe an apple from an orchard? Fresh fruit is SO good. I know that some of you are currently in the thick of a snowy, cold winter. For those of us in the Southwest section of the U.S. it’s actually one of our growing seasons, believe it or not! Orange trees are fully loaded with fruit, here in Phoenix, Arizona. Well…most of them….
I have a small little tree right in the middle of my backyard. I did not plant this tree. Whoever planted it didn’t leave any information about what kind of tree it was. I’m a midwest girl and I could not tell you what kind of leaves each fruit tree has. This little dude is small enough that it isn’t growing any fruit yet (although maybe that’s more on us than this tree!). Since I can’t see its fruit, it is hard to tell what kind of tree it is. (For the record, I did google it and I think it is an orange tree.)
In Matthew 12:33, Jesus confronts the Pharisees by using trees as a metaphor for their speech and hearts. He says “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.” He’s calling them out because they were attempting to “speak good” things while their hearts were “evil”. Woah. Now, Jesus was speaking to this group of people, however, I think we can take something away from his instruction.
The Bible talks A LOT about our tongue (the words we say), and our actions. In fact, our reading in Psalms today mentions this as well! Verses 3-4 talks about those who boast with their tongue. In Ephesians 2, we see that God’s grace is what saves us so that we cannot boast about our own abilities and actions. (Kinda like the Pharisees were trying to do in Matthew 12). It is by His mercy that we can have a relationship with Him. Because of this, our “tree” can be rooted in Him – the ultimate source of life. He is the reason that we must not be conformed to the world but instead, be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12). THIS is where the good fruit comes from!
Jesus says in Matthew 12:34 that out of the abundance of our hearts, the mouth speaks. Our words are the outward reflection of our hearts. Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. What we say has an influence on people. I’m sure all of us can attest to this in our personal lives.
I want to encourage and prompt you with this: we are called to be the salt and light of the world. How do we do those things? By our words and our actions. God has given us a calling to bring His light, love, and goodness to those around us. I pray that our hearts and minds may continually be transformed to be more and more like Jesus. Because of this, we will bear good fruit so that others can see God’s goodness and love.
-Katelyn Salyers
Reflection Questions
How is your fruit looking and tasting? What do others see coming from your life? What does Jesus see?
What fruit have you produced that you want to create more of? What fruit from your life would you call bad fruit? How can you alter production to produce more of the good fruit and less of the bad fruit?
Jesus goes on to say, “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37) Do we often forget the power and consequences of our words? Will your words spoken last week acquit or condemn you? How can you better control the words you say?
Jumping into our Old Testament reading today of Genesis 27-28, we find ourselves among a muddy set of characters. Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau are quite the dysfunctional family in a lot of ways. As a kid I heard the story of Jacob and Esau many times, and I remember coming home from Sunday School one week quite indignant as to why the “liar” got the blessing. That just didn’t make sense to my immature brain which was picking up information from stories in isolation, and in many ways, is still working on weaving them all together. Jacob and his manipulative mother had stood out to me as being the “bad guys” in the story since they were busy lying, sneaking around, wearing hairy disguises, whipping up really good goat stews that just might taste like something Esau’s hunting could have contributed to, and yet somehow, they got away with it. What good Sunday school teacher would have the moral of the story be “lie, cheat, and steal and you’ll be blessed”?
Now when I read this story, I realize….it’s kinda like war. Ultimately, like most stories of human beings, all of the characters are wrong in different ways at different times and full of mistakes. In this case, at times they were all conniving and trusting in themselves to fix problems versus trusting God wholly and His sovereign plan. While Rebekah had been told the older would serve the younger, she certainly hadn’t been told to take matters in her own hands and assume she had to be manipulative and conniving to achieve what God himself had already told her was going to happen. Nor had Jacob been instructed to trick and lie to his father. And Esau certainly was not just an innocent victim with his misplaced priorities like bowls of red stew and pagan wives. Interestingly, according to commentaries, Isaac lived 40 more years after giving the blessing to Jacob. I always pictured him on his deathbed in this story, but apparently he had another 40 years to see what unfolded!
God had a plan, a promise, a land and blessings to give, despite this family’s actions, not because of them. The story of this imperfect crew in Genesis 27-28 falls after Abraham has died. They are descendants of the promises given to Abraham already, and in Chapter 28, Jacob hears those promises reiterated again to him personally. As promised, not because his costume was really good and his lying skills were top notch, Jacob’s descendants are bountiful, and form the biological lineage of King David and our Messiah, Jesus. Genesis in fact, is a book full of beautiful promises, and not just promises found in interesting tales of old, full of characters who like red stew. They are full of incredibly relevant promises for any Christian today, and are absolutely central to the gospel message. For that matter, these passages are also very relevant to current events today and a land that we must trust to God’s sovereign plan. He doesn’t need our plotting, manipulating, and worrying. Not only that, He doesn’t want them. God alone knows the who, what, when, where, why, and how of it all. Jesus will return. The meek will inherit the earth.
In trying to come up with an analogy for the importance of the promises of Genesis in relationship to the gospel, and how they impact what we live for, hope in, and are sustained by, I realized Anthony Buzzard, a faithful teacher of the Abrahamic faith, had already done it for me. In an article I ran across recently in his Focus on the Kingdom magazine, I found comfort and inspiration in his golden thread description:
Underlying the entire Bible story, running like a golden thread through Scripture, is the promise made to Abraham that he would receive, as a reward for his obedience to God’s call to leave Ur of the Chaldees, prosperity, progeny, and property. This amazing, divinely promised guarantee of success, which Christians are invited to share as spiritual children of Abraham, is summed up in the compact phrase “the blessing of Abraham.” This beautiful and memorable phrase is found only twice in Scripture, in Galatians 3:14 and Genesis 28:4. This provides the essential link between the two Testaments.
The article, The Land Promise to Abraham and His Descendants: The Key to the Whole Bible Plot, can be read here.
May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, so that you may possess the land where you live as a stranger, which God gave to Abraham.
Have you ever been outside somewhere and simply sat in silence for a while? Maybe it was in your backyard, a forest, or a beach. Often, if we quickly look at a landscape we only notice the “big picture” things – the mountain in the background, the fact that there are trees in certain places, maybe we notice a path up ahead. But if we take a couple of minutes and just observe the area around us, we begin to realize that there is a lot more happening than we first thought. You might notice how the leaves move in the wind, or see bugs crawling over the dirt, or maybe you can spot where the birdsong is coming from in the canopy above.
It takes intentionality to notice the small details around us.
Matthew 10:29-31 has always been one of my favorite portions of scripture. Sparrows are small, ordinary, brown birds that are very unimpressive in the world of birds. You probably won’t brag to your friends about the sparrows you saw on your bird-watching trip. However, the Bible mentions these little guys multiple times!
Luke 12 gives us a little more insight into just how insignificant these birds were. You could buy 5 sparrows for two Roman coins that were each worth less than an hour’s wage. They were cheaper when you bought more. These birds were pretty much worthless in Jesus’ day.
Look at what Jesus says! He says that the Father sees every single one.
We might pass by a tree, completely unaware that a little bird is perched in the branches. But the creator of the universe knows exactly where it sits.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Jesus then makes a comment about the hairs on your head. Now I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to count each of your hairs…but I did when I was a kid. I remember hearing this verse and being the determined child that I was, I sat down to try. I didn’t get very far. I don’t think I even got past one teeny little section of hair! God can count ‘em! How crazy is that??
We then read in verse 31, “Fear not”. Why is Jesus telling them not to be afraid? If we look at the previous portion of Matthew 10 we see Jesus calling his disciples. This calling is pretty intense, right? He tells them that they will be doing all of these amazing things but they will ALSO be persecuted, hated, brought to trial, and sent as sheep in the midst of wolves. That sounds pretty terrifying if you ask me!
That is when Jesus speaks these incredible words – that even one of the insignificant and seemingly worthless little birds (that we might totally pass by, unaware) is not forgotten by the Father. You are of more value than many sparrows, and our God sees you. And He knows you. And even then, He still loves you.
I want to make a note. Some of us have read this passage countless times. We may even have it memorized. I really want to encourage you (myself included) to let these verses sink deeply into our hearts. Take a moment to meditate on what it truly means to be seen and known by God. How will knowing this impact your life? How will you live your everyday life, with the understanding that even in all the chaos of life and in the grand scheme of the world, the Almighty God cares for you? I hope you find immense comfort and joy in that beautiful truth.
-Katelyn Salyers
Reflection & Application
It is a little too cold in some parts of the world today to ask you to go outside and sit for awhile, so if you have to do your sitting inside, that works, too. But, as Katelyn suggests, take some time and consider what this passage means to you. What thoughts and feelings do you have when you hear each of these statements: God sees you, God knows you, God values you, God loves you. Pray to Him about it.
What COULD you be afraid of right now? How does knowing and believing Matthew 10 help combat fear?
Psalm 9 is packed with so many insights into God’s character! Take a moment and read this Psalm if you haven’t yet. Keep an eye out for where David talks about God and His character.
In this Psalm, David is comparing those who know God and those who are wicked. He mentions God’s holiness, justness, and provision – contrasting God’s response to both groups of people. David also mentions multiple times that he will “tell of your deeds” as he reminisces on the wonders that God has done in his life. David has confidence and faith in God because he knows that the LORD is faithful.
Ok just a second though… in David’s time, Jesus hadn’t died and risen yet, let alone even been born. But look at how firm David is in his praise! He knows that God has done wonders and will do even more. He knows that God cares about His people.
How much more thankful can we be because we know of Jesus? We can have a beautiful perspective when we read the Old Testament because we know what happens in the New. The hope of God’s throne, of His provision, and judgment have an exponentially greater meaning to us with the hope of the Kingdom.
Like David in verse 11, we can tell those around us the wonderful things God has done (and will do). We can even see this topic in the New Testament. If we flip to the other side of our Bibles, we see in Hebrews 10:23-25 that we have a steadfast hope because of the faithfulness of God through the sacrifice of Jesus. With this foundation, we can encourage each other as brothers and sisters. This encouragement will lead to love and good deeds – loving God and loving others!
Let’s take some time today to praise God for His faithfulness. That He has done wonderful deeds (Psalm 9:1), that He is a stronghold in times of trouble (9:9), that He hears the cry of the afflicted (9:12), and that He does not forget the needy (9:18). I find it so amazing that Matthew 9 reveals the heart of God even more. Jesus’ mission was to do his Father’s will, which means that we can see God’s character through the actions of Jesus.
In Matthew 9:12-13, Jesus says that he isn’t calling the righteous, but the sinners – the ones who are sick and need healing. WOW! Friends, that’s all of us. Even those of us who have been believers for a while. We must remember that we too were and are sinners and have been saved! Thank you God for seeing the needy, the poor, the hurt, and the sinners. Now THAT is something to praise God with our WHOLE HEART (Psalm 9:1) for. Let us be glad in that.
Today, I want to encourage you to think about the wonderful deeds that God has done in your life. See if you could ask that same question to another believer in your life. Sharing God’s faithfulness encourages and edifies both ourselves and those around us.
-Katelyn Salyers
Reflection Questions
What wonderful deeds has God done in your life?
Today who will you ask to tell you what wonderful deeds God has done in their life?
Why is it important to tell yourself and others what God has done? What happens when we forget?
God had promised Abraham, in Genesis 17:19, “Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”
At this point, Abraham was over 100 years old, and had faithfully followed God. In Genesis 12, Abraham obeyed when God told him to leave his country and family. Abraham allowed Lot to take the lush land around Sodom in Genesis 13, and trusted God to provide for his own flocks and herds on barren mountains. In Genesis 15, Abraham trusted God’s promise that he would have a son in his old age, and God counted that faith as righteousness.
In Genesis 22:2, we find God commanding Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
This doesn’t make sense. God had explicitly promised that God’s promises to Abraham would be passed down through Isaac’s descendants, and now God was commanding Abraham to sacrifice him – apparently destroying the promise He had made to Abraham.
By this point, Abraham had developed a very close relationship with God. In fact, we’re told 3 times in the Bible that Abraham was God’s friend (2 Chron 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23) – and as far as I know, Abraham is the only person in the Bible of whom this is said.
We’re told in Hebrews 11:19 that Abraham reasoned that God was able to raise the dead, and that He was going to keep His promise.
So early the next morning, Abraham took Isaac and 2 servants and left for the place God told him to go. When they got close, Abraham told the servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and we (emphasis added) will come back to you.”
As they got even closer, Isaac asked his dad, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Can you imagine how this must have broken Abraham’s heart, looking down into his son’s questioning face, knowing that in a few minutes he would be killing his beloved son, who would be the offering? Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb.” (Actually, God had provided Isaac – as a miracle baby in his parent’s old age.) When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, tied up Isaac, and laid him on the altar.
As he was getting ready to kill Isaac, the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and stopped him. Abraham then saw a ram caught in the brush by its horns, and sacrificed it instead. God then promised Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 22:16-18, “I swear by myself, declared the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore… and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
I could point out all the similarities of Abraham’s being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, and God being willing to sacrifice His Son, Jesus. I could point out the significance of another quote from this chapter, “Jehovah Jireh – on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (This was the mountain where Soloman’s temple was built hundreds of years later.) I could point out the importance of obeying God, and the benefits that result.
Instead, I want to comment on who, when, where, how, and why of God’s provision.
Who: God tested Abraham with a very difficult test even after a life of serving God. We see that God provided the ram in this case only after Abraham trusted and obeyed God – even though it didn’t make sense. Assertion: God provides for those who trust Him and obey Him.
When: God provided for Abraham at the very last minute, not before. We’re told in Hebrews 4:16 that we will “receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Assertion: God provides precisely when we need something, not when we think we need it. (i.e. according to God’s timing.)
Where: God provided for Abraham only after Abraham went where God told him to go, and after he obeyed everything God told him to do. Assertion: God will provide if we are where He wants us to be. We should have no expectation of receiving God’s provision if we aren’t where He wants us to be.
How: God didn’t send an angel from heaven with an offering for Abraham to sacrifice, God provided a normal ram, caught in a normal thicket, by it’s normal horns. And God didn’t send a whole flock of sheep, just one ram, because that was all that was needed. Assertion: God will usually provide in ways that are very natural – don’t look for miracles.
Why: In times of testing, it’s easy to only think about our problems, and focus on, “why is this happening to me?” I think there may be two general reasons why trials come. First, we are told in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Note that this only applies if we are living according to His purpose. Also note that trials are by definition difficult, and won’t seem to be beneficial at the time. Second, ultimately, everything is for God’s glory. Isaiah 43:7 says, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory…” We see an example of this with God destroying Pharaoh and his army for God’s glory in Ex 14:4, 17. Assertion: God allows trials and gives provision for our good and for His glory.
The bottom line is, if we are faithfully following God, times of testing will come. If we remain true to God, if we are where He wants us to be, and if we are obedient to Him, he will provide what we need (not necessarily what we want), at the very last minute, usually through normal means – and this is for our good. If we aren’t following God, the times of testing may just be to bring Glory to Him. I’d rather be in that first group. How about you?
–Steve Mattison
(originally posted January 11, 2021 for SeekGrowLove)
I am sorry this was not posted this morning – I thought it was – and then was surprised to see it still sitting here this evening. We are enjoying a weekend of reFuel North, a youth retreat in northern Indiana and haven’t been on the computer today.
Reflection Questions
In what times of testing have you seen God provide for you? How?
Are you where God wants you to be now so that He can provide for you?
What do you learn from Abraham in Genesis 21 & 22?
There has been a lot of talk and anticipation over widespread storms this week. Much of the United States has been impacted in one way or another and depending on where you live that could mean changing travel plans or school closings due to snow, ice, wind, limited visibility, heavy rains, and flooding or even tornadoes. And sometimes, like today in parts of lower Michigan, just the threat of poor conditions which could produce dangerous situations is enough to alter course for many.
Jesus too, warns of storms with such driving rains and rising waters which have the power to totally destroy and wipe out homes if we don’t take the proper actions beforehand. Storms are coming – and in some cases they have already begun. Jesus tells us, some houses will stand, some will not. It depends on their foundation. Is the house built on rock - or on sand – which is determined by how wise – or how foolish – the builder is. Both builders listen to the words of Jesus – good first step. The wise builder proceeds to “put it into practice” – and his house endures the storm. The foolish builder with his house built on sand has heard the words of Jesus but does not put them into practice. And when the storm comes, his house is destroyed.
Hear the words of Jesus. And then, put it into practice. It is not enough to sit at his feet listening every week or even every morning – if you don’t then spend your days DOING what he says. We have just spent the last seven days reading and looking at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Now, what will we do with oit? What will it look like to put it into practice today and tomorrow and every day of 2024 and the rest of our lives – however long or short that may be?Both houses will experience the winds and the rain. Will your house stand?
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions
What shape is the foundation of your life/house in right now? Have you built on rock or on sand? Are there some cracks to be filled in before the storms start or worsen or are you in need of a totally new foundation re-do?
What are some reasons people who have heard what Jesus said then don’t put it into practice? Which of these have been the biggest issues in your own life?
Look back over the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). How can you put these words of Jesus into practice? What would he like to see you do today? What steps will you do to put it into action?
Seek Grow Love 