Luke 18:9-14 (ESV)

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Explanation:

Ahh, the Pharisee. I’m ashamed to say that there are times that he’s not much different than me. I have been (and can be) the person that finds themselves feeling morally superior to others, prideful that my behavior is not “unholy” like theirs. I have found myself mentally checking boxes of all the ways that I am “better” than someone else because I don’t commit the same sins that they do. I am the Pharisee in this story.

You see, my sin is still sin. It may look different than my neighbor’s, but it’s still ugly, condemning sin. Like the Pharisee, I have looked around and said, “I don’t do this, or this, or that, so I am ‘good’.” Both men in this parable were in the temple praying, but the Pharisee had it all wrong. He trusted in his own righteousness and his accomplishments. The tax collector, however, threw himself at the mercy of God. He called out to God, asking humbly for mercy, because he was aware of his sin. He didn’t have a list of reasons that he deserved mercy; rather, he felt unworthy to be in the presence of the Almighty God. God acknowledged his prayer and was merciful to him because he realized that it wasn’t about “self.”

Application:

1. Which of the two men in the story do you identify with? Sometimes it is challenging for us to accept that we are loved by God without any qualifications. We are not loved because we are good, but because God is good!

2. It can be helpful to use our imagination and "become" one of the characters. Notice how comfortable or uncomfortable we feel in his clothes. Try saying the prayer of each in turn. What is that like for you? Experience tells us that no one is wholly "Pharisee" (hypocrite) or wholly "tax collector" (truthfully self-aware).

Devo Plus:

Take some time today and reflect on this statement:

Texan Episcopal priest, Mike K. Marsh, suggests that the world would be a significantly better place if, every time we met someone, we prayed: “May the Christ in me see and honor the Christ in you, and the Christ in you see and honor the Christ in me.”

What do you think would be different about your posture toward others and the humility in your heart if you applied this statement to your life?

Prayer:

God, today my prayer is that of the tax collector: be merciful to me, a sinner. Help me be aware of any attitudes or words that demean other people. I know that You see through my exterior and know my heart. Help me to refrain from self-promotion, but to exalt You in all that I do. Have mercy on me, and help me to be more like You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Timothy 6:6-11 (NLT)

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

Explanation:

One of the hardest things we face as U.S. citizens is being a U.S. citizen.

From the womb to the grave, we are immersed in the American Dream, where anything is possible and aspiring to be rich is applauded!

While pursuing the “anything I want to be life” we eventually reach the golden years, where we live on the money we accumulated while on the 50-year treadmill to retirement. We are indoctrinated early into the “more and more” life, and feel it is our guaranteed right to “obtain” in the land of the free and home of the brave. Financial accumulation is one of the hallmarks of being born in the USA, and sadly, dependence on God actually has to be learned, because of the abundance of our lives.

Our self-sufficiency is killing us spiritually.

Paul’s letter is trying to grab our spiritual attention, to wake us from our consuming mindset, founded on obtaining money. Like a parent helping a child re-focus, Paul has us by our spiritual cheeks and is saying, “Focus. Listen to me. Not only does hoping in and loving money not work…it leads to all kinds of evil. It’s not a small thing.”

Wealth is morally neutral; there is nothing wrong with money, in and of itself, or the possession of money. However, when loving money begins to control and motivate us, that’s when trouble starts.

Hope in your paycheck, savings, inheritance, or nest egg is flimsy.

It won’t hold you in a storm.

Why? You have replaced Jesus as your hope and are headed for many sorrows. Once untethered to Jesus, you break loose on a sea of self-serving, independent living that will eventually exhaust and deplete you. Few things are sadder than people who once had a vibrant, close relationship with Jesus, but would not grasp this warning and shipwrecked their lives with greed.

As I write, I have three close friends going through loss so deep I could give them each a million dollars and it wouldn’t touch their hearts.

Money won’t heal a dying spouse, cure a child’s mental illness, or bring back a memory erasing with Alzheimer’s.

But all are firmly rooted in Jesus and have lived lives with their hope in Jesus. All are tethered to His heart and are experiencing the peace that passes all understanding…solid, secure, and full of God-given contentment.

Application:

1. When faced with a difficult situation, is God your first impulse?

2. Aren’t content people attractive? I am drawn to content people. Contentment is a virtue straight from the heart of God. He wants you to learn it.

3. You won’t find generosity in someone who loves their money. They can’t coexist.

4. The love of money is what motivates people to lie, steal, cheat, gamble, embezzle, and even murder. People who have a love for money lack the godliness and contentment that is true gain in God’s eyes. Are there any gray areas of your financial heart that needs attention?

Devo Plus:

“Water is useful to the ship and helps it to sail better to the haven, but let the water get into the ship, if it is not pumped out, it drowns the ship. So riches are useful and convenient for our passage.

We sail more comfortably with them through the troubles of this world;

but if the water gets into the ship,

if love of riches gets into the heart,

then we are drowned by them.”

- Thomas Watson

Prayer:

Lord, help me release my grip on any thoughts I entertain regarding my love of money. Since my money is Your money…every spending decision I make is a spiritual decision. Give me new vision as I learn to be a steward of what is Yours. Help me in my pursuit of righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Amen.

Luke 12:13-21 (NLT)

Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Explanation:

Greed is a dangerous emotion any way you slice it. Jesus calls out not just greed in general, but every kind of greed, which runs the gamut from desiring instant wealth with no effort, to an insatiable thirst for things we can obtain through labor, be it power or possessions. When the heart desires wealth more than a relationship with God, the result, as we see in this story, is tragic.

Proverbs 1:17-19 likens greed to a trap that will snare those who do not take authority over it. Even a bird will avoid a trap that is set before its own eyes, yet greed can blind us to the point where we don’t see the foolishness of our plans and desires. Ultimately, the unbridled pursuit for wealth takes away the life of its owners (Proverbs 1:19).

A thousand other lessons could be taught from this parable, not the least of which is that tomorrow is promised to no one. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Only a right relationship with God can protect us from the ravages of greed, and give us the perspective of wealth weighed against the backdrop of eternity. We know we aren’t taking it with us; the question is, how are we using it now to glorify God?

Application:

1. At what point is a desire for material wealth considered greed?

2. If the answer is unclear, how do Jesus’s words in Matthew 6:20-21 (NLT) add clarity?

Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

3. How do your spending habits line up with that verse? Put another way, how are you glorifying God with your resources?

Devo Plus:

Here’s a quote from Joyce Meyer, many years ago, that radically changed my attitude on possessions: “I don’t hold on to anything so tightly that I can’t give it away.”

Take a few minutes to consider what needs to happen in you for that statement to be true.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I’m committed to honoring You with everything I have, so that greed will not rule my heart nor lead me to the consequences You warn me of in Your Word. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Malachi 3:6-15 (ESV)

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

Explanation:

In Pastor Matthew's message series in 2020 entitled LIFE, he asks this question. What if we are doing life wrong? As we have been learning in Malachi the past few weeks, this book of the Bible was written as a message to the people of Israel. They were definitely “doing life wrong.” These chosen people of God had gone astray from what their forefathers had taught them about being in a covenant relationship with God. The Israelites were not treating sacrifices seriously, marrying people outside of their faith, committing adultery, and worshipping other gods. In this scripture passage, we see that they were also forgetting about tithing.

God does know what is best for our lives. He has laid out a plan for us, too. When we commit ourselves to serving Jesus, God asks us to do things that go against our natural inclination. Talking about money can be especially hard, but it is so important. Giving 10% of our money to the church takes a huge step of faith. I love what Pastor Matthew says, “God doesn't need our money!” What God wants is our obedience. I know from personal experience that God will provide what I need when I give to Him first. Notice I said God will provide what I need, not always what I want. There is a big difference. If you aren't practicing tithing, I encourage you to start. You will be amazed at how God will bless you for your obedience.

Application:

1. Have you ever been guilty of giving God less than He deserves?

2. Have you ever given a gift to God knowing it was not the best you could give?

3. Make a commitment today to start giving your best to God.

Devo Plus:

For more information and teaching about tithing, please listen to Pastor Matthew's message from 2017 where he talks about tithing. This teaching is from the series entitled MARGINS. https://www.thetree.church/messages?sapurl=LyswOWI2L2xiL21pLys0a2pydjdzP2F1dG9wbGF5PXRydWUmYnJhbmRpbmc9dHJ1ZSZlbWJlZD10cnVlJnJlY2VudFJvdXRlPWFwcC53ZWItYXBwLmxpYnJhcnkubGlzdCZyZWNlbnRSb3V0ZVNsdWc9JTJCYmNra3p5Nw==

Prayer:

Father God, You have redeemed out lives through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Without this, we would be doomed to an eternal life separated from You, and a life of so much unrest and torture. You deserve all of what we have. We can never repay You for what You deserve. Giving back to You a small portion of what You have blessed us with should be an exciting thing that we want to do. Help us to have the faith to be obedient. We thank You in advance for what You will do in our lives. Amen.

Matthew 6:19-24 (ESV)

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Explanation:

The Book of Malachi has been clear that God is much more interested in our genuine steps toward Him, no matter how small, than grand gestures that are never put into practice. Here, Jesus echoes the writer of Malachi and begins by talking about where to store our treasure. Again, He is not talking about earthly treasure of any kind. Really this passage can be used to teach about any resource our Good Father has given us in this life: wealth, time, possessions, even love. I’m reminded of the old Vacation Bible School song that goes something like this: “Love is something if you give it away (give it away, give it away), you’ll end up having more.” This is the principle Jesus is addressing. He is talking about our priorities, and how we choose to spend our resources should not be a matter of impulse. It takes careful planning, and like anything done well, takes dedication and commitment. We need His help in everything we do, but especially in matters so tied to our hearts. Many factors have influence over our priorities: our upbringing, life events, who we spend time with, etc., and only God can equalize all these things and speak directly into our lives.

And if all of that wasn’t clear enough, Jesus ends by leaving no room for confusion: You can’t serve God and BLANK. He uses money because it is traditionally what has diverted our hearts away the most; it was true in Jesus’ time, and it is still true today. Your BLANK might be different, but our teaching today remains the same: our God is so great that we only have room for Him in our lives. So if you are squeezing Him out with anything, eventually your devotion to the other will cause you to, in Jesus’ own words, “hate” and “despise” Him. These are words we should reserve for no one, especially not the Son of God sent by Our Father to save our sins as only He could. But in effect this is true if we continue to relegate Him to any less than first priority in our lives. Let us be a people to put Him back where He belongs in our lives, individually and as a church!

Application:

1. What is an earthly resource that has pulled your heart away from God? Is this a new issue, or has it been this way as long as you can remember? Either way, God’s plan for your life triumphs over this struggle, so in humility and honesty, ask Him to show you the steps for breaking free to serve only Him.

2. Would you consider your eye to be full of light, full of darkness, or a little of both? My guess is the latter and if so, ask God to show you where the darkness radiates from. Then surrender this to Him so He can begin the process of changing your focus back on His light only.

3. A footnote to the ESV version of these scriptures reads, “the righteousness of the Kingdom of Heaven works out in the details of one’s personal life.” How does it make you feel to know that your everyday, personal choices have impact in the kingdom of heaven? What will your impact be? Are your daily choices pointing toward your desired impact?

4. I believe that tithing, more than any other biblical practice, is something you can only experience by actually doing it. We can listen to convincing messages straight from the Word of God, and amazing testimonies from other people, but the physical act of taking that step is supernaturally tied to God’s heart in this area. If you haven’t taken the step of giving to God first and regularly, I can promise you with confidence that your life will be changed, and I can’t wait to hear the stories of how true this is for you!

Devo Plus:

Read the rest of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 for His teachings on many other topics, and how He wants to give us guidance grounded in love for each of them.

Listen to “Make Room” by Elyssa Smith and Community Music (I love the live version) and take even a small step in the direction of laying it all down to make room for Him today.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for being the strength that we need when it comes to turning things around in our lives. You are always shepherding us away from evil and toward You, and we are so grateful for Your doing so. Thank You for being a light we can’t ignore, and please help us take our focus off of what is directly before us and put it back on You. Help us to put off our old selves when it comes to what has held us captive, and give Your Holy Spirit room in our lives to do what only He can. We love You and praise Your holy name. Amen.

Titus 2:11-14 (NLT)

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Explanation:

If you are driving down a street lined with gorgeous homes, I doubt you give their foundations a second thought. Have you ever heard someone comment on an amazing foundation? Do you know WHEN a foundation is noticed? When it starts to fail. No matter how beautiful a building is, once the foundation crumbles, the WHOLE building is compromised until the foundation is fixed.

So too are our lives.

If the foundation of your spiritual life is not grace, your whole spiritual life is compromised.

Verse 11:

Sovereign grace - “For the grace of God has been revealed”

Saving grace - “bringing salvation”

Sufficient grace - “to all people.”

Sovereign grace references the first advent of Jesus to earth and the cross; your realization of free salvation.

Saving grace creates a longing for holiness in us. We see this in new converts who are zealous and willing to surrender whatever Jesus asks. It is called “first love” because their total dependence on God’s grace makes them full of spiritual vitality, zeal, and joy.

Sufficient grace covers all our needs because it was provided for ALL people. No person is excluded.

When we firmly plant our hearts in God's grace, longing comes alive, and it is in longing that desire for God permeates and makes our hearts crave His goodness, power, and love. This is called accepting God’s grace. As long as you pour your energy into earning God’s grace, you will lead a listless life.

The pride of trying to earn God's grace is spiritual quicksand, sucking the life and energy to change right out of you. Change only happens within the perimeters of grace because grace aligns us right at the foot of the cross, surrendered, focused, and pliable. While we are focused on Jesus… the Holy Spirit begins touching those places in our heart that need healing and hope, and verse 14 becomes realized: “He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.”

He does the work/He gets the glory.

Grace reminds me visually of a hot air balloon! As the air is heated inside the balloon, it causes it to rise upwards, because the inside air is lighter than the cool air outside. Grace is greater than your sin and it is the available power source for your life. Accept it.

Application:

1. Grace will mess with your need for control. How very arrogant to think we can skip God's grace to serve the idol of willpower. Honest differentiation will set you free.

2. Grace is getting what you could never deserve. It requires your acceptance. Not accepting is as silly as refusing to cash in a million-dollar winning lottery ticket your boss gave you for Christmas.

3. A slow fade begins when we gradually walk outside of God’s grace into independence. The dull reality of no longer “longing for holiness” is walking death. Choose life.

4. What specific things do you desire in your life from our passage today? Accepting God’s divine grace and knowing it flows from His character will help you better understand how to live by grace.

Devo Plus:

“Grace is the voice that calls us to change and

then gives us the power to pull it off.”

Max Lucado

Prayer:

As I bow my heart before You, God, I ask to mature in grace and realize its life giving power from Your heart to mine. Grow my understanding and rearrange my heart to mesh with Yours. Amen.

2 Corinthians 7:8-11 (ESV)

For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

Explanation:

Correction is the worst part of parenting by far. If I could download one truth to my kids, it would be that disciplining them is no more fun for me than it is for them. Well… maybe that wouldn’t be the first thing I would download to them, but it is an important one that comes up in conversation a good bit in our house. What they fail to understand is that when they disobey or disregard something my wife and I have determined is important, we discipline them in order to correct their behavior and show them a way that will bring peace to our home and joy to their lives. It’s terrible though to have to stand in opposition to them, to discipline them, to make them upset. As much as I hate to upset them and be the bad guy, their (and my) feelings become secondary to the importance of the correction and the good it will do them and the family.

Paul in his letters to the Corinthians is like a parent who has had to correct his children. He writes sternly and confronts behavior that is damaging to their faith and the church as a whole. He does not want to upset them and cause them grief, but the discipline and the grief Paul brings in his correction led the Corinthian church to repentance, and that repentance to salvation and restoration of peace amidst God’s people.

For Paul godly grief or feelings of guilt (shame is different) are not a bad thing. This is what God uses to bring us to an acknowledgment of our sin with the hope that we will turn to God. When we look to Him in our guilt, the promise is that when we repent we will be met with grace and mercy. Because the greater evil is that we feel good all the time until we walk our lives right into destruction.

Application:

1. Is there something that you feel you are being corrected in?

2. Guilt and shame are two different things. Guilt says “I did something wrong”, shame says “I am wrong.” When you are corrected, which of these do you feel?

3. If shame is your go to, pray and ask God to show you who you are in Him, and do a Google search about what the Bible says about our identity in Christ.

4. If guilt is your go to, pray to God about the behavior that you need to change, repent, and find forgiveness in His presence.

Devo Plus:

Read Hebrews 12; Romans 8; and Ephesians 2.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we don’t like to be corrected. We don’t like to feel bad about ourselves. We don’t like to feel like we don’t measure up. Protect us from the heartbreak of shame while always bringing guilt in those moments when we walk away from You. In the end, we trust that Your discipline is always working us towards the good of Your church and of our own personal lives. You want us to become more like You because it is the good you have destined for those who want it, and that means we will have to corrected and guided on the way. So help us to trust You in that process! Amen.

Jeremiah 4:3-4 (ESV)

Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.

Explanation:

In this passage the prophet Jeremiah, in God’s name, is speaking to men of Judah and Jerusalem. He is using bold language to call them to repentance. He uses some metaphors that would have been very relatable to the people of that time to challenge them to make some changes in their lives.

Fallow ground is ground that has not been used or has been left unsown for a time in order to produce more in the future. It hasn’t been fruitful for a period, but it can be. We are being told to start breaking that ground up, meaning to start turning over areas in our hearts and lives that haven’t been fruitful, but have the potential to produce. Now is the time! Trying to produce good seed among thorns is silly and useless. The metaphor to not sow among thorns is meaning to be intentional about how we are living. When the passage talks about circumcising our hearts, it is representing the cutting away of the sin that is in our lives. Not just saying that we are getting rid of it, but truly doing it.

This passage goes on to talk about the consequences from God if the people (us included) don’t do what He is asking of them. It’s vivid and self-explanatory. The fire will remain as long as there is something for it to burn. If we want to remove God’s wrath, we must address the sin in our lives.

So, what do we do? We should:

• Identify sin in our lives

• Confess those sins

• Receive God’s forgiveness

• Ask God for help in turning from sin (this includes making wise decisions on where we should hang out, what we should expose ourselves to, and who we allow in our lives).

• Make tough lifestyle changes

God is merciful, but God is also clear on how He views sin. We have the opportunity to address sin right now, and we need to do so with urgency. By doing so, we will experience the true life that only God offers. God could justly choose to pour out His wrath on us, but by His grace, He uses the refining process to bring us into true life that brings us true fulfillment. What an amazing God!

Application:

1. When you know that someone has your best interest in mind, how does that make you feel?

2. Do you truly believe that God has your best interest in mind? Why?

3. Right this minute, list some areas of sin in your life where God is convicting you. (ex: not placing God as your priority, not tithing 10% of your income to God, giving in to anger, not being faithful to your spouse).

4. Go through the steps above to address those sins.

5. Dealing with/confessing sin is never fun, but do you feel better once you do it?

Devo Plus:

Read Lamentations 3:22-23. How does it make you feel to know that the God who wants you to address your sin is steadfast, and that His mercies are new every morning?

Prayer:

God we are so grateful that You desire for us to experience the life that only You offer. It’s hard to address sin and make changes in our lives, but we are so thankful that we don’t have to do it alone. You are there with us, encouraging us, and ready to welcome us with open arms. Thank You for who You are and Your endless love for us.

Isaiah 55: 6-7 (NIV)

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways

and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Explanation:

In this passage, God is cautioning Israel and us as individuals to seek a relationship with Him. God is always nearby. Whenever we repent and turn to Him, He will always respond. If we are continually walking in sin, God will be more distant, but like the prodigal son, as soon as we turn and run back to God, He is always waiting with open arms. God is encouraging us to seek after Him daily and not to wait.

I know that I personally can be a procrastinator. It is very easy for me to push things off until tomorrow and to make excuses for myself. We all do this! “I’ll start eating healthy on Monday”, or “Once my kids’ sports are over then I will start reading more often”, etc. God is warning us not to wait. Tomorrow is not promised, and we need to pursue God today. We make time for the things that we want to do. I don’t have to make time each day to eat lunch, or to scroll on Instagram. My kids don’t have to make time each day to watch their favorite show or play with their toys. Seeking God needs to be our top priority. We don’t want to be the person that stands before God and He says I never knew you. We can’t have a relationship with someone that we don’t pursue and spend time with.

If finding time to seek God is hard for you, I challenge you to set your alarm 15 minutes earlier this week. Spend your first 15 minutes with God, and if you need to go to bed 15 minutes earlier so you’re not losing any sleep. Starting your day off with Him will make all the difference.

Application:

1. How does it make you feel when you read this passage?

2. Do you think that you are seeking God the way that He wants you to? Is God your number one priority?

3. What is heavy on your heart that you need to confess to God? Ask God for forgiveness and repent of that sin.

Devo Plus:

Read Luke 15: 11-32. When I read this passage, I think of how much God wants to restore us even when we have done the unimaginable. Take a moment to read this story and let God remind you of His love and grace for you.

Prayer:

God, thank You for how merciful You are. Thank You that You desire a relationship with us. I pray that You would soften our hearts and give us a yearning to seek You. Help us when we feel overwhelmed and busy to still make You the priority. Help us to repent when we need to and to run back to You. Thank You for the way that You love us. Amen.

Matthew 3:1-12 (NLT)

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

Explanation:

I am a list maker. I have lists for everything. My husband may even argue that some of my lists have lists. I like to be prepared. We are currently in the process of moving 700 miles away. My lists are in full swing- I have made lists, labeled boxes, and organized and re-organized our moving totes so that I can be as strategic and prepared for this event as possible.

In Malachi 3:1, it was prophesied that the messenger would prepare the way for Jesus. That messenger was John. I think that if John was around today, he’d appreciate my lists. Maybe not. Maybe he’d tell me to throw out the lists and make sure my heart was prepared. Make sure it was ready for Jesus. Make sure that Jesus wasn’t just a check box on one of my lists.

You see, John was a bit of what we’d call in modern times a “wilderness man,” fashioned in a camel hair garment and a leather belt, eating bugs and wild honey to survive. He didn’t care about anything but preparing a way for the Messiah. He didn’t care if you were a king or a peasant, rich or poor; he wanted to prepare your heart. He spoke the truth to everyone about getting your heart right with God and repenting of your sins. John called out the religious leaders for trying to “check a box” on their lists. They came for baptism, but they still had a heart condition— the condition of a hard heart full of sin. John called them out and spoke against them, saying that God wasn’t impressed with their title or lineage— He saw through all of that and into their sin.

A friend that I’ve known since I was very young was called into ministry during his teen years. I remember one of his first sermons when he addressed the adult congregation at their church on a Sunday morning with a powerful message about repentance. My friend’s sermon was titled, “Get Right, or Be Left.” It reminds me of how John implored people to live a life of true salvation and make a way for Jesus. Friends, I don’t want you to be left behind when Jesus comes to call us home. It’s time for you to make a way for Jesus.

Application:

1. We read in today’s passage about John’s appearance. This is significant because he looked a lot like the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament. In 2 Kings 1:8, it says that Elijah “wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather around his waist.” John preached in Judea, a wilderness and desert region, much like Elijah had. Both were very blunt in their teachings, telling everyone they encountered to turn from their sin. When you look at this correlation, how do you see God’s plan of redemption forming over time from Elijah to the cross?

2. In order to live a life of salvation, we must turn from sin and follow Jesus. Have you made the commitment to really follow Jesus? Have you asked Him lately what work He wants you to do to make a way for others to know Him?

Devo Plus:

What can you do to make a way for others to know Jesus? We’ve been given some instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18. Read this passage today and jot down 4-5 “action items” from this Scripture. Set out this week to focus on at least one of them, and in future weeks continue to build on those items as you live more purposefully.

Prayer:

Lord, we come to You with humble hearts. We are sinners. We ask for Your grace and forgiveness of the sinful patterns that corrupt our lives. Show me the work You want me to do today, and help me live in a manner that shines a light for You. Allow others to see Jesus in me and help me live among others in love and humility. Thank You for Your redemption plan— for making a way in the garden when humanity fell that would cover even someone like me thousands of years later. Thank You for the hope that You provide to us all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.