Read Matthew 14

“When Jesus heard [of John’s death], He departed from there by
boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes
heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And
when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and
He was moved with compassion for them,
and healed their sick.”
(Matthew 14:13-14)

Thoughts… Karl Menninger, founder of the famed psychiatric clinic in Topeka, Kansas that bears his name, was once asked, “What would you do if you thought you were going crazy?” Without even having to think about it, he said, “I’d go out and find someone less fortunate to serve.”

There is just something so healing about serving somebody else—especially if they are worse off than you. When you are going through your own hardship, whatever that may be—sickness, loss, disappointment, depression—God’s therapy is to find those who cannot help themselves, somebody who cannot pay back your kindness, and minister God’s love to them.

That is not to deny or avoid your own hurt. Not at all! To love, serve, and bless the less fortunate is to initiate a spiritual law that we find in Acts 20:35, “And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Jesus said it another way in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

In other words, when you are the conduit of God’s love and grace, and when heaven’s generosity is being poured through you to those in need, on the way through you, that flood of love, grace and generosity will leave the Divine touch in your own life.

Jesus is practicing his own preaching here in Matthew 14. His cousin, John the Baptist, had just been beheaded by Herod. When Jesus heard the news, he was deeply affected, as any human being would be. He felt tremendous sorrow and grief over the loss of a loved one. And he did what most of us would do: He got away from the crowd to spend some time alone and pour out his grief.

But Jesus didn’t stay there long. He didn’t succumb to self-pity; he didn’t retreat into isolation; he didn’t get paralyzed by grief. He found other people who were hurting for different reasons than his own, and out of compassion for them, he began to minister to their needs.

Jesus was setting a pattern for us, don’t you think? Not to minimize the hurt and grief that we experience from loss, discouragement and disappointment, but to turn it into a productive force that initiates God’s healing therapy in our own lives by becoming the conduit of Divine love and grace to hurting people.

Perhaps you are licking your wounds today from the loss of something dear and near to your heart—maybe even the death of a loved one. If that is the case, try doing what Jesus did. See the needs of other hurting people around you and love them.

You probably won’t feel like doing it, but do it anyway. It won’t take away your own pain, but it will unleash God’s healing therapy for you. And at the end of the day, you will find that your journey through grief will be a lot healthier and a whole lot more productive.

Prayer… Father, show me some person today who needs your touch of love. Give me just the right words to say, just the right kind of actions that will remind them of your great love. Give me the strength to get beyond myself and make me to be Jesus to someone who really needs you.

One More Thing… “By compassion we make others’ misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also.” —Sir Thomas Browne

Read Matthew 13

“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns
is the man who hears the word, but the worries of
this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke
it, making it unfruitful.”
(Matthew 13:22)

Thoughts… Nothing is more damaging to your relationship with God and the spiritual fruitfulness he longs to give you than the “worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth” that constantly and loudly demand your attention. Jesus called them thorns, warning that they will grow up and choke out the fruit-producing seed of God’s Word.

What are the worries of life for you? Making the mortgage payment on a home you can barely afford—or can’t really afford. Paying for that high-end car, or two, that in all honesty is in your garage simply to massage your ego. Keeping your kids in that prestigious university, make sure your retirement account is getting fatter, staying awake at night worrying about the stock market, plotting the next move to outpace the “Joneses” …

Be honest—you’ve got worries, so do I. You’re caught up in the wealth trap, so am I. You’re in the rat race—I can feel it even as you read this line. So am I! I fight the same addiction to money, things, pleasure and power that you do.

Whether we like to admit it or not, the “thorns” that Jesus warned about are competing for our soil with the values of God’s Kingdom. And guess what, you and I are the only ones who can weed them out.

Oh, God will strengthen you and give you discernment to deal with them, but you are the one who will have to do a little self-weeding.

Listen—it is time to quit talking about this and start weeding. You know intuitively that I am spot on about this. The growth and fruitfulness of the Kingdom of God in your life, and in your family, is riding on you being bold enough and wise enough to start pulling and chucking those weeds right out of your life.

I will pray for you … I hope you will pray for me.

Happy gardening!

Prayer… Father, I desire your Kingdom to fully come in my life. Yet I must confess that the desire for the things of this world have a strong pull on me. Strengthen me with boldness and wisdom for the self-weeding that must be done in me.

One More Thing… “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.” — C.S. Lewis

Read Matthew 12

“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks …
I say to you that for every idle word men may speak,
they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”
(Matthew 12:34 & 36)

Thoughts… Just think of your heart as the reservoir and your tongue as the dipstick. If you want to figure out what is in the tank, or how much is there, just listen to what you say and you’ll get a pretty accurate picture of the true you.

The Bible uses the term “heart” to describe the inner person. The word “mind” could easily be substituted for “heart”, but it is more than that. The heart is not only your thinking part, it is your attitudes, desires, dreams, ambitions, personality—the invisible stuff that gives life to your skin and bones and makes you uniquely you. The heart is the inner capacity to know, love and respond to God.

The tongue, or what you say, simply reveals what already exists in your heart. Your words are critically important, and as Jesus said, you will be held to account for them, even the off-the-cuff ones, yet it is not so much the words, but what is what is behind them that is truly important.

That is why you can’t simply discipline your tongue—though that is not a bad idea. You have got to transform your heart. If you don’t, your speech will ultimately betray what is on the inside.

A person with a harsh tongue has an angry heart; a negative tongue comes from a fearful heart; an overactive tongue springs from an insecure heart; a boasting tongue is from a prideful heart; a filthy tongue comes an impure heart; a person who is critical all the time has a bitter heart. On the other hand, a person who is always encouraging has a joyful heart. One who speaks gently has a loving heart. Someone who speaks truthfully has an honest heart.

So what’s the solution to managing your mouth? I like what Lloyd Ogilvie says, “you’ve got to heart your tongue.”

That means, to begin with, you’ve got to get a new heart. Mouth control begins with a heart transplant. Ezekiel 18:31 says, “Rid yourself of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit!”

Painting the outside of the pump doesn’t make any difference if there is poison in the well. I can change the outside, turn over a new leaf, but what I really need is a new life or a fresh start. I need supernatural surgery from the Great Physician

How do I get one? David prayed in Psalm 51, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” Maybe you ought to pray that prayer right now, because God is in the heart transplant business. Ezekiel 36:26 says of God, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Then once God gives you a new heart, ask him for help every day. You need supernatural power to control your tongue. You can’t do it alone. Your life is a living proof of that. That’s why we’ve got to daily ask God to help us. In Psalm 141:3, the psalmist prays, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

That’s a great verse to memorize and pray every morning: “God, muzzle my mouth. Don’t let me be critical or judgmental or harsh today. Don’t let me say things that I’ll regret.” If you ask God for help, he will.

Finally, master your mouth by disciplining of thinking. James 1:19 says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” One quick and two slows. In other words, engage your mind before you put your mouth in gear.

Control your thinking and you’ll control your speaking. Control your speaking and you’ll control you whole life. And the best way to control your thinking is by filling your mind with the Word of God.

What goes into your mind, gets into your heart, and what gets into your heart, comes out of your mouth. So don’t just watch your mouth—for sure, do that—but “above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Prayer… Father, as the psalmist prayed, so I ask of you, create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit in me. May the reservoir of my life be pure and the words of my mouth reveal only the Spirit of God who fills my heart.

Read Matthew 11

“Are you the one who was to come, or should
we expect someone else?”
(Matthew 11:3)

Thoughts… Let’s be honest—we’ve all been deeply disappointed with God. Sometimes He doesn’t live up to our expectations. A prayer doesn’t get answered the way we want, when we want: a healing doesn’t occur, a job is lost, a relationship goes sour, a marriage isn’t saved, a loved one refuses salvation, a child dies…

That’s when faith really gets tested. It is easy to believe in the good times—when things are going great, prayers are getting answered, and God is obviously on our team. But just cut off the flow of blessing, squeeze our faith a little, push us out of the comfort zone—then take our spiritual temperature and see if we’re still aflame with faith.

John the Baptist was there. He had obeyed the call of God early in his life as the forerunner of the Messiah. He had arranged his whole world around announcing Jesus as Israel’s Messiah. He had lived an austere life, preached his heart out, courageously confronted the religious establishment, boldly challenged sinful hearts, and called Israel to national repentance, all to prepare the way for Jesus. He expected his faithfulness to God and obedience to the call would usher in the Kingdom of God when Jesus showed up and launched his messianic ministry.

But now he was in jail. He was in a pretty serious situation that in a few days would lead to his beheading. And Jesus was out there preaching to small crowds, doing a few miracles here and there, and not taking this Messiah thing very seriously. John was disappointed, to say the least.

Did you notice how Jesus handled John’s disappointment and doubt? Not with a brow beating, not with a rebuke, not with anger, Jesus simply reaffirmed John and spoke about his value in God’s eyes. Jesus understood where John was coming from.

Jesus also understood that God’s timing was way different than John’s. John wanted the Kingdom now, and when it didn’t happened, he questioned. So Jesus redirected John’s faith—he encouraged him to take his eyes off circumstances and put them back where they belonged: On the undeniable evidence of God’s activity; on the unshakeable hope God’s Kingdom; on the unbreakable promise of God’s Word; on the irrefutable goodness of God’s character. And then to trust!

We’ve all had those kind of doubts, questions, disappointment and perhaps even anger with God when he doesn’t live up to billing. Maybe that’s where you are today. That’s okay—God is big enough handle your upset—provided you do as John did: Own up to your upset.

God won’t give you a beat down if you’ll come to him with a humble and honest heart. He’ll simply reaffirm your inestimable value and remind you of his everlasting love—and invite you to trust.

And at the end of the day, you’ll never be disappointed when you trust God.

“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that
suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character;
and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love into our hearts
by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
(Romans 5:3-5)

Prayer… Lord I believe you are the One. Now when circumstances set themselves against, me, help my unbelief.

One More Thing… “Bless your uneasiness as a sign that there is still life in you.” — Dag Hammarskjald

Read Matthew 10

“But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or
what you should speak. For it will be given to you in
that hour what you should speak; for it is not
you who speak, but the Spirit of your
Father who speaks in you.”
(Matthew 10:19-20)

Thoughts… The Gospels speak often of the Holy Spirit. Jesus directly spoke a great deal about the Holy Spirit as well. For New Testament believers, a relationship with the Holy Spirit was normative.

It is unfortunate that what was fully embraced in the first century has become so controversial in our day: The infilling of the Holy Spirit. We now quibble over if one is Spirit-filled at salvation or if the infilling comes when one is baptized in the Spirit as a separate and distinct event. We argue over whether speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of being Spirit-baptized or if the Spiritual language is even valid in the 21st century.

Theological lines have been drawn, denominations have been formed, preachers take their stand on one side of the issue or the other, position papers have been issued, and all the while God longingly waits to give the Holy Spirit to all who ask (Luke 11:13).

Jesus spoke passionately of the “promise of the Father,” which was—and still is—to send the Holy Spirit to be with us, in us, and to work through us in ways that are beyond human replication. It doesn’t take too long reading in the New Testament to understand that God’s deep desire for his children is that they would live as Spirit-filled people.

For the believer, the Spirit-filled life is not an option, but a divine expectation. It is an act of faith and obedience that will enable the believer to experience dimensions of the blessedness that the Acts 2 believers experienced. Nothing but the Spirit-filled life will empower the believer for mission in the world. Nothing but the Spirit-filled life will enable the believer to live the kind of holy and honoring life God calls for—and deserves.

The Father is still waiting to deliver His gift to those who ask. “Ask and keep on asking…for how much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask!”

We may quibble over the mechanism of Spirit infilling, but the bottom line is, by whatever means, be filled and keep on being filled with God the Holy Spirit.

The Father promised it. Jesus declared it. The Holy Spirit is ready for it. Are you?

Prayer… Lord Jesus, just as you breathed on your disciples and invited them to receive the Holy Spirit, I ask you to breathe on me and baptize me in the Spirit afresh today.

One More Thing… “How little chance the Holy Ghost has nowadays. The churches and missionary societies have so bound Him in red tape that they practically ask Him to sit in a corner while they do the work themselves.” — C.T. Studd

Read Matthew 9

“For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say,
‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of
Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said
to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and
go to your house.” And he arose and
departed to his house.”
(Matthew 9:6-8)

Thoughts… I’ve always loved that line: “Which is easier?” If I had been the one in this situation instead of Jesus, I would likely have said, “Which is harder?” But Jesus was God, and he didn’t sweat the small stuff—and to him, it was all small stuff.

That’s why he could forgive sins just as easily as he could heal a paralytic. That’s why he could raise a little girl from death, heal a woman with a twelve-year issue of blood, open blind eyes, enable a mute man to speak, and drive demons from those in the devil’s bondage. It was all small stuff to Jesus because he was God.

And what about your life? What are you facing—a physical challenge, a financial situation, a problem at work, guilt over a past sin, a broken marriage? What is your paralysis? Whatever it is, no matter how big of a deal it seems to you, it’s all small stuff to Jesus, because he is God.

As you face the things in your life today that have paralyzed you with fear, anxiety, guilt, anger or inaction, take to heart the words of the prophet Jeremiah,

O Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth
by your great power. Nothing is to difficult for you.
(Jeremiah 32:17)

So don’t sweat the small stuff—because it is all small stuff to Jesus.

Prayer… Lord, what seems impossible to me is no big deal to you. You made the heavens and the earth by your great power, and what I am facing comes nowhere close to that. So I place my life in your hands and trust you to perfect everything that concerns me.

One More Thing… “When you have no helpers, see your helpers in God. When you have many helpers, see God in all your helpers. When you have nothing but God, see all in God. When you have everything, see God in everything. Under all conditions, stay thy heart only on the Lord.” —Charles Spurgeon

Read Matthew 8

“So the men marveled, saying, ‘Who can this be, that
even the winds and the sea obey Him?’”
(Matthew 8:26)

Thoughts… When Jesus finished his inaugural sermon—the Sermon on the Mount—he came down off the mountain and got busy doing the things the Savior of the World had to do. In launching his ministry among the Jews as their Messiah, his claims to Divine status had to be authenticated.

And authenticate he did! He taught the people as no one had ever done before. The closing comments in chapter 7 as Jesus finished the Sermon on the Mountain describes hearers that were truly awestruck with his teaching—it was done with a power and authority they had never witnessed before. Surely this was proof that God was here.

Then Jesus cleansed a leper (8:1-4) — a hopeless, disgusting condition that brought humiliation and isolation to the sufferer, a person’s worst nightmare. Jesus actually touched this man who had not enjoyed even the most basic human contact in who knows how long, and the man was immediately healed. Truly this was proof that God was here.

Then Jesus reached out to a non-Jew, a spiritual and social “no-no” in that day, and with a simple verbal command, a Roman centurion’s paralyzed servant, who wasn’t even physically present, was healed (verses 5-13). Jesus then healed Peter’s mother-in-law as well as a host of other infirmed and afflicted people (verses 14-17). Some of those whom he healed were severely tormented by evil spirits, and with the word of his mouth, Jesus delivered each one of them and banished the demons from tormenting them further (verses 16,28-34). Surely this was proof that God was here.

But perhaps the most dramatic exercise of his Divine authority was the calming of the storm (verses 23-27). As Jesus and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee, a fierce storm arose and the men literally feared for their lives, while Jesus slept in the boat. Then, with as much ease as it takes to brush a piece of lint off your sleeve, Jesus arose and rebuked the storm, and it subsided.

At this, the disciples, who had heard his spell-binding teaching, had witnessed his miracles of healing, had seen demons flee like little squealing school girls from his presence, dropped their jaws in amazement: even the physical universe submitted to his commands. Truly this was the living proof of a loving God. Truly Jesus was Lord and Savior of the world!

So here’s the deal: If Jesus’ words are Divinely authoritative, if no physical malady can withstand his healing touch, if demons wither in his presence, if even the storms of this world have to obey him…

Then why can’t you be confident in the face of any problem in your life right now? What is keeping you from putting full faith and exercising full obedience in Jesus Christ? What further proof do you need that a loving God has come to you in the person of Jesus Christ?

In light of who he is and what he can do, why not do today what the centurion did 2,000 years ago: Give him your complete trust and full devotion. How awesome it would be if Jesus could say of you:

“I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere.”
(Matthew 8:10, The Message)

Prayer… O Lord, I want to trust you with the trust of that Roman centurion. You are Lord over disease, demons, and even the elements of the physical world, and you deserve to be the Lord of my life. This day, remove any doubts, fears and reluctances so that I might give you my complete trust and my full devotion.

One More Thing… “I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.” —Saint Augustine