Days 9-10

Texts

• Matthew 7—(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207&version=31)
• Matthew 8:1-17—( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%208:1-17&version=31)
• Job 12—(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2012;&version=31;)
• Joe Eaton’s Devotional—John 8:53-59, Chapter 7 (Available upon request)

Summary of Matthew 7—Matthew 7 opens up admonishing us not to judge one another, because we do the exact same things, and have no right. (That kind of hit hard…) Jesus went on to say that if we ask, we will receive; seek, and we will find; knock, and the door will be opened—because God knows how to give to us what we need. God will always do what is best for us if we are seeking Him. Then He warned the disciples to watch out for false prophets, telling the disciples that they would recognize those not following Jesus’ words by the way they lived their life. After that, Jesus told a parable, explaining what the lives of those who put Jesus’ words into action (and those who did not) would look like. Those who founded their lives upon Jesus’ words would stand to the end, and those who did not would be destroyed. And thus concluded the Sermon on the Mount.

Summary of Matthew 8:1-17—After Jesus left the Mountain, he heals a leper, the centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, and a host of others with illnesses, demons, and other ailments. The leper came to Him, saying that if Jesus was willing, He could heal him…and Jesus did. The centurion came to Him, asked Him to say the word, and heal his servant…and Jesus did. They asked, and received, for such was their faith. I also find it interesting that Jesus just had to speak, and His words were back up with action. They have been since the beginning. =)

Summary of Job 12—By now, Job is pretty ticked off at his so-called friends, and makes the interesting comment, “men at ease have contempt for misfortune…those who provoke God are secure—those who carry their god in their hands” (5-6), those who never take their religion past their comfort zone. He goes on to say that God is in control of all things, both the good and the bad. Summarizing the rest—the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.

Summary of Joe’s devotional on John 8:53-59—In the Biblical passage, Jesus confirms His deity before the Jews in a humble yet stunning way. In Joe’s words, “We can learn many things, but here are two things that really stuck out to me. First, Jesus makes it clear that He is God….Secondly, Jesus affirmed His deity in an amazing way…by reflecting all the glory back to His Father. He could have thrown His weight around and gotten everything He wanted. Yet He chose to humble Himself. So often, we think we’re so important for one reason or another, and we want everyone to know about it. Jesus hates our pride and He wants us to follow His perfect example. We ought to go hard after humility as Jesus did. After all, He is God…and He is the most humble being in the universe. What do we have to be prideful about?”


Okay, so we have Jesus telling the disciples to not only listen to what He says, but to live out His words, and to be wary of those who do not. However, do not be hypocritical about your actions, looking down on those who aren’t doing what you think they ought to, unless your life is completely in line… As you are living out His words, ask of Him, seek His face, and knock…and He—who knows how to give the best gifts—will give, and open doors. Kind of like he did for those who came to Him to be healed, they asked, and Jesus knew that the gift He was giving was good, so He spoke, and His words were backed up with action, and they were healed. Interestingly enough, Job said that, “men at ease have contempt for misfortune…those who provoke God are secure—those who carry their god in their hands” (5-6) yet Jesus—our prime example—did not have a contempt for misfortune. He took His ministry far beyond the reaches of His comfort zone, stepping out of the perfect realm of heaven to live among us. Even then, when He could have shown off His power and glory and still have been in His comfort zone to some level, He chose instead to be humble, and to point all of the glory His rank demanded back to His Father.

Challenge: Follow Christ’s example, get out of your comfort zone and live out what God has said. Be careful of those who are not listening to God, but say they are, and make sure that you are not one of them. As you are living out His words, remember to ask, seek, and knock…He is there for you. Last, but certainly not least, give glory to the Father in all that you do.

May the Lord be your shining example in everything, and may you follow Him no matter where the path may lead. Keep walking and give glory to God.