Category: Matthew

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Don’t Grow Weary

I hope the verses from yesterday really made an impact in your day. Not by might nor by power…

We have a tendency to burn the candle at both ends, too many projects, overcommitted and not enough rest. That’s where I find myself today. I’m asking you to pray for me today because I am weary. I woke up this morning feeling like I could spend the whole day in bed. My body wanted more rest.

Have you ever been there?

So the first thing I did was tell the Lord I needed more strength. And I hope that today would be the day to get a nap. And then this verse came to mind.

“Dear friends, you must never become tired of doing right.” II Thessalonians 3:13 CEV

Another translation words this verse “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.”

And there’s another verse in Isaiah that I really take to heart on day’s like today.

“Even young people get tired, then stumble and fall. 31 But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.” Isaiah 40:30-31 CEV

I’m already feeling stronger and more ready to start my day! God’s word is like good, nourishing food to my spirit. It’s amazing how reading these Scriptures brings strength.

If you’re feeling like I was this morning – a bit tired and weary – take time to put today’s verses into practice. Add to them yesterday’s verse and let the Spirit of the Lord carry the load. This is where we find rest!

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching.[a] Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. 30 Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 ERV

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Love Hurts

A few days back I read something that Max Lucado had written. He asked what would have happened if the two Mary’s hadn’t have gone to the tomb on that Sunday morning. I like how he thinks – he looks at the Bible not as a religious book but as a book about relationships.

Religion would tell us that the women went to the tomb of Jesus because that’s just how God commanded it to be. Not true, God has never forced anyone into obedience. We all have a free will and these women were no different. It was their love for a dear friend that drew them to the tomb not religious teaching.

“The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.” Matthew 28:1 CEV

Their hearts must have been aching. They had watched Jesus die. There was no one like him. Did they try to figure out how they would move the stone? After all, they were just two women. They didn’t have the strength. They weren’t going expecting to find an empty tomb and a risen Saviour. Their purpose in going was to properly prepare His body for burial since it had been so rushed when he was taken down from the cross.

“The Day of Rest was over. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices. They wanted to put the spices on Jesus’ body. 2 Very early in the morning on the first day of the week, they came to the grave. The sun had come up. 3 They said to themselves, “Who will roll the stone away from the door of the grave for us?” 4 But when they looked, they saw the very large stone had been rolled away.” Mark 16:1-4 NLV

And when they arrived and saw the stone was moved and the tomb was open they were heart sick. Where was Jesus?

“While they wondered about what had happened, they saw two men standing by them in shining clothes. 5 They were very much afraid and got down with their faces to the ground. The men said to them, “Why do you look for the living One among those who are dead? 6 He is not here. He is risen. Do you not remember what He said to you when He was yet in Galilee? 7 He said, ‘The Son of Man must be given over into the hands of sinful men. He must be nailed to a cross. He will rise again three days later.’” 8 They remembered what He had said.” Luke 24:4-8 NLV

Now they remembered! Their grief gave place to joy. They had come to grieve, to say good-bye to the Man who had changed their lives dramatically. In their sadness they had forgotten His words that He would rise again.

Joy, absolute joy! They had to go tell the disciples that Jesus was alive. He had risen from the dead!

“Now hurry! Tell his disciples that he has been raised to life and is on his way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see him. That is what I came to tell you.”

8 The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples.” Matthew 28:7-8 CEV

I’m asking you to imagine that you were with those women. Place yourself there. Hear the message of the angels, watch the anguish melt away and pure joy fill your heart. Now do as the angels said.

Go tell someone that He is alive! We serve a risen Saviour!!

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Put A Little Love in Your Heart

A few days back I was sharing with you on kindness. The simple act of being polite is monumental.

This morning in my reading I came to these verses in I Peter.

“So all of you should live together in peace. Try to understand each other. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Be kind and humble. 9 Don’t do wrong to anyone to pay them back for doing wrong to you. Or don’t insult anyone to pay them back for insulting you. But ask God to bless them. Do this because you yourselves were chosen to receive a blessing. 10 The Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy true life and have only good days, then avoid saying anything hurtful, and never let a lie come out of your mouth. 11 Stop doing what is wrong, and do good. Look for peace, and do all you can to help people live peacefully. 12 The Lord watches over those who do what is right, and he listens to their prayers. But he is against those who do evil.” I Peter 3:8-12 ERV

Basically – enough said!

If we would just follow this instruction on a daily basis our lives would be honoring to the Lord and our relationship with others would be enhanced.

Jesus told his disciples that our words are like seeds that cause fruit to grow in our lives. Either good fruit or bad, the choice is ours. Solomon said the same thing in Proverbs and James said if we learn to control our tongues we are mature people.

“I tell you that everyone will have to answer for all the careless things they have said. This will happen on the day of judgment. 37 Your words will be used to judge you. What you have said will show whether you are right or whether you are guilty.” Matthew 12:36-38 ERV (Jesus words)

“Make your words good— you will be glad you did. 21 Words can bring death or life!
 Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.” Proverbs 18:20-21 CEV (Solomon’s words)

“It is the same with our tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it can boast about doing great things.

A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. 6 The tongue is like a fire. It is a world of evil among the parts of our body. It spreads its evil through our whole body and starts a fire that influences all of life. It gets this fire from hell.

7 Humans have control over every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have controlled all these things. 8 But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people who were created in God’s likeness. 10 These praises and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen. 11 Do good water and bad water flow from the same spring? Of course not. 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree make olives? Or can a grapevine make figs? No, and a well full of salty water cannot give good water.

13 Are there any among you who are really wise and understanding? Then you should show your wisdom by living right. You should do what is good with humility. A wise person does not boast.” James 3:5-13 ERV

Scripture is pretty tough when it comes to the words we speak!

We are to be examples of Jesus so let’s stop and think before we speak. Let’s cultivate good fruit for our lives. Let’s speak words of kindness, things that will build others up and not tear them down.

Let’s be kind!

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Recovering From A Storm

Our last few days have been anything but quiet! You all know how much I enjoy the peace and tranquility that I have here in our neighborhood. It has been disturbed in a big way.

Some of you will remember we had a huge hail storm back in October. The hail was the size of golf balls and it pelted us for almost an hour. The trees and shrubbery were stripped of their leaves, cacti had holes shot through them and the cars were dimpled with hail marks. Window screens were shredded and one of our sky lights were broken. It was a hard storm.

What we didn’t realize until a couple months ago was damage had been done to our roof. First one neighbor and then a few others called their insurance companies to have adjusters come assess the effects of the storm. It was quite wide spread in our area. When we called, we found that our roof needed to be replaced because of the damage that had been sustained from the hail.

Two days ago the workers came and began stripping away the old roof. Our home is a flat roofed, Santa Fe style home. They spent all day peeling away the damaged roofing material. Yesterday they came and began laying the new roof. The banging, pounding, deconstruction and reconstruction was almost deafening. There isn’t a picture in the house that is hanging straight. Little bits of dirt and dust that had lived in the vents for thirteen years was now on my furniture and floors. David even put pillows under some of our hanging lights in case they fell.

After the workmen left yesterday I sat in the living room enjoying the quiet. The peace had returned. However, they will be back again today to finish the job. Sitting here my heart was filled with empathy for those who live in areas that are ravaged by floods, tornados, hurricanes, fires and devastating earthquakes; those who face complete loss while I only experience a few days of inconvenience.

These storms may destroy physical property and possessions but many experience the loss from storms that devastate their emotions, their sense of inner peace and their spiritual well being. In these cases it’s important to remember the one who can repair the damage and restore the peace.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. 2 He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness, when our God will also punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort those who are sad, 3 those in Zion who mourn. I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. He sent me to name them ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’

4 Then the old cities that were destroyed will be rebuilt. Those ancient ruins will be made new, as they were in the beginning.” Isaiah 61:1-4 ERV

This was written about Jesus and told what He would do when He came to earth. He came to heal, deliver, comfort, bring freedom and rebuild. He came to restore us who have suffered loss and destruction.

“You, Lord God, bless everyone  who cares for the poor, and you rescue those people in times of trouble. 2 You protect them and keep them alive. You make them happy here in this land, and you don’t hand them over to their enemies. 3 You always heal them and restore their strength when they are sick. 4 I prayed, “Have pity, Lord! Heal me, though I have sinned against you.” Psalm 41:1-4 CEV

“I know what you are like! But I will heal you, lead you, and give you comfort, until those who are mourning 19 start singing my praises. No matter where you are, I, the Lord, will heal you and give you peace.” Isaiah 57:17-19 CEV

I don’t know what storm you have been through. I don’t know the destruction that has come to your heart but God does! He comes with a promise of comfort, healing, restoration – peace. If, when, we come to Him he promises to give us peace and rest.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:28 ERV

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Sight Reading, Auto Correct & Life

A friend of mine made a post on Face Book the other day that I thought was so good. It went something like this: I always proof read my texts, normally after I hit send.

Isn’t that the truth? We input something, knowing it says exactly what we want to say, hit send and it auto-corrects and we can’t get it back. We are left to send another text trying to explain what we meant in the first one. Ridiculous.

Thank God, he isn’t that way! His word is true and it doesn’t need to be corrected or changed.

“Grass dies and flowers fall, but the word of our God lasts forever.” Isaiah 40:8 ERV

When our youngest daughter was in first grade she learned something called sight reading. The teacher was trying to get the children to read in a smooth and flowing way. Each night they were to read out loud for 20 minutes. If they came across a word they didn’t know they could substitute it with a word that started with the same letter. The intent was to keep them reading in a constant cadence.

We laughed about the way the word substitutions changed the meaning of the text. Some things were ridiculous. The intention was good but the meaning of the story had been completely misconstrued.

It should be our goal to see that God is honored and pleased by the things we say and do. Our words and our actions should reflect what’s in our hearts. We don’t want those around us to get a wrong message like those that come with faulty auto-correct or the word substitution of sight reading.

“Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in Your eyes, O Lord, my Rock and the One Who saves me.” Psalm 19:14 NLV

“Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45 CEV

“People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16 ERV

Lord, I desire that the message I live and speak is clear, concise and easy to understand. I want to be a messenger for you in all I do and say.

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Who’s In Charge

Sitting here this morning, there are so many things on my mind and in my heart. Praying for my children and grandchildren, their friends who need direction, healing for the friends of friends and for our nation and our government and those who rule our land. So many things around us are going contrary to what Jesus said was the kingdom of heaven and what God has designed for us.

Jesus also lived in a troubled world. The governmental rule was anti-God. The Romans, who ruled over the nation of Israel preached Caesar as God and his word as infallible. They were living in political slavery when Jesus was born. I find it interesting that God the Father didn’t use Jesus to rescue the Jews from the Romans in a similar way that he used Moses to rescue the Jews from the Egyptians.

Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages preaching to them the good news of the kingdom of heaven and with that message he demonstrated the power of God by doing miracles.

“Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues and told people the Good News about God’s kingdom. He healed all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. 36 Jesus saw the many people and felt sorry for them because they were worried and helpless—like sheep without a shepherd to lead them. 37 Jesus said to his followers, “There is such a big harvest of people to bring in. But there are only a few workers to help harvest them. 38 God owns the harvest. Ask him to send more workers to help gather his harvest.” Matthew 9:35 – 38 ERV

He also sent out his disciples, preaching the same message and they too, did the same miracles. “As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here. 8Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy, and force out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid.” Matthew 10:7-8 ERV

Peter was preaching in the book of Acts and gave this testimony of Jesus and his ministry. “You surely know what happened everywhere in Judea. It all began in Galilee after John had told everyone to be baptized. 38God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil. 39We all saw what Jesus did both in Israel and in the city of Jerusalem. Jesus was put to death on a cross. 40But three days later, God raised him to life and let him be seen. 41Not everyone saw him. He was seen only by us, who ate and drank with him after he was raised from death. We were the ones God chose to tell others about him.” Acts 10: 37-41 ERV

The corruption of the government was always on Jesus disciples’ minds and they wondered when Jesus would take control and change things. Here are Jesus last words to his disciples.

“While the apostles were still with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king again?” 7Jesus said to them, “You don’t need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. 8But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” 9After Jesus had said this and while they were watching, he was taken up into a cloud. They could not see him, 10but as he went up, they kept looking up into the sky.” Acts 1:6-9

Today, many are asking the same thing. When Lord are you going to do something about our government leaders and those in power? Things are not good, that is for certain! But we are hopeful and can trust God. He has a plan, He is working.

Jesus final command to the disciples is for us as well. We receive power from the Holy Spirit and are to be witnesses in our home town (Jerusalem), in our country (Judea), to our neighboring countries (Samaria) and then into the whole world. And what are we to preach – the same thing the disciples did. The kingdom of heaven is at hand and we can minister with the same power and authority that they had.

So today, we are called to be witnesses for the kingdom of God. “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:32-33 ERV

Your kingdom come, your will be done!

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How Do They Know

The last several days I have had some reading to catch up on and the weather has been so nice I decided to take my reading to the backyard. The reading was an encouragement to me but the activity in the yard was the real lesson.

About two weeks ago the hummingbirds began returning. I could hear the whirl of their little wings and also their little chatter as they sat in the mesquite trees. One of my favorite things about this home is my hummers.

Each year I put out about six feeders and all day long they are filled with visitors. In the morning it’s not unusual to have five or six birds at each one and another three or four circling, waiting their turn. I can get so close that I can see them swallow as they drink from the feeders. They buzz me when I remove a bottle for cleaning and refilling.

A couple of days ago I saw a new fellow arrive in the backyard troupe. I call him an aerial applicator. He reminds me of the helicopters that flew in Iowa, spraying the crops of corn. He comes straight down, flies across the yard in a low trajectory and then straight up again at the other side of the yard. He gets to his designated height, turns, and swoops down again, headed the other way. I watched him do this repeatedly while the minutes passed. The whole time he was flying like this he was making a high pitched, whirling sound like that of a racing engine. He is a wonderful new addition to our backyard aviation family.

I know, I know. I’m hooked! But I’m also amazed! Amazed by the instinct of these tiny little birds; amazed by their God-given, innate ability to return year after year. How do they know it’s the right time to leave their southern homes and return to our backyard?

There’s only one answer. Their Creator, God our Father, has given them and all birds the gift of migration for their survival.

I’ve learned so much for watching the birds around my home. They always start the morning singing; they welcome each new day with a song. They get quiet and roost when they know a storm is coming; as long as they are out and about everything is fine. They are the first ones out when the rain stops, it’s a great time to get some juicy worms. In the evening, the quail call for their brood and their mates. Time to come home and settle in. They like to build their nests in a place they feel safe.

It’s no wonder at all that Jesus used the birds to teach us a very important lesson about the Father’s loving care.

“Aren’t two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. 30 Even the hairs on your head are counted. 31 So don’t be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 CEV

“I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than birds?” Matthew 6:25-26 CEV

When you find yourself tempted to worry, consider the birds. They are a living example of the Father’s protection and provision!

If you’d like, you’re always welcome to join me in my backyard and we’ll let them encourage us together.

“His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me!”

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Good Parenting

As parents and grandparents we make a lot of decisions that our children and grandchildren may not understand. We love them, encourage them, help them to grow and yes, we bring discipline into their lives.

The teaching times are just as important and the fun, play times. Occasionally, the two overlap and we have a fun time while learning. Our kids need to know that we will ALWAYS be their place of safety. Home is where they will find unconditional love. True love isn’t saying yes to every whim and desire; it is also saying no to protect them from things they don’t realize are dangerous.

How many of you who are parents have stopped your children from playing in the street; or perhaps you have smacked their hands or their little bottoms when they have reached to touch a hot coal in a campfire or the hot pan on the stove? Maybe you stopped them riding their bikes down the steep hill with the big kids or even prevented them from swimming in the lake when they had no supervision.

You have placed a lot of restrictions on your kids! You parents are just trying to spoil their fun and stifle their creativity, aren’t you? Not hardly. You know that your love for them drives you to protect them even if they don’t understand.

Some people see the Bible and God’s instruction in it as a long list of do’s and don’ts. They think if they follow the teachings the Lord has given us it will cramped their style, stifled their freedom of creative expression, limit them in their pursuit of happiness. And yet it is just the opposite. Our heavenly Father is loving and He wants nothing but the best for us.

Let’s look at one of the first instructions, commandments, God gave to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt.

“God said to the people of Israel:2 I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves. 3 Do not worship any god except me.” Exodus 20:1-3 CEV

Why do you think he prefaced verse three with verses one and two? It was a reminder.

God wanted them to remember why they didn’t need any other god. He was the One who delivered them from slavery, He was the One who opened the path across the Red Sea. He turned bitter water to good and gave them manna every morning and quail at night. He was the One who provided them with warmth from the pillar of fire at night and He was the One who gave them shade with the same cloud during the day. He was the one who gave them victory over the enemies in battle!

He was the one who provided for all their needs and He wanted them to remember that He provided for them because He loved them and there was no one else who could take care of them the way He did! He was, He is and always will be the I AM that we need for each day.

And the second commandment is very similar – don’t make and/or worship any idols. Plain and simple keep the Lord first place. We might not make idols of gold or silver but we can be guilty of worshipping other gods; the gods of pleasure, education, relationships, professional advancement, financial security, health and well being. When we make these things our primary goals and requirements for happiness we have God take the back seat and these become our idols.

Jesus taught his disciples a strong lesson in Matthew 6 when he told them they didn’t need to seek after food, clothing, or a place to live because the Lord knew they had need of all these things. His instruction was clear

” But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:33 CEV

Instead of chasing after things, if we chase after God all these will be added. God wants us to have a fulfilled life. In fact Jesus said that He came so we could have life but not just a meager, sad, sullen existence of a life but an abundant life, to the full, till it overflows!

Our Father has provided all we need. He a good parent. Seek Him first and all the rest will be added!

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Coming In First!

Don’t you love being first? It is such an honor – being the first to get a phone call or text with really important news – getting the first piece of cake on your birthday – the first dance at your wedding – the first lick of an ice cream cone – the first ride on a motorcycle – the first kiss… I could go on and on.

Most of us will probably never be first in the Olympics or first in the Daytona 500 or first at the NFR but we all celebrate the “first” we have in our lives.

Did you know that the Lord celebrates “first” too? We worship on the first day of the week, the day Jesus was raised from the dead. We bring Him the first of our offerings because He deserves to have first place. And in Exodus we find that there is another first.

“The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Dedicate to me the first-born son of every family and the first-born males of your flocks and herds. These belong to me.” Exodus 13:1-2

When the first is dedicated to the Lord he knows He has the heart of the family. It’s a way of showing honor to the Lord for the blessing of life and the first of the flocks (our livelihood) represents our well-being and prosperity. But there’s more…

“Each year during the month of Abib, celebrate these events in the following way… Then on the seventh day you must explain to your children that you do this because the Lord brought you out of Egypt.

9 This celebration will be like wearing a sign on your hand or on your forehead, because then you will pass on to others the teaching of the Lord, whose mighty power brought you out of Egypt. 10 Celebrate this festival each year at the same time…

12 From then on, you must give him every first-born son from your families and every first-born male from your animals, because these belong to him…
14 In the future your children will ask what this ceremony means. Explain it to them by saying, “The Lord used his mighty power to rescue us from slavery in Egypt…
16 This ceremony will serve the same purpose as a sign on your hand or on your forehead to tell how the Lord’s mighty power rescued us from Egypt.” Exodus 13:1-16 CEV

The dedication of the first-born was a reminder of what the Lord had done for them by delivering them from Egypt.

We too have been delivered from an evil king and the slavery of his rule.

“I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. 13 God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who forgives our sins and sets us free.” Colossians 1:12-14 CEV

So celebrate today – Remind your children and yourself that there is One who deserves to be first in all things – your heart, your decisions, your focus!

“Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command.” Matthew 22:37-38 ERV

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May I Help You?

Each morning it is my duty, a labor of love really, to remind myself to act like Jesus. My first conscious thought is “Father, I love you. Jesus, I love you. Holy Spirit, I love you. Good morning!” and then next I remind myself to think like Jesus and honor Him with my thoughts, my words and my actions.

Sad to say, I’m not successful every morning. Some mornings I just want to go back to sleep or be left to myself. Those are the days that I feel God’s prompting to make the necessary attitude adjustment and honor Him.

“But Jesus called the disciples together and said: You know that foreign rulers like to order their people around. And their great leaders have full power over everyone they rule. 26 But don’t act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. 27 And if you want to be first, you must be the slave of the rest. 28 The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.
29 Jesus was followed by a large crowd as he and his disciples were leaving Jericho. 30 Two blind men were sitting beside the road. And when they heard that Jesus was coming their way, they shouted, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on us!” 31 The crowd told them to be quiet, but they shouted even louder, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on us!”
32 When Jesus heard them, he stopped and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They answered, “Lord, we want to see!” 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Right away they could see, and they became his followers.” Matthew 20: 25-34

“The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.” I remember the first time that verse had an impact on me – I had a house full of people, was preparing for some special meetings at a hotel conference room, had my family responsibilities and my “help” had been called away. I did what any self-respecting woman would do, I started to complain. Not outwardly but from my heart; I grumbled, I murmured and I wanted to kick the dog but that wasn’t acceptable. So I just kept going and when I finally had a few minutes to myself, I picked up my Bible and read the verses above. WOW!!

If Jesus, the Son of God, creator of the universe, said that His role in life was to serve others and not be served, how selfish and self-centered was it of me to be grumbling over my lack of help. As quickly as I could, I said “Lord forgive me and if I have no help at all, let people see Jesus through me.” He did. We had a wonderful weekend of meetings and so many lives were touched.

But now let me take you back to Jesus and what surrounded these verses. Jesus had just been telling his apostles that He was about to be betrayed and would be handed over for his crucifixion. The mother of James and John was in the traveling group this day and asked Jesus, “Well, when you get to your kingdom I want you to have my sons sit by your side”. Even among those closest to Jesus there was a jockeying for position. This made the other ten upset and so that’s why Jesus said that they must be willing to be a servant and not look at being the master.

I love that this exchange is followed by the story of two blind men. Jesus got to live what He preached. He was talking about his death, spending the last few weeks or possibly days with his disciples getting them ready for what was to come and his ministry is interrupted by two blind hecklers calling from the side of the road, “Jesus, hey Jesus!”

When they were told to hush, they yelled louder. Jesus didn’t become upset and ignore them instead he stopped all he was doing to talk with them. “What do you want from me?” “We want to see.” And Jesus restored their sight.

The verses above say that Jesus felt sorry for them but in other translations it says that Jesus had compassion on them, that means he was moved by love, not pity. What he was doing and saying to the disciples was important but the lives of these two men became his top priority. He was moved by love because God IS love. That’s a servants heart, an attitude of “how may I help you”.

Today, we will all have opportunity to serve others or to be caught up in having others serve us. In both cases, it is our responsibility to have “the mind of Christ”. First, we should be grateful and appreciative when we are served, not taking the attitude that of course they should help or do this. Second, we should serve from a loving heart and not out of guilt or an act of responsibility.

We know we’re doing it with the right motive when it brings you joy and not complaint.

Thank you Lord for Your living example of helping others.

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