The Daily Dose

The will of your Father

“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:50

Have you ever wondered how to know for sure that you are part of God’s family?  In today’s verse, Jesus answers that question.  We know that after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension, salvation was available for all who would receive it.  However, in today’s passage, Jesus tells His disciples and us how to identify His family.  He said it was those who do the will of His Father in heaven. 

On the surface, this is an awesome revelation. You and those around you can actually see that you belong to the God of the universe simply by you doing His will.  Now the question is:  How do I know what God’s will is for me to be doing?

For starters we know that God’s Word is His will.  It is the best place to start.  If you see something in the scriptures that hasn’t quite fit into your life yet, begin to step into that now.  Salvation starts with stepping into a personal relationship with our heavenly Father through the blood of Jesus that cleans us from all sin and the stains that sin has left in our lives.  Now that you have entered into that personal relationship, like any relationship, the way to grow it is to nurture and give attention to it.  Purpose to spend some quiet time with your Father each day and you will begin to know His leading in the way that you should go.  Take some time to read His words in the scripture, give Him some praise and thanksgiving and then talk with Him and listen to what He is speaking to your heart.

Next, do what Jesus did and begin to reach out to others in kindness and love.  The scripture says that the fruit of God’s Spirit or the evidence that God’s Spirit is active in your life is (aka doing His will): love, joy peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and patience.  Begin to let this produce grow in your daily walk for the world around you to receive.

It is not about doing works to receive your salvation, but it is about doing good to imitate your Father in heaven and by doing kind deeds others can see God’s love in you.  As you hang out with Him, you will take on more of His attributes and begin to look more like Him each day. (See Eph. 5)

Lastly, instead of killing all your free time with scrolling social media, television and recreational activities, spend time listening to podcasts and reading material that will grow your faith and trust in His goodness and love for you.  And don’t forget to take time to worship with others at least once a week. 

Today I want to encourage you to do the will of your Father in heaven.  Step into a closer walk with Him by setting aside special quiet time each day to get to know Him and His blessed plan for your life.  Then start displaying His grace and love for others in the relationships of your life.  Let the world around you identify you as part of God’s family by the way you walk out His will and plan for your life each day.

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 12:38-50

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.

47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”

49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

What do you say

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.  Psalms 18:6

I have gone through a lot of low times in my past.  There were times when I was afraid, times when I was worried and times when I was down.  When those times came, I called on the Lord.  I cried out to Him for help.  He was always there for me and even though I was not living my life in agreement with His plan and purpose, He still rescued me in my distresses.  When things got better, I was off running in my own direction again.  I didn’t say it out loud, but I was basically living my life with the mindset of, I’m going to do things my way, God and if I get into trouble, then I will ask You for help.

That is not the wise way of walking through this life and of course, now I know there is a better way to live.  That way is to follow His leading and direction, not because He wants to control me, but because He knows how to get me to the good life He designed for me to live before I was even born. By following Him, I can find out ahead of time what and where that is.  It doesn’t mean that I will never have trouble or problems again, it just means that I am in the right place and God is right there beside me to get me through.  It also indicates that I am close to Him and talking to Him all the time so that when the low times come, He doesn’t have to rush in to rescue me, but instead He is right there beside me as we walk through and overcome, step by step by step.

I never really focused on my issues and felt the need to talk about them all the time with whoever was around me.  That has helped me out a lot in life.  I ask God for help; He comes and fixes things and then I would get up and start running again.  Even though I was running in the wrong direction, that thought process helped me to unload a lot of baggage when I did start going in the right direction.  However, I have met many people who park when they have problems and then sit down and talk about the issue over and over and over again.  It doesn’t help anything, it just lets others know that they need help and by telling them, they expect others to do something to fix the circumstances, or to pity them and make excuses for them.  Either way, it results in a victim mentality and it becomes a vicious cycle that is even harder to get out of and move away from in life.

In Psalms 18, David cried out to God while he was being hunted by king Saul.  David didn’t do anything deserving of Saul’s oppression and hatred.  Saul was just jealous of him because God had chosen David to be the next king after Saul’s disobedience.  What I want to make note of in this Psalm is that before David talked about his problem to God, he told himself and even those around him how he was going to handle his concerns.  He said: “Even though things look bad around me, and I am being pursued unjustly, I will love the Lord with all my strength because He is my rock and my fortress.  He delivers me and I trust Him.  He is my horn and my salvation.  I call on Him because He is worthy to be praised and save me from my enemies.”  Then David shifts his words to talk about how he was feeling.  He said that he felt like the pains of death and sorrows surrounded him as he was confronted by death, but in his distress, he called upon the Lord for help.  Then the passage goes on to say that God came rushing in with a fierce anger.  Not because David asked for help, but because David was hurting.

As David watched what God did in the circumstances around him, he was encouraged and recognized that God lifted him up and brought him to a broad, safe place and that God delighted in helping David get there.  To David it felt like God picked him up, dusted him off and moved him forward in the plan for his life.  After that, David confessed his confidence in God’s mercy and faithfulness to help in out of every trouble.  He kept his conversations devoted to speaking and praying the solution, not repeating the problem over and over again.

We can approach our difficulties in life with the same heart that David did.  It is kind of the same way we approach our heavenly Father when we go to service each weekend with the body of believers.  We enter in with worship and praise about God and what we know about Him.  We sing praise about His great salvation and rejoice because He has delivered us from eternal separation. Then we listen to a message that teaches us how to walk in faith through every obstacle in life.  We leave that place with hope and thanksgiving for the reminder of our Father’s presence and provision for everything we need coming up.  He is good and His name is to be praised!

Today I want to encourage you to know what to say the next time you are going through a rough season. Begin by reminding yourself of God’s love and goodness in your life.  Speak a list of all the wonderful attributes you know about His character.  Then cry out to Him with how you are feeling at the time.  You don’t necessarily have to tell Him why you are feeling that way, just let Him know you are anxious, fearful, depressed or whatever it is that day.  They rejoice as you sense His presence with you, comforting you and lifting you up on your feet to face another day.  Even if nothing changes immediately in your surroundings, your heart will change, and peace will rush in to hold you until your prayer is answered and the situation is resolved.

Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 18:1-26

1I will love You, O Lord, my strength.

2The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

4The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

5The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

6In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry.

8 Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down with darkness under His feet.

10 And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12 From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

13 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice, hailstones and coals of fire.

14 He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.

15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, the foundations of the world were uncovered at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

16 He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.

19 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me.

23 I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

24 Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;

26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

Friend or not

Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.  Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.  Psalms 17:7-8

As I read through Psalm 17, I can begin to understand what it means to be a friend with God.  This Psalm shows the contrast between those who have His favor versus those who do not. This passage can work as a guide to help us understanding our relationship with God, evaluating if we are walking out His will and plan, and recognizing the qualities of those who walk in close relationship with Him.

Psalm 17 is a prayer of David, where he earnestly seeks God’s justice and protection against his enemies. In it David gives a deep personal plea for deliverance and vindication.  He writes his request within the context of righteousness and trust in God’s purpose. Below, I have listed several key sections, each revealing crucial elements about what it means to be a friend or not of God.

1. The Plea for Righteous Judgment (Verses 1-2)

David begins by asking for God’s attention by calling out to Him in prayer: “Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! From Your presence let my vindication come! Let Your eyes behold the right!” Here, David’s plea highlights a fundamental aspect of being a friend of God: a commitment to righteousness and truth. Those who seek God with a sincere heart, like David, will line up their lives with His nature, ways and His Word. They seek what is right in God’s eyes, not only for themselves but as a reflection of God’s own standards.

In contrast, those who are not friends of God may approach Him with deceitful hearts or ulterior motives. They are not honest with Him or themselves. Their prayers do not show a genuine desire for justice or truth but rather a self-serving intent. Psalm 17 sets a high bar for those who wish to be considered friends of God—we must approach Him with a pure heart and truly be seeking after His path.

2. Trust in Divine Protection (Verses 3-5)

In verses 3-5, David expresses his trust in God’s protection and guidance: “You have tried my heart, You have visited me by night, You have tested me, and You will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.” This trust is based on a life lived in agreement with God’s will, free from the wicked schemes of the ungodly. The intent and purity of David’s actions and words are evident, and he is confident that God’s protection and provision will prevail.

Friends of God demonstrate unwavering trust in His protection and guidance, knowing that their commitment to living righteously is a shield against adversaries. They live with a sense of divine security, strengthened with the knowledge of their friendship with God and confidents in His plan. In contrast, those who are not friends of God may rely on their own understanding or methods for protection, often resulting in vulnerability to their own failings and the schemes of their wicked schemes.

3. A Call for Deliverance from the Wicked (Verses 10-14)

David contrasts his own righteousness with the behavior of the wicked: “They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.” He asks for deliverance from those who are not only his enemies but who do unrighteousness and cruelty.

The Psalm underscores the reality that those who oppose God’s people often do it with a hardened heart and arrogance. They show no pity and seek to undermine righteousness. Being a friend of God involves standing apart from such behaviors and seeking His intervention against the forces of evil. Friends of God bring themselves into alignment with His values, while those who oppose Him display their arrogance and wretchedness.

4. The Promise of Divine Satisfaction (Verse 15)

David concludes this Psalm with a profound statement of faith: “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness.” This verse assures us of the ultimate reward for those who live in agreement with God’s Word—a desire for God’s friendship and satisfaction of being created in His image.

Friends of God are promised a deep, personal relationship with Him, marked by satisfaction and fulfillment in His presence. This ultimate reward contrasts sharply with the fate of those who do not seek God’s ways or live according to His Word. For them, there is no promise of divine fulfilment, protection or intimacy within a personal relationship with Him.

So, today I want to encourage you to read Psalm 17 and remember it as a powerful reminder of what it means to be a friend of God. Seek after a true friendship with God by committing to righteousness, set time aside each day to deepen your trust in His protection.  Set your life apart from the world and wicked says and press into the promise of divine contentment and peace. As you meditate on this Psalm, evaluate your own friendship with God, to make sure that your hearts and life lines up with His standards and His ways. By assessing your relationship, you will move closer to the joy that comes from being in the presence of a good and loving God.  Decide today that He is your best friend, and then let that friendship thrive by committing all your ways to Him.

 Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 17

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord, attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.

2 Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.

3 You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

4 Concerning the works of men, By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

5 Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip.

6 I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.

7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them.

8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

9 From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me.

10 They have closed up their fat hearts; With their mouths they speak proudly.

11 They have now surrounded us in our steps; They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,

12 As a lion is eager to tear his prey, And like a young lion lurking in secret places.

13 Arise, O Lord, Confront him, cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,

14 With Your hand from men, O Lord, from men of the world who have their portion in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, and leave the rest of their possession for their babes.

15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Fill up your heart

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  Matthew 12:34

What is in your heart?  Is it love?  Is it grace?  Is it forgiveness?  How can you even know what is in your heart?  I hope there is love, grace and mercy for others there, but how can I be sure?

Today’s scripture says that what your heart is full of will come out in what you say?  When you stub your toe or make an error, do you speak blessings or cursing?  What about when you are irritated or upset with someone?  Do you criticize them, or do you pray for them and bless them?

I recognize that many people have been through some terrible struggles and have been deeply wounded, but the test of true healing is what is coming out of their mouth.  Are you still focused on the pain of the past or do you have hope for the future with God’s help.

If you have open wounds and hurts, there is good news.  There is healing available.  It starts with turning it over to your heavenly Father and then turning your focus on to His goodness.  The blessing and cursing part will take a little practice, but if you are purposefully praying for those who have hurt you and speaking life and God’s Word into the situations that are surrounding you, your heart will fill up with these thoughts and these words.  If you are holding on to past hurts, replaying them over in your mind and letting the pain of the events haunt you, your heart will fill up with bitterness and resentment.

What you are speaking is what you are filling your heart with.  Begin to fill your mouth with good words and God’s words.  When the enemy tries to remind you of those past traumas and the damage that was done, begin to pray for those who did that evil and speak God’s healing into the situation.  That is where your freedom will come from because by your words you will be justified/set free or by your own words you will be condemned. (vs.37)

Today I want to encourage you to speak life into every issue, situation and circumstance you encounter today.  Begin to turn your perspective toward filling your heart to the overflow with blessings.  Use your negative feelings as a prompt to remind you to pray and ask God for the strength to forgive and let go of the pain.  Then bless others and be an encouragement to others who have suffered from the past.  Be the one who is always looking to help others, not the one who only talks about their own past problems.  Get your healing today and fill your heart of with the blessings of heaven by filling it up with God’s Word and His love.

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 12:31-37

31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

 

Gather them in

_{He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Matthew 12:30}

You don’t have to have the title of Missionary to gather people into the kingdom of heaven.  You can do it wherever you are.  You can talk about the love of Jesus everywhere you go.  Whether at work, school or in your own town and neighborhood, you can share the good news of salvation wherever you are.

The same is true about confusion.  You can be the kind of person who plants seed of joy peace and rest, or you can be the type that sows the bad news with gossip, strife and chaos.  You can even be someone who thinks they are sharing the message, but with a heart of condemnation and pride, just to be the one with the last word and to prove you are right.  You don’t really care about people; you just want others to know that you are smarter because you know the way to salvation.

Jesus talks about these two types of people in today’s reading, in fact, He was actually talking to these two types of people.  There were some that had come to Him for help and healing, but the Pharisees were there too.  They were there because they wanted to discredit Jesus and tell the crowd that He was using the power of the ruler of the demons.  They wanted to be the ones that were drawing the crowds that Jesus did, so they were constantly trying to make Him look bad and make things up about Him.

Jesus’ response? He said before you can be effective in the kingdom of darkness, you have to first bind up the one that is causing the trouble (the devil).  Then He tells the crowd, including the Pharisees, “if you are not with Me, you are against me and if you are not gathering others in, you are scattering them.

This is an extreme accusation and worth considering even today.  Am I with Him helping to plant the seeds of His goodness grace and mercy? Or am I just expressing my frustrations at other people’s incompetence?   I find myself falling into the pit of criticizing and complaining about others whom I don’t understand.  Instead, my reaction should be one of love and compassion for those who may not know how much God loves them.

Today I want to encourage you to be patient with those in your life.  When frustrations with others come, and they will, make the decision now to love them and bless them with the God kind of love.  Pray for others to know the great gift of salvation that Jesus died to give us and be the one who bring peace and unity into every situation.

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 12:22-30

22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

25 But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

30 He, who is not with Me, is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

He healed them all

But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Matthew 12:15

Jesus never turned anyone away when they came to Him for healing.  He was always ready to respond to someone who came to Him in faith.  In today’s reading, Jesus healed a man in the synagogue and then those who followed Him out, had faith to believe for healing because they saw it happen to the man with the withered hand.  The scripture says He healed them all!

Somewhere, many people today have gotten the idea that healing was only for certain people that God decided would be healed.  There is no evidence for this in the scripture.  Jesus plainly said, anyone who would come to Him would in no way be turned away (see John 6).  Even in the Old Testament it says He heals all our diseases. (See Psalms 103)

He will not turn us away when we come to Him in faith.  Whether a sickness or disease?  Through treatments or even something that looks uncurable, nothing is too difficult for Him to heal.  The truth is, it is up to us to go to Him in faith.  We cannot go with the mentality that it probably won’t make a difference or just assume that because I am a Christian, Jesus should just heal me.  It has to be an intentional step of faith.  Through faith is how we received our salvation, and through faith is how we receive anything from Him.  Hebrews 11:6 says, without faith it is impossible to please or reach Him.  You must believe that His is and He rewards those who diligently and purposefully seek Him.

Today I want to encourage you to walk with Him daily and continually cultivate your own personal relationship with Him.  Make the Word of God final authority in your life and believe that God your Father is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Believe that He only wants good for you and even though it may take some time, He will see you through every struggle and every affliction to get you through to victory, but you must hold on.  Don’t be discouraged about setbacks or slow progress.  Only believe that He is working all things together for your good because you love Him, and you have a mission to complete. He will accomplish that plan in you until it is finished.

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 12:9-21

9 Going on from that place, He went into their synagogue,

10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?

12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand. ”So, he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.

14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus, God’s Chosen Servant.

15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed Him, and He healed all who were ill.

16 He warned them not to tell others about Him.

17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.

19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear His voice in the streets.

20 A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out, till He has brought justice through to victory.

21 In His name the nations will put their hope.”

Mercy and grace

For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”  Matthew 12:8

The Sabbath was a big deal in Jesus’ day.  In fact, it was a big deal all through the Old Testament.  One of the ten commandments is:  Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy or separated.  It had become such a strict rule that there was no room for error with the Pharisees that they were watching everywhere to make sure everyone was keeping the Sabbath the way they wanted it to be observed.

In today’s reading, we see the Pharisees at it again.  The saw Jesus’ disciples picking some grain in a field to eat on the Sabbath Day because they were hungry.  They immediately brought the charge to Jesus.  At that point, Jesus gave a brief lesson on Sabbath, but then He ended the lesson by telling them He is Lord, even of the Sabbath.  He wasn’t telling them that it was ok for Him to break the rules because He was God in the flesh.  His point was that the Sabbath was made for man to take a day of rest.  It was never intended to control people to keep them from working.  Jesus also told the Pharisees that He desired people to be merciful more than He wanted them to be kept in line by a set of rules.  Loving people is what matters to God, not controlling their behaviors.

In today’s world, we also have become a bit legalistic.  Oh, I know it’s not to the point that we don’t do anything on the Sabbath.  However, we are quick to judge others when we see them doing something wrong.  I’m not even talking about the actual commandments in the Bible, I’m talking about wrong in being different than.  Mercy and grace are not the first response most people have when someone is not following procedures and policies.  Usually, people just go directly to condemnation and even ridicule.

Jesus said He wants us to be merciful with one another.  He wants to see His people with a different mindset.  This is not a tolerance of sin mindset, but rather a love perspective.  When we look at others, our first thoughts should be to see how much God loves them and then decide how much love them.  Jesus said:  I am Lord even of the Sabbath, so go ahead and love God and love people and you won’t have to worry about keeping the rules, because Love is the new commandment that fulfils all the rules. (see John 13)

Today I want to encourage you to be merciful, not legalistic.  Make a conscience decision to love others.  When you see someone doing the wrong thing, make every effort to love them.  You don’t love their sin or their bad behavior, but you remember that you have missed it at times too and if the person is shown love, then the Holy Spirit will draw them closer to God and the God way of living and loving.  Decide today to not pick at what is wrong in the world, love the people who are living in the world despite their shortcomings.  Remember, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 12:1-8

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.

2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.

5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.

7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

 

Rest in Him

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

Rest!  It’s a good thing!  It’s different than peace because peace is something that God gives, but rest is something we enter into, on purpose.  Today’s scripture says (You) come to me, then I will give you rest.  Glory to God!  With all the struggle and anxieties in life, it’s so wonderful to have a place of rest, and that place is in Christ Jesus.  A rest that we don’t have to wait for, we can enter in immediately. Whenever we are feeling the uneasiness of day-to-day life, and even when we are facing the stresses in life, we can easily enter in by getting quiet and submitting (unloading) everything to Him.

But how?  How do you unload these burdens and get into the  rest of my Savior, that God kind of rest?   Jesus says in this passage “take My yoke on and learn from me.”  A yoke?  That sounds like more work.  A yoke is not a reference we commonly use today, but in the days when Jesus was speaking, everyone could understand this picture.  It was used to team up a pair of oxen and then attach them to a plow so they could work together to pull it.  You may be saying, “that doesn’t sound very restful to me.”  However, Jesus said, “get into the yoke with me and I will make your labor/burden easy and light”.  He’s saying that I don’t have to struggle through life when I have attached my life to His, because when the hard times come, He pulls the load and carries the weight.  My part is to enter into His rest.

There’s only one question left and that is how do I get into the yoke with Jesus?  He answers that question for us.  He says, “learn of me and of my gentle and lowly (humble) heart.”  By becoming a person of humility, submitted to God and His word I can then enter into His rest.  By turning all the care over and taking on God’s Word (Jesus) instead, I then enter in.  This is where our relationship with the Lord grows.  When we “get in the yoke” with Him, we are spending time with Him, talking to Him, walking with Him and trusting and speaking the promises of His Word.

Today I want to encourage you that no matter what you are going through, you don’t have to struggle.  Enter into your Savior’s rest by getting into the “yoke” of life with Jesus.  Humble yourself by submitting to and obeying His Word then apply it to all your circumstances.  Let the force of God’s Word do the work on your troubles while you take a rest.

Today’s scripture reading:  Matthew 11:25-30

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

For the next five days, I will not be able to write a new message so I will be sending out a “Dose” from the Journal series from the book of Matthew. I hope you will enjoy these excepts from the latest Daily Dose book coming out at the end of the year.

You are greater!

“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  Matthew 11:11

John the Baptist.  Jesus said he was the greatest of all prophets.  In fact, Jesus said he was the greatest of those born.  The reason was because he was the one who prepared the way for the Lord’s ministry here on the Earth.  John was the forerunner, the one who announced Jesus to the world.  He made the announcement when Jesus began His ministry here in the world: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the word.” (see John 1) John was the greatest prophet because he was the last one before the coming Messiah, Jesus, came.

The second part of the verse is the astonishing part.  Jesus said, “Even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.”  Jesus was not talking about those in heaven.   When He referred to the “kingdom of heaven,” He was talking about heaven on earth, after his death, resurrection and ascension into heaven.  He was speaking about those who would receive salvation through His blood sacrifice.  The New Testament Church, the body of believers.

This truth is something that has slipped away from us in today’s world.  We, like the prophets, have the power of the living Spirit of God on the inside of us.  We have been raised up from the grave with Christ Jesus to sit together with Him in heavenly places.  We were once dead, but now we are brought to life through Christ Jesus.

Before salvation came into the world, God had chosen one person at a time to give His message to throughout the ages. They were never well-dressed, smooth talking, political minded, or famous religious leaders.  Then He sent John the Baptist, a rough around the edges man out in a deserted place.  He was bold in his witness that Jesus was coming.  He wasn’t afraid to speak up and speak out against anyone who was disputing his teaching and his message. 

Now, God still speaks today and to those who you could consider “less than important”.  We sometimes get the idea that if we can just get the right politician in office, or if we can just have that great pastor come and preach, then the world could be fixed.  The truth is that politicians and pastors are not the solution to the world’s problems. God’s message of salvation is the only hope for the world and we every believer carries that message with them each day.  We are His messengers!

The point is that just because you may not have a well-known, popular platform, you still have a voice and the Word of the LORD has come to you in the scripture.  It is now your job to tell the “good news” that Jesus, the Messiah and Savior of the world, came and He took away the sin of the world.  You are greater than all the prophets of old because you have that great salvation that they were all waiting for before His arrival.

Today I want to encourage you to be the voice of one telling the message that the kingdom of heaven has come. You are God’s voice in the earth now so share the salvation message wherever you are in life.  Some may accept it readily and others may just listen for now, but seeds of God’s Word are being planted and He will send the next person along to water them.  Soon new baby Christians will be born all around us and the whole world will know that Jesus is LORD!

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 11:1-19

 1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

10 For this is he of whom it is written:

‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.’

11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.

15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,

17 and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

We mourned to you, and you did not lament.’

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’

19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

 

Fullness of Joy

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”- Psalms 16:11

I remember when I first started writing the Daily Dose Devotional back in 2019.  It is hard to believe that it has been going on for five years now.  What a blessing it has been to me to write each day as the Lord puts an encouraging message on my heart.  Truthfully, I am happy to share it, but I know I am the one who benefits most from it. 

The key verse today is one that I memorized at a very young age, but only now am I beginning to really understand it.  It is fitting that the first time I heard this scripture was in a story I was told in junior church back when I was in elementary school.  I never understood why it stuck with me all of these years because I thought it was something that you could only experience once you died and went into the presence of God for all eternity.

Now, I realize that I don’t have to die to be in the presence of God.  In fact, I go there every day.  I set aside special quiet time to sit in His presence and to commune with Him.  I can attest to the truth of this passage that when I do, I experience His fullness of joy in my life.

Even though we are going to go through things in this world, as we follow the path that God shows us and stay in His presence each day, we can have that promise of fullness of joy.  This was evident in the Apostle Paul’s life. On one occasion, he and his partner had been beaten and thrown into prison but instead of being afraid or angry, they rejoiced!  Acts 16:25 says “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”  How could they do that?  Number one, they knew they were on God’s path, the path of life.  And secondly, even though they were in prison, they could still be in God’s presence.  They knew that no matter where they ended up, God was with them!!  Now that’s something to rejoice about.

We can have that fullness of joy each day too by following the path He shows us and knowing that no matter what is on that path, God is with us.  He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. (See Hebrews 13::5) So, no matter what life throws your way today, remember that God is with you and will get you through it.  There is nothing too difficult for Him!!

Today I want to encourage you to set time aside each day to spend in the presence of God.  Begin to follow the path of life He is showing you.  Then as you go through your day on His path, remember that He is with you and goes with you wherever that path leads.  His joy is available to you all day long simply by recognizing that when you follow the path He designed for you, you remain in His presence.  Let that joy inspire you to rejoice in your life no matter what the circumstances are around you.  In this crazy, messed up world that we live it, we need His presence more than ever.  Keep Him in mind as you go through your day and talk with Him along the way.  He will always be there for you the more you determine to be on His path, the easier it will be to rejoice in His fullness of joy!

Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 16

1 Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You.”

3 As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take up their names on my lips.

5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.

6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.

10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

11You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.