The Daily Dose

Reap WHAT you sow

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.  Matthew 13:19

Have you ever heard the old saying you will reap what you sown?  There is actually a scripture in Galatians that says: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) This scripture is not talking about planting a garden, it is about the things you do and say in life.  In the very next verse in the 6th chapter of Galatians it says: “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

Today’s text is talking about the Word of God.  God’s Word is a seed that is planted in the hearts of those who HEAR it.  Jesus explained to His disciples that when the Word of God is planted in the heart of people, it can produce 4 different types of results.  In the case where someone is hearing the word but doesn’t understand it, then it is easy for the enemy to come and steal what was sown in that person’s heart. (that’s disturbing) Satan can steal what has been planted in your heart, which is the reason that Proverbs tells us to guard our heart. (See Proverbs 4)

Next Jesus said that others can receive the Word of God and receive it with joy, but when trouble comes, they will stumble because they have not reinforced their root system by abiding in or filling up daily with the Word of God.  Then He talked about the cares of life choking the Word and cutting off the flow of it in life because the cares and riches can steal your focus and smother the work God’s Word is doing in a person’s life.

Lastly, there is good ground to receive the Words of God and that is the place that God’s Word will thrive, grow up and produce a great harvest.  The good ground has been prepared, cultivated and fertilized.  It doesn’t have weeds and thorns (distractions).  It is full of nutrients that are waiting to receive seed to grow it to maturity.

Today I want to encourage you to, first of all consider what you are planting in your heart.  If words are seeds, whose words are you allowing to grow in the soil of your heart.  Is it the voice of the world with its bad news, current headlines and woke media?  Is it the voice of social media with all the perfect and pretty pictures or is it the words of your past that haunt and grow up into shame and condemnation?  If it is any of these, change the words you are listening to today and begin to fill up with God’s Words.  God’s Words will encourage you, God’s Words will strengthen you and God’s Words will move you forward in His plan and purpose for your life.  If you are already growing God’s Word in your heart, look around for someone you can help to prepare their heart’s soil and begin planting seed of God’s love and words in them today.  You will reap what you sow but thank goodness you can choose what to sow.  Plant the Word of God in yourself and others today and soon you will see the harvest of His goodness wherever you are.

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 13:10-23

10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,

And seeing you will see and not perceive;

15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:

19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

 

He will protect you

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.  Psalms 18:30

 I am so thankful to be reading through the Psalms.  Even though it is the longest book in the bible with the most chapters, it is so easy to read and understand.  At one point in my life, I would read through and memorize the Psalm of my age. 

Like when I was 34, I read Psalms 34 many times throughout that year.  Then, of course, the next year I moved on to Psalms 35.  You really get to know a passage when you spend a year’s time reading it over and over.  There are so many promises in the book and when you are feeling low, it is one of the best places to look in the scriptures for hope and encouragement.

I remember at one point in my life that I was praying about the safety and protection of my family.  I don’t remember the exact circumstances that happened to cause me to be worried about something happening to them.  But someone I knew had experienced a loss in their family and it left me with a feeling of fear of the unknown.  I felt like there was nothing I could do to prevent something terrible happening in my family and I didn’t why something bad would happen to someone who knew God.

So I did what I always do when anxiety and stress try to come on me.  I “cried” out to the Lord for help and understanding.  As I talked it over with Him, I really sensed in my heart that He was showing me that I could trust Him with those people that I love.  As I prayed over them for protection and wisdom each day, He would be faithful to protect and guide them in life.  I couldn’t do anything about it in the natural realm, but by placing them in the hands of Jesus, He faithfully cares and watches over them. 

Since that time, I have seen His faithfulness over the years to keep my loved ones in all their ways.  I have also prayed many scriptures that I have learned about His provision of protection.  Today’s scripture is one of those passages that remind me that He is a shield for all those who look to Him and trust Him for protection.  These are not just some poetic and flowery words, it is a promise to people from the Holy Spirit of God.

As I read through the rest of chapter 18, I am reminded that when I am humble, I am actually moving closer to my Father in heaven, but pride pushes Him further away.  He is light in my dark times and strength when I am weak.  His ways are perfect, and when I follow His Word, I can walk out the plan He designed for my life.  He protects me and those I care about as I trust them to His care.  He is the one constant in my life, and I can trust that He is always there for me.  He sets me in high places and makes my feet firm there, so I won’t fall.  He increases my life and makes it plain and clear so that I can know I am following Him.  I can shake of the dusty and dirty things in life that try to stick to me, and He keeps me from getting into conflicts when I listen to His wisdom.  He is alive and directing my life because I take my refuge in Him.  I do that by spending time with Him and praise and worship with Him.

Today, I want to encourage you to trust the Lord.  Trust Him to watch over you and protect you and those you commit to His care.  Turn every area of your life and all the people that you love over to Him for help and protection.  Recognize that He can be trusted.  Don’t worry that He might cause evil to come on you because He is good and does good and there is no evil in Him.  Whatever life throws at you, He will always provide a way through that trouble, but you must press into Him and follow His way, not the way that looks right to you.  He is faithful and He is true.  Even when He points to a place that seems different than you would have thought of, trust Him because He can see the big picture and show you secret passages.  Let your heavenly Father give you hope and assurance today by trusting the promises He has given you in His Word.  He will always come through for you when you determine that His way is the only way!

Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 18:27-50

27You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud.

28You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.

29In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

30God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

31For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock?

32God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.

33He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

34He trains my hands for battle; He strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

35You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; Your help has made me great.

36You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.

37I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered.

38I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet.

39You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

40You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me.

41They called for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.

42I ground them as fine as dust in the wind. I swept them into the gutter like dirt.

43You gave me victory over my accusers. You appointed me ruler over nations;

people I don’t even know now serve me.

44As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreign nations cringe before me.

45They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds.

46The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!

47He is the God who pays back those who harm me; He subdues the nations under me

48and rescues me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; You save me from violent opponents.

49For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.

50You give great victories to your king; You show unfailing love to your anointed,

to David and all his descendants forever.

Your root system

But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  Matthew 13:6

On of my favorite parables that Jesus told was about planting seeds.  Jesus often talked about things in the physical world and compared them to things in the spirit realm.  (That is a place we live in, but cannot see with our physical eyes.)  He did this for a few reasons, but one was so that people could understand and remember what He taught.  In today’s parable, He talked about planting seeds.  It is a timeless illustration because seed, time and harvest have been the same since the beginning of the world’s existence.  This way His teaching could be passed down through the generations and hold it’s meaning because the principle would always be the same as long as the earth exists.

The part of the parable I want to focus on today is the root system.  God created the root system in a plant to sustain its life.  A root system anchors a plant in the soil so it cannot be moved by the weather and elements around it.  It provides nourishment to the part of the plant that is above the surface, and it reserves food for the times when a plant isn’t getting what it needs from the top side to sustain it’s life through dry times.  Essentially, the root system keeps the plant alive and without it, it cannot survive.

Later in the chapter, Jesus compares this system to the foundation of our Christian life.  He said that when a person receives the Word of God in their life unto salvation, they must build a foundation to be able to keep their faith in tact when the trials and troubles come.  The storms of life can blow a new believer away because they do not have an anchor or root system in place to keep them grounded.

This is where we as God’s people come in.  We are to disciple new converts to help them sustain the tribulations in life.  When a crisis comes, we help hold them in place by going through the storm with them, encouraging them and making sure they are getting a steady dose of God’s Word and time with Him.  It isn’t enough to just show them the way, you have to walk the path with them until they are strong enough to stand firm on their own.

Some ways you can do this is by meeting with others in a small group study or activity.  You can invite a new believer to come to church with you or make a regular lunch or coffee date with them.  By simply inviting them along with you in your day, will encourage them and help them not to feel alone.  In this way, you are nurturing their foundation and building it strong so that the enemy will not be able to pluck them up and destroy their roots.

Today I want to encourage you to help a new Christian in their walk with God. Bring them along with you in life to help build their foundation with them.  You cannot do it all, but you can get them started.  Teach them how to have their own quiet time with their loving heavenly Father and help them to learn how to put away the things in life that want to steal them away from their new life in Christ.

Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 13:1-9

1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.

2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.

4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.

5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.

6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

 

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.”