Thursday, January 14
Read Matthew 12
Think About It:
- The purpose of the temple was to worship God and draw near to Him. The Jewish leaders had lost sight of this and were making rules and rituals more important. Search your heart. What is your purpose in going to church? Do you read God’s Word at home with the goal of drawing near to Him? Take time to enjoy and bask in His presence.
- Who is your family? (verses 46-50) While our earthly family is important, we find, as Jesus did, that other believers become our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Family Time:
- Read the description of Jesus in Matthew 12:18-21. Do you like to argue? Do you like to shout and protest? Did Jesus?
- How do you recognize an apple tree? How about a pear tree? What about an orange tree? BY THE FRUIT HANGING FROM IT! Matthew 12:33b declares this simple truth. The same is true in our lives. Fruit only grows when it has been cultivated. If the fruit coming out of your life (attitude, words, and actions) doesn’t line up with God’s heart and His Word, it’s time to uproot wrongly planted seed and ask God for forgiveness and prepare your heart for Him to plant His seed.
- Jesus’ response to those wanting to see a “sign” from Him in Matthew 12:39 show us that people love signs for wrong reasons, but the motivation of Jesus was never to show off. All of the miracles He performed were because He was moved by COMPASSION for the hurting and weary—often He asked them not to tell anyone. For God to use us, we need to have the same motives. Jesus warned that many who perform ‘wonders’ will be told, “I never knew you”, (see Matthew 7:21-23). Entering God’s Kingdom requires humility. If we are prideful instead of humble, we won’t enter in.
