September 8 (Matthew 11:4-5)

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:  the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”  (ESV)

When the disciples of John the Baptist ask Jesus whether He is indeed the Messiah, Jesus does not respond with “yes” or “no” to this “yes” or “no” question.  He could have, of course.  The simplest thing would have been to say, “Yes, I am the Messiah,” and then to have gone on about His business.  Instead Jesus took this as an opportunity to help John and his disciples grow.

How many times do we ask God to give us an answer to a question only to be answered with what seems like silence?  We wonder why God cannot or will not just give us a straight response.  Consider, though, that God gave us eyes with which to see, minds with which to think, and hearts with which to understand deeply.  Why would He ignore all those gifts with simple, cheap answers?  Oh, that may be what we want, a quick answer, but God loves us more than that.  He wants us to grow and develop the gifts of discernment and wisdom He has given us.  Sometimes this means getting us to see things for ourselves.

What questions do you have for God?  Are they about major events in the world or about things more personal, more particular to you?  Ask them with confidence that God hears and will answer.  Then be on the lookout with all the senses and gifts He has given you to perceive the answer.

Lord, there are times when I buy into the lie of the enemy that You are not listening or do not want to answer my questions.  When that lie comes into my thoughts, help me to fight it by turning to the gifts You have given me.  Help me grow in my ability to see as You see, to hear as You hear, and to think as You think.  In the name of Jesus, my Lord, amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

September 1 (Matthew 11:2-3)

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”  (ESV)

If you read these verses in isolation, they may not strike you as curious, but if you read Matthew straight through, then they seem quite strange.  Just a few chapters before in Matthew 3, we see John baptizing Jesus.  John was a witness to the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus in the form of a dove.  He was there when God the Father spoke and acknowledged Jesus as His beloved Son.  And don’t forget that John is His cousin.  What is going on here?

Doubt is one of the most common things to afflict followers of Jesus.  We may say to all our church friends that we have this great, unshakable faith, but remember that Peter, too, said he would never betray Jesus, and look how that turned out.  We all have our doubts.  I do, and so do you.  It is a natural condition of the fallen world.  You are not less of a Christian when a doubt springs to your mind.

So what do you do?  Jesus offers Himself, even to our doubts.  Remember how He responded to Thomas.  He offered His wounds for him to touch.  Even in your doubt, go to Jesus.  Take your doubts to Him, even if you doubt He is there at all.  He will always offer Himself to you.

Jesus, I am embarrassed to say that there are so many things that cause me to doubt You.  Fear, sin, pressure, stress…pretty much anything, really.  Come to me again and restore my faith.  Let me see You.  I need You today.  Amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

August 25 (Matthew 11:5-6)

[T]he blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.  And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.  (ESV)

When asked by the disciples of John the Baptist whether He were the one they had been waiting for, Jesus did not give a straightforward answer.  He simply pointed to the things He had done and left it for them to decide for themselves.  Then He said something strange.  “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Who could be offended by the healing of people or the raising of the dead?  Apparently Jesus could see into our lives today, for a great many of us seem offended by Him and His works.  We would not say we are offended, but we certainly are hesitant to share the things He has done in our lives and the lives of others.  We will tell a friend about a fifty cents off coupon, but we hold back on talking about Jesus for fear of…what do we say?  Offending someone.  We are the ones who are offended by Jesus when we think anything about Him might be offensive to someone else.

What part of the life and teaching of Jesus most offends you?  To put it another way, what part of the life and teaching of Jesus are you most hesitant to share with others?  We need to ask God to heal our hearts of their fear so they can embrace the courage He gives us to do His will. 

Father, this is difficult to admit, but there are certain things about Jesus that I am hesitant to share with those around me.  I confess that I worry about how I will be heard and what the reaction of my friends will be.  Heal me of this fear and fill me with the strength of Your Holy Spirit.  I want to be an ambassador for Christ.  In the name of Him Who faced not just fear but death for me, amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

August 18 (Matthew 10:38-39)

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  (ESV)

Jesus makes it abundantly clear that following Him will cost us something.  In fact, He makes it clear that it will cost everything.  In the ancient world, saying to take up your cross would have been like saying today to strap into the electric chair.  Now, this kind of absolute call can seem like a romantic notion.  It is the call to dangerous adventure.  There is something deep within us that wants to be called to a life like this.  In fact, that is how God made us.

The problem is that most of us are cowards.  Think of the movie Braveheart.  We like to think of ourselves as the hero, William Wallace.  We are actually more like the coward and traitor Robert the Bruce.  Perhaps this is why Jesus was so upfront in telling us the cost of following Him.  He does not want us backing out and claiming that we never knew it would cost so much.

So are you willing?  Are you willing to give everything to follow Him?  Are you ready to give it all again tomorrow and the next day and the day after that?  Are you prepared to follow Him all the way to Calvary?

Jesus, it is easy to follow You when I think about how You care for me the way a shepherd cares for His sheep.  Grant me the grace to follow You even when those around me are shouting, “Crucify!”  In Your holy name I pray.  Amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

August 11 (Matthew 10:34)

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.  (ESV)

What sort of warlike brute would say such a thing?  Is this the latest headline from yet another dictator with overblown rhetoric threatening nuclear war?  No, these are words from the Prince of Peace Himself, Jesus Christ.  What is going on here?

This verse follows Matthew 10:32-33 in which Jesus talks about acknowledging Him in front of others.  It is as if He is underlining His point.  “You want to follow me?  Then acknowledge me in public.  But make no mistake about it.  It’s going to cost you.  You can’t fly under the radar.  As a matter of fact, it is going to cause division and relational disaster among those you love most.  Still want to do this?”

This is not a mandate to go forth and be a jerk.  If we follow Jesus faithfully, some people will be offended naturally.  It is going to happen.  Will it matter to you when it does?  Will that cause you to hold your tongue and not speak what you know to be true?  Or will you risk friendships and family peace for the only relationship that really matters?

Lord, You know what a coward I am.  I would much rather not ruffle feathers and go with the flow.  I want people to like me.  Help me put aside such trivial sentiment.  Grant me the strength and courage to follow You no matter the cost.  In the name of Jesus, Who paid the ultimate cost at Calvary, amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

August 4 (Mark 9:29)

 
And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”  (ESV)

It is said that to a person who has only a hammer, everything looks like a nail.  We need as many tools as we can get when it comes to our jobs, our relationships, our business endeavors.  In fact, we need all the help we can get with pretty much every aspect of life.

Those who follow Jesus have a powerful tool.  We can pray.  If you think that prayer is a quick, rhyming recitation before meals, think again.  Prayer is direct and intimate contact with God.  I would have to buy a ticket, wait in line, or pull strings to get even a few minutes with those who have power in this world.  With God, I can go to the head of the line at the blink of an eye.  In fact, He wants me to involve Him in my life.

So what are you waiting for?  If you have “done your prayer time” and are now struggling with the day, stop and go back to prayer.  The challenge in front of you does not have to be dealt with by your own strength.  In fact, it cannot be handled that way.   You have a powerful tool in the bag.  Use it.

Jesus, I need to stay in constant contact with You today.  We both know I have a tendency to charge off on my own.  Help me to stay grounded in You, laying everything before You and acting only through Your strength.  Amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

July 28 (Philippians 3:14)

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  (ESV)

At the beginning of our walk with Jesus, everything is fresh and new and exciting.  We are prepared to do anything with Him and would gladly face lions in the arena.  The end of our journey brings the hope and comfort of seeing Him soon face to face.  Chances are good that you are at neither place.  You are somewhere in the long middle.

The long middle sees you attending your 5,221^st worship service with number 5,222 coming up next week.  Yippee.  The long middle is filled with one more Bible study, one more ministry opportunity, one more prayer.  It can seem repetitious and boring, and it is then that the enemy strikes.  We take our eyes off Jesus, and the thoughts come flooding in.  Why I am doing this?  Does it make any difference?  Do I really believe this stuff?  What if I took a break?

There is a goal, and there is a prize.  Paul knew it.  He also knew that it took perseverance, pressing on.  On earth you will spend far more time in the long middle of your relationship with Jesus than at either of the exciting ends.  When the questions and doubts come, and they will, how will you respond?  Will you give in to their distraction, or will you press on toward the goal?

Jesus, I never want to take my eyes from You.  When I look at my job, my family, and my responsibilities, may I see them all through You.  Let nothing pull my attention from You, my strength and my redeemer.  Amen.

                           

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins