Wednesday 11 Jul 2012

Wednesday Reading: Matthew 23:1-12

Key Verse: Matthew 23:7
7  And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

Devotion:
One thing I have learned is that other people are normally pretty good at spotting when I am either not telling the truth or hiding something that I don’t want known. I used to wonder how much Dad could always tell when I was not telling the truth until I became a father and saw how easy it was to spot when your child is hiding something. So now that I have learned that parents do actually know what is going on, it comes as no surprise then to find out that our God and Father does actually know everything! So why then have people over the ages continued to say one thing and do another?

Christ knew that the Scribes and Pharisees were saying how to keep the law, forcing other people to keep the law and yet were up to no good themselves because they were not doing what they said should be done! As a parent I also learned very quickly that when I said something had to be done a certain way, I would have to make sure that I did it that way or my children would pull me to pieces for doing one thing and saying another!

If I have been able to see those truths in my life, then how can I ever try to hide anything from my God? He is the one who knows every single thing about me. He is the one who knows the number of hairs on my head (and yes it gets easier each year as they grow fewer and fewer) but He also knows that love that means so very much within us.

I now find it hard to accept people looking up to me in any way; I find it hard to accept that people would look at me in any other light other than a loving brother in Christ. There is something very alien to me about people seeking to be called anything other than brothers and sisters in Christ and so when I see anyone lifting themselves up other than to be joyous in sharing God’s love I always go on the defensive. Christ would not have anyone lift themselves up to be called anything other than believers under one Father, one God, one Lord of all. He is our God, our Father and the only one who deserves our love and respect in every way possible. It’s hard to differentiate between the dismay and the sorrow that I have for people who do seek such recognition in man’s eyes when all we need do is share the love that Christ has shown us.

Points to Ponder:
Do you seek fame or fortune?

Are you willing to lift up Christ?