Tuesday 25 Jun 2013

Tuesday Reading: Matthew 11:25-30

Key Verse: Matthew 11:25
25  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

Devotion:
When these verses are used most people will focus on the fact that Christ was telling others to cast their burden upon Him because He wants to be able to help us and for us not to be burdened down with so much that we cannot be effective servants for Him. But today I want us to be reminded that it is God’s power and might that makes this all possible. It is not so much the fact that we can cast our burdens on Him because He can bear it but the fact that His omnipotence delivers where everything else falls short!

We need to be able to come to Him as thankful and grateful children, not lifting ourselves up or thinking that we are strong and mighty, but to come to Him in reverence and acknowledge that He is God over all. All wisdom and power come from Him. All grace and mercy start with Him. There is none besides Him that can take this place and none other that we can look up to in this way. Jesus Christ Himself, though God in flesh, looked up to His Father God as the only power and might. How can we ever look up to anyone else if Jesus did so as our example?

We are given the confidence to be able to approach God through Jesus Christ because He invited us to do so. He invited us to place our burdens on Him so that he can lift us up above the strife of the world to allow us to see God more clearly. God had given all power and might into the hands of Jesus Christ and yet Jesus still lifted up His name above all names. We are swayed by much less powerful people in our lives and we give in to the temptation to follow them instead of remembering that God has given them that position. Let us not be slaves to Satan and give in to the lusts of the world, flesh and mind but let us give in to God and allow Him to guide our thoughts and spirits effectively.

Let us not try to labour in vain to build up our own righteousness; there is none righteous besides God and we need to give Him the glory for that. We need to work toward showing others the righteousness of our God and our Saviour because ours are filthy rags before Him. It is, instead, our duty to bring our “everything” before Christ and to place it all in His care and on His shoulders. He has invited us to do so, let us obey Him now and forever.

Points to Ponder:
Do you work to promote your name?

Do you promote the name of God?