Tuesday 17 Jun 2014

June 17: Matthew 10:21-26

Key Verse: Matthew 10:22
And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Devotion:
One of the hardest things about working for God is that you get all manner of people crawling out of the woodwork trying to tell you that your work is nothing or that you need to be doing something worthwhile instead. I find that the people who shout against you and cause all manner of things to go wrong are easier to handle because you can see how they are clearly against you; dealing with them is fairly clear cut. But when people come out as if they are in support of you but subtly direct you away from God or toward their own wants, things get strained!

When Jesus sent out the disciples to go and share the Gospel, He did not say that it was going to be an easy ride; quite the opposite as we read here. Jesus warned the disciples that even their own families may work against them and come out fighting them. Being tough enough to stand up to all persecutions is not something that will come naturally to any one of us. We all have our weaknesses and those are the weaknesses that the evil one will focus on to try and break us. That is when we have to call deep and long on our Lord for strength, guidance and persistence to continue on with Him.

God is not going to leave us to fight alone. He will be there with every step we take. But listening out for that small voice as He gently tries to guide us in the right direction becomes increasingly difficult as we hear the shouting and fighting of those around us instead of God’s voice.

Don’t give up on God because He has not given up on you. Don’t try and go it alone when you can have someone help you along the journey. Do spend more time on your knees asking God for His strength to keep you going. Without His strength we will buckle and crumble. Don’t try to be better than God but instead walk with Him and allow Him to guide you.

Points to Ponder:
Do you thrive under pressure?

Are you allowing God to relieve some pressure?