Wednesday 1 Aug 2018

August 1: Matthew 21:28-32

Key Verse: Matthew 21:31
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”

Devotion:
One of the things you could absolutely count on with Jesus was He would plainly tell the truth in ways you would remember. How many times have you told a lie in the past few days; it may not have been a whopper, it may have been saying something which would lead others to believe something else… What about your actions? Have you done something just so others will get an impression of you which is not strictly true? That is one thing most of us do all the time without thinking about it. We do something just so people will get an impression we are either doing something good or so it looks like we even do it all the time!

A lie is a lie in any words or actions you care to put it in. There is no going round the fact you are telling a lie verbally or physically. We even think them through before doing or saying them; premeditated or what! And yet we sweep them under the carpet as if we have not told a lie before!

Jesus’ parable was quite simple. The one son plainly said “no” to his father’s request but after a while felt guilty about not doing what his father had asked and decided to go and do the work after all. He may not have pleased his father in the beginning, but he did not lie as to his intentions at the time. The second son said “yes” and did not even go anywhere near the work. He was the one who lied through his teeth just so his father would think good of him. How long do you think it would have been before his father found out the truth? Just like that, our sins may well go unnoticed for a while; but you can count on them being brought to light before too long and when they are brought to light, who is the one who is going to have to face up to the consequences?

There are many people in this world who were criminals but who have since repented of their lifestyles and begun to follow Christ. But how many more people are there who make it look like they follow Christ but are not living the life He would have us and maybe do not even believe in Him?

Points to Ponder:
Do you live out lies?

Do you really think God cannot see the lie brewing in your mind?