Tuesday Reading: Matthew 3 7-12
Key Verse: Matthew 3 8
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance;
Key Verse: Matthew 3 8
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance;
Devotion:
I can just picture this going on… The Pharisees and Sadducees placed so much emphasis on being seen in the right clothes, being seen to do the right thing and being heard to say the right stuff that they had lost their way with God. John, on the other hand was not one for ceremonial attire, being dressed in camel skin, and simply wanted people to hear the truth. He told them to their faces – you are hypocrites!
I can just picture this going on… The Pharisees and Sadducees placed so much emphasis on being seen in the right clothes, being seen to do the right thing and being heard to say the right stuff that they had lost their way with God. John, on the other hand was not one for ceremonial attire, being dressed in camel skin, and simply wanted people to hear the truth. He told them to their faces – you are hypocrites!
Too often in our lives we are more inclined to be like them than we are like John. We face the world with worldly possessions, neglecting the more important issues like morality and spirituality. We loose sight on the things that God wants us to focus on because we get carried away with the glamour and sparkles of life around us. We loose focus on what is right because of the glitz that surrounds us. The surprising thing is that it is still there; all that good stuff is still there, right where we left it. We don’t have to go hunting to try and re-find our salvation, nor do we have to go out seeking that which we think we have lost… It is right in front of us – we just choose not to look at it!
It may take someone different in our lives, like John was in the lives of the Pharisees and Sadducees, to remind us of what we have left behind. It may not be a pleasant reminder. It may not be a gentle reminder. But we ignore it at our peril.
We may think that we are safe because we have been saved, but what are we doing to everyone that comes after us. What example are we giving to those that we call our friends? Are we really showing that that God is our Saviour and that He alone is the focus of our lives? Or are we saying that we know He is there but we choose to ignore Him so that we can be friends with the world instead? That choice is ours and we need to focus on that choice every day of our lives and not just when we think we need God!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you go looking for new clothes/computers/gifts?
How often do you go looking for new clothes/computers/gifts?
How often do you go looking for new instruction from God?