November 10-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Observe what it is saying.
What is the measure by which you judge others? Are you a superficial measurer? You make judgments according to how others dress, talk, or carry themselves. In other words, you judge the book by its cover and not its content. Maybe, you are cynical measurer. You do not believe anything is as meets the eye. You think everyone has an ulterior motive, something to hide, and is up to no good. You distrust everyone. Maybe, you are self-righteous measurer. Like the Pharisees, you think your righteousness exceeds everyone else. Unlike others, you are confident that you have all your stuff together, and you cannot fathom why someone else is struggling so much in life. You may even believe they are being punished because they are not as good as you are. Or, maybe you are a merciful measurer. You measure accurately because you have judged your own life correctly. You know you have sinned. You have failed God and others. You have been broken, maybe, still are. You have been deeply hurt by life. Yet, you, also, have experienced God’s grace and forgiveness. God is putting you back together and making something beautiful out of your life. You know God can do the same for others so you measure them with eyes of mercy just as God has done for you.
Relate it to your life.
My measurement of others reveals whether I have truly experienced God’s grace and forgiveness.
Do something.
Father, help me to see others as You see them. Do not let me be quick to be critical, but to have mercy and pray for them so they will know Your grace and forgiveness. Amen.
November 11-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:3-5, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Observe what it is saying.
The problem with judging is not that we judge but that we do it unjustly. We are quick to point out other’s faults without first admitting to our own. Jesus indicates that we do so in great disproportion. We make a quick critical judgment of something small in someone else’s life while we struggle with our own glaring problems. We are so blinded by pride that we cannot objectively see what we need to fix. If we really want to be helpful in making proper judgments of each other, then we must begin by making an appropriate assessment of our own walk. Paul wrote, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” (Romans 12:3) Jesus says that when we make such proper judgments about ourselves and correct them, then we will have a humbled heart to help our brothers and sisters progress in the faith. The proper Christlike attitude is to lovingly desire to help others, not merely criticize them for what they are doing.
Relate it to your life.
I need to judge myself thoroughly before I dare make any judgments towards others.
Do something.
Father, forgive me when I judge others before I judge myself. Remind me when I begin to make such criticisms that I need to look within and see what is amiss in my own life. Amen.
November 12-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:6, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Observe what it is saying.
In Jesus’ conversation about not judging others in a hypocritical way, this verse indicates we must still exercise discernment in our relationships with one another. “Dog” came to be a derogatory label for a person who was not a part of Israel’s covenant community. “What is sacred” refers to the message of the gospel of the kingdom, indicating that this holy message must not be defiled by those who have rejected Jesus’ invitation. The image of the dog is reinforced by the parallel image of a pig, because pigs, like dogs, were usually wild, scavenging animals. “Pearls” symbolize the value of the message of the kingdom of heaven as we find again in Matthew 13. Something so valuable should not be entrusted to those who have no appreciation for its worth. Dogs and pigs are linked elsewhere in Scripture as dangerously wild and ritually unclean animals. The unpredictable behavior of such animals produced fear because their intense hunger could cause them to attack humans. This image warns true disciples about the danger of those who viciously mock the message of the kingdom. However, let’s be clear, this verse is not a directive against evangelizing the lost but refers to those who have given clear evidence that they are vehemently opposed to it. (Information used from Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the New Testament)
Relate it to your life.
Discernment is needed as I share God’s word with others. I need to understand there are those who are not ready to hear and receive the gospel when I offer it to them.
Do something.
Father, give me courage and urgency to share Your good news with all but to be discerning when to stop for those who are not ready to receive it. Amen.
November 13-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Observe what it is saying.
Jesus telling us the same message twice in these two verses reveals the importance of this message. In this He reveals the heart of heaven in which God loves to respond to our prayers. However, we must be all in as we pray. Each action grows more intense. We ask with words. We seek wholeheartedly. We act by involving our bodies. We pray. We plead. We pound on heaven’s door. For those who have prayed so intensely for a specific matter, you know it can be an exhausting experience. You give your whole self to this one continuous prayer time of offering every ounce of energy and faith in seeking a good and holy outcome. Prayer that honors the true God of heaven does not utter idle words, give half-hearted effort, or put our bodies in a casual position. This prayer imagery reveals that we are all in for what we are asking and trust that God cares and will answer our passionate plea.
Relate it to your life.
It matters how I pray if I really want God to hear and respond to the concerns of my heart.
Do something.
Father, the Sovereign God of heaven, forgive me when I have uttered mindless words to You,. Forgive me when my heart is not in it and my body does not put me in full attention to You. May I come before Your throne, seeking in faith, giving my all, as I offer my praise, thanks, and requests to You. Amen.
November 14-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:9-11, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Observe what it is saying.
Jesus explains that we can ask, seek, and knock in faithful and persistent prayer because the nature of our Father in heaven is good. Even as imperfect parents know how to give good gifts to their kids, so we must believe that our perfect loving Father does so when we ask according to His will. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” What we believe about the nature of God is revealed in our prayer life. Do we pray? If so, how do we pray? With doubt that God even hears or will answer? Or with faith and confidence that God loves to hear and give us the best possible answer? When we think appropriately about God’s beautiful nature, such thoughts will increase the desire and joy to spend time talking with the Father and trusting Him with what is most important to us.
Relate it to your life.
What does my prayer life tell me about what I believe about God’s nature?
Do something.
Our Father in heaven, thank You for loving me, for desiring to talk with me, for longing to hear my heart through prayer. Thank You that You are a good God who knows how to give the best presents. Please forgive me when I come to You with anything less than full confidence in Your glorious nature. In total faith, I present my needs to you: ________________. Thank You for taking care of them. Amen.
November 15-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:12, So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Observe what it is saying.
The “Golden Rule” summarizes Jesus’ ethics in His sermon on the Mount. Other teachers, ancient and modern, made similar statements negatively: “Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you.” “So in everything" refers to the entire message of the sermon up to this point. This is the second time that he makes reference to "the Law and the Prophets." Jesus emphasized that He was teaching about the true message in which the Old Testament law and prophets also spoke. Paul also wrote in Romans 13:9-10, (The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.) In the context of fulfilling the Scriptures, “loving your neighbor as yourself” and “doing to others what you would want them to do to you” provides a handy summary of all the righteous expectations that are to be displayed in the kingdom of God.
Relate it to your life.
In each situation I find myself in, I need to think about how I want to be treated and do the same for others.
Do something.
Our Father, thank You for making the message so simple so I can understand it! Now, please help me to put it into practice! Amen.
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Observe what it is saying.
What is the measure by which you judge others? Are you a superficial measurer? You make judgments according to how others dress, talk, or carry themselves. In other words, you judge the book by its cover and not its content. Maybe, you are cynical measurer. You do not believe anything is as meets the eye. You think everyone has an ulterior motive, something to hide, and is up to no good. You distrust everyone. Maybe, you are self-righteous measurer. Like the Pharisees, you think your righteousness exceeds everyone else. Unlike others, you are confident that you have all your stuff together, and you cannot fathom why someone else is struggling so much in life. You may even believe they are being punished because they are not as good as you are. Or, maybe you are a merciful measurer. You measure accurately because you have judged your own life correctly. You know you have sinned. You have failed God and others. You have been broken, maybe, still are. You have been deeply hurt by life. Yet, you, also, have experienced God’s grace and forgiveness. God is putting you back together and making something beautiful out of your life. You know God can do the same for others so you measure them with eyes of mercy just as God has done for you.
Relate it to your life.
My measurement of others reveals whether I have truly experienced God’s grace and forgiveness.
Do something.
Father, help me to see others as You see them. Do not let me be quick to be critical, but to have mercy and pray for them so they will know Your grace and forgiveness. Amen.
November 11-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:3-5, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Observe what it is saying.
The problem with judging is not that we judge but that we do it unjustly. We are quick to point out other’s faults without first admitting to our own. Jesus indicates that we do so in great disproportion. We make a quick critical judgment of something small in someone else’s life while we struggle with our own glaring problems. We are so blinded by pride that we cannot objectively see what we need to fix. If we really want to be helpful in making proper judgments of each other, then we must begin by making an appropriate assessment of our own walk. Paul wrote, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” (Romans 12:3) Jesus says that when we make such proper judgments about ourselves and correct them, then we will have a humbled heart to help our brothers and sisters progress in the faith. The proper Christlike attitude is to lovingly desire to help others, not merely criticize them for what they are doing.
Relate it to your life.
I need to judge myself thoroughly before I dare make any judgments towards others.
Do something.
Father, forgive me when I judge others before I judge myself. Remind me when I begin to make such criticisms that I need to look within and see what is amiss in my own life. Amen.
November 12-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:6, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Observe what it is saying.
In Jesus’ conversation about not judging others in a hypocritical way, this verse indicates we must still exercise discernment in our relationships with one another. “Dog” came to be a derogatory label for a person who was not a part of Israel’s covenant community. “What is sacred” refers to the message of the gospel of the kingdom, indicating that this holy message must not be defiled by those who have rejected Jesus’ invitation. The image of the dog is reinforced by the parallel image of a pig, because pigs, like dogs, were usually wild, scavenging animals. “Pearls” symbolize the value of the message of the kingdom of heaven as we find again in Matthew 13. Something so valuable should not be entrusted to those who have no appreciation for its worth. Dogs and pigs are linked elsewhere in Scripture as dangerously wild and ritually unclean animals. The unpredictable behavior of such animals produced fear because their intense hunger could cause them to attack humans. This image warns true disciples about the danger of those who viciously mock the message of the kingdom. However, let’s be clear, this verse is not a directive against evangelizing the lost but refers to those who have given clear evidence that they are vehemently opposed to it. (Information used from Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the New Testament)
Relate it to your life.
Discernment is needed as I share God’s word with others. I need to understand there are those who are not ready to hear and receive the gospel when I offer it to them.
Do something.
Father, give me courage and urgency to share Your good news with all but to be discerning when to stop for those who are not ready to receive it. Amen.
November 13-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Observe what it is saying.
Jesus telling us the same message twice in these two verses reveals the importance of this message. In this He reveals the heart of heaven in which God loves to respond to our prayers. However, we must be all in as we pray. Each action grows more intense. We ask with words. We seek wholeheartedly. We act by involving our bodies. We pray. We plead. We pound on heaven’s door. For those who have prayed so intensely for a specific matter, you know it can be an exhausting experience. You give your whole self to this one continuous prayer time of offering every ounce of energy and faith in seeking a good and holy outcome. Prayer that honors the true God of heaven does not utter idle words, give half-hearted effort, or put our bodies in a casual position. This prayer imagery reveals that we are all in for what we are asking and trust that God cares and will answer our passionate plea.
Relate it to your life.
It matters how I pray if I really want God to hear and respond to the concerns of my heart.
Do something.
Father, the Sovereign God of heaven, forgive me when I have uttered mindless words to You,. Forgive me when my heart is not in it and my body does not put me in full attention to You. May I come before Your throne, seeking in faith, giving my all, as I offer my praise, thanks, and requests to You. Amen.
November 14-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:9-11, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Observe what it is saying.
Jesus explains that we can ask, seek, and knock in faithful and persistent prayer because the nature of our Father in heaven is good. Even as imperfect parents know how to give good gifts to their kids, so we must believe that our perfect loving Father does so when we ask according to His will. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” What we believe about the nature of God is revealed in our prayer life. Do we pray? If so, how do we pray? With doubt that God even hears or will answer? Or with faith and confidence that God loves to hear and give us the best possible answer? When we think appropriately about God’s beautiful nature, such thoughts will increase the desire and joy to spend time talking with the Father and trusting Him with what is most important to us.
Relate it to your life.
What does my prayer life tell me about what I believe about God’s nature?
Do something.
Our Father in heaven, thank You for loving me, for desiring to talk with me, for longing to hear my heart through prayer. Thank You that You are a good God who knows how to give the best presents. Please forgive me when I come to You with anything less than full confidence in Your glorious nature. In total faith, I present my needs to you: ________________. Thank You for taking care of them. Amen.
November 15-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 7:12, So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Observe what it is saying.
The “Golden Rule” summarizes Jesus’ ethics in His sermon on the Mount. Other teachers, ancient and modern, made similar statements negatively: “Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you.” “So in everything" refers to the entire message of the sermon up to this point. This is the second time that he makes reference to "the Law and the Prophets." Jesus emphasized that He was teaching about the true message in which the Old Testament law and prophets also spoke. Paul also wrote in Romans 13:9-10, (The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.) In the context of fulfilling the Scriptures, “loving your neighbor as yourself” and “doing to others what you would want them to do to you” provides a handy summary of all the righteous expectations that are to be displayed in the kingdom of God.
Relate it to your life.
In each situation I find myself in, I need to think about how I want to be treated and do the same for others.
Do something.
Our Father, thank You for making the message so simple so I can understand it! Now, please help me to put it into practice! Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotionals