Tag: Matthew

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Recognizing God’s Generosity

Badlands National Park landscape stretching for miles
God’s generosity extends further than we can imagine.
Matthew 8:10 (ESV)—When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.

“God is generous to give us this time,” I told my husband while he drove us along Interstate 90 through South Dakota during a spur-of-the-moment trip. He agreed and we continued to enjoy the scenery.

What sparked this thought?

A moment of clarity about faith as I thought about a devotional I was writing. God loves and wants to be there for us even when our faith is not immediate or when our belief wavers. Even more, he marvels when we recognize his authority in our lives.

This recognition of God’s authority brings his Kingdom to life for others as well as ourselves. Our declaration that “God is generous” reveals the blessings we have received and it may lead others to put on the same faith so they may receive their own blessings from God.

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Gaining Understanding

A photo of a sign with a moose with its ears laid back against its head. The caption says, Upset moose, you're in danger now!
Matthew 13:11–12 (ESV)—And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

While walking along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, I spied a sign. My husband and I laughed at the picture of moose, its ears pushed back, like our cat’s ears do when he’s upset. The caption read, “Upset moose. You’re in danger now!” The sign also had information on what to do if the moose looks angry.

The cautionary sign puts information in front of people like me who aren’t super outdoorsy yet want to remain cautious in the outdoors. The visual opened my mind to the dangers of the Alaskan outdoors and readied me for a walk in nature.

Like the Anchorage park service, Jesus saw the value in readying people’s hearts. Jesus spoke in parables, visual images, to prepare people for his insights into God’s Kingdom. By using parables, Jesus gave everyone, not only the disciples, a chance to understand—to hear and to see—God’s Kingdom.

Jesus also knew that not everyone wanted to learn more about the Kingdom. For these people, their hardened hearts prevented them from hearing the truth in the parables. They became lost in the wilderness of their ideas, not wanting to hear Jesus’ message.

For anyone who wants a glimpse of God’s Kingdom, understanding the Scriptures requires an open mind that is receptive to learning and willing to engage in information provided through trusted sources. Gaining understanding helps us to make decisions in the worldly wilderness.

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Traveling Toward Jesus

Matthew 2:2 (ESV)—“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Silhouette of pine trees against a deep blue sky with stars and northern lights

When I travel, I usually have a destination in mind. Hotel booked. Tickets purchased. Stops along the route planned. Only once have my husband and I traveled in a random direction with no plan.

I imagine the Wise Men didn’t have their trip planned. They set their eyes on the star and “traveled afar,” as the song says. And they journeyed with their only plan being to worship baby Jesus, the king of the Jews.

In my life, I often have to metaphorically travel toward Jesus. I fall out of practice in reading my Bible and have to start again. I forget to pray about big decisions and a day later ask for God’s forgiveness for not coming to him first and I seek his guidance. I feel anxiety and have to read Bible verses to remind myself of God’s greatness.

No matter my physical, mental, or emotional state, the star of Jesus shines bright as a guiding point. The star leads me to a place of worship, the destination where I can sit at the cross in God’s mercy and glory.

I encourage you to travel toward Jesus today. If you feel lost, if you feel ecstatic, if you feel torn up or some other emotion, repeat this verse and say, “I have come to worship him.”

I pray your Christmas season is full of worship!