Time Alone With God daily devotionals: Matthew 6:5-6
by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 6:5-6
Matthew 6:5-6
New International Version (NIV)
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Start:
Consider: Before Jesus’ instructed us on the manner in which we should approach the Father in prayer, he gave us a simple, beautiful piece of advice.
“…when you pray, go into your room, close the door…” (6:6).
I used to read this instruction simply in terms of the quiet space the closed door gives us. There’s so much noise in our world, so many things clamoring for our attention. The solitude of the closed door is an invitation to shut out the noise and give our full attention to communion with the Father.
Sometimes I can talk over the noise. But I can’t listen. The closed door quiets my heart to hear my Father speak his love into my life.
But Jesus’ had more in mind than simply a quiet time. In these initial words on prayer, he talked about those who practiced their religion in public—those who loved the practice of their faith “to be seen by others” (6:5). Don’t go there, he said, “do not be like the hypocrites” (6:5).
When we are worried about how others perceive our faith, we’re in murky waters. Whenever we become centered on perception, we neglect reality. I shouldn’t worry about how people perceive my relationship with Christ or I may destroy that very relationship.
Jesus wants us to be free. There is bondage in pretense. There is freedom in closing the door. We don’t have to perform. We get to enjoy the presence of the One who loves us more than we can imagine.
Pray: “Lord, today I close the door. As you help me to close out the noise and chaos of this world, help me also to close the door on false expectations of what it means to commune with you. Help me to simply enjoy the knowledge that you are with me right now.”
Daily Devotional: Time Alone With God – Giving Only Our Daily Bread
by Pastor Phil Stout
Proverbs 30:7-9
New International Version (NIV)
7 “Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
Start
Consider: I’ll have to admit, I can’t remember the last time I prayed, “Give me neither poverty nor riches” (30:8). I think all of us, in some manner, have asked God to keep us from falling into poverty. But I’m guessing very few of us have asked God to make sure we never get rich. (I mean, have you ever heard of someone buying a lottery ticket and praying that it wasn’t a winner?) But read the next line. It sounds very familiar.
“…but give me only my daily bread.” (30:8)
We call the Book of Proverbs part of the “Wisdom Literature” of the Old Testament. And the writer is truly giving us some wise counsel as we listen in on his conversation with God. He’s afraid that money will become an idol—that he will find his sufficiency in material wealth—and that when that happens he will “disown” God (30:9). That kind of person is described as asking a strange question—“Who is the Lord?” (30:9). It shows that there are other gods competing for his allegiance.
And so the wisdom writer decides that the best course of action is to simply pray for his “daily bread.” I believe God agrees with his wisdom, for God chose to give only enough manna for one day at a time, and Jesus taught us to pray with the same words—“Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).
Pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
Holy is your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”
Daily Devotional: Time Alone With God – Do not worry
Read: Matthew 6:25-34
by Pastor Phil Stout
Matthew 6:25-34 New International Version (NIV)
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Consider: Jesus said…
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow…” (6:34)
A literal translation would read, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow” or “have no anxiety about tomorrow.”
I know it’s not the best translation of this particular passage, but I just love the way it is rendered in the King James Version of the Bible…
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow…”
Take no thought? Come on! Well, like I said, it’s probably not the most accurate way to translate it from the original language. But, you’ll have to admit, there’s a real beauty to it.
I know, I have to think about tomorrow. I’ve made appointments. There are schedules to keep. There are bills that will need to be paid. I have to show up for work ready to go. I have to prepare for tomorrow with adequate sleep and nutrition. But what I love about“take no thought for tomorrow” is the joy of that statement. When Jesus tells us to trust him, he’s not talking about a forced dependence or a begrudging dependence on him. He’s talking about a joyful dependence.
Yes, you and I are very responsible people. We’ve given thought for the tomorrows of our lives. But for now—for right now—could we just “take no thought for tomorrow”? Could we just bask in the presence of the One who has given us this moment?
Pray: “Lord, thank you for your presence in my life right now. Because I have you, I have everything I need. I don’t know what all I will need tomorrow. But for now—in this moment—my needs are met, for you are with me.”
Daily Devotional: Time Alone With God – Prayer
by Pastor Phil Stout
Matthew 6:5-11
New International Version (NIV)
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
Consider: One of the things that continually impacts us about The Lord’s Prayer is the simplicity of it. The phrases are short, the requests succinct. After all, Jesus had just told us not to “keep on babbling” in our prayers (6:7), thinking that there is more power to them if we multiply the words. No, just the opposite is true. There is beauty and power in simplicity.
And could there possibly be a simpler request when it comes to our needs? “This is how you should pray…”
“Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:9, 11)
That’s it? No begging? No deal making (“If you do this one thing for me, God, I promise I’ll…”)? No planting of financial “seeds” to convince God that you’re serious? Just “Give us today our daily bread”? What’s the catch?
Well, there’s no “catch,” but there is something that is required. For the last two weeks we’ve seen that a call to pray is also a call to act upon—to live out—the prayer we pray. When we begin the prayer with worship (6:9), we’re called to give ourselves to him completely. We’re called to cast down our idols. When we pray for his kingdom to come and his will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (6:10), we’re called to participate in the work of that kingdom—to be part of the answer to that prayer. So when we’re called to ask for our daily bread with a simple request, we’re also called to trust him with a simple faith.
No begging. No deal making. No threatening. No cajoling. No bribing. Just trust.
After all, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (6:8).
Pray: “Lord, this week as I consider my relationship to you in terms of my daily needs, teach me to trust you in ways I never have before. Teach me to rest on your promises. Teach me to cast my anxieties on you. I don’t want to dishonor you by refusing to believe that you really care for me and will supply all of my needs. Thank you that today you hear my simple prayer for daily bread.”
Daily Devotional: Time Alone With God – Manna and Quail
Exodus 16:1-31
16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”
6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” 8 Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”
9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’”
10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lordappearing in the cloud.
11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lordyour God.’”
13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.
Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer[a] for each person you have in your tent.’”
17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.
19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”
20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.
21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers[b] for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”
24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.”
27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you[c] refuse to keep my commands and my instructions?29 Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The people of Israel called the bread manna.[d] It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
Consider: Okay, let’s be honest. How many of us would have tried to gather enough manna for more than one day? After all, it was just lying there on the ground. It wasn’t going to hurt anyone if it was stockpiled. What if it didn’t come the next day? Wouldn’t it be wise to have you and your family covered? So that’s exactly what some of the Israelites did, only to wake up and find maggots and stench where there had been the sweet taste of honey wafers (16:20, 31).
Why did God choose to feed his people in such a strange way? Well, this was only temporary. When they reached the land of promise they would plant fields and raise animals. They would feed their families in the ways of seed time and harvest. But while they were in the wilderness they had to be fed by the hand of God. And God wanted them to learn how to trust him—every day.
Did you notice that Jesus asked us to pray for just one day of “manna” at a time?
“Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)
How are we praying? “Give us this year our yearly bread”? “Give me a lifetime guarantee so that I’ll never have to depend on you moment-by-moment”?
Sometimes we don’t pray at all for daily bread. We just depend on our own resources. But we’re not called to trust our own wisdom, our own cleverness or our own strength. We’re called to trust the One who gives us wisdom, makes us clever and strengthens us day by day.
So God teaches his children to be totally dependent on him. He teaches us that he is with us today and that he will be with us tomorrow.
By the way, one of the things they had to learn was that even in the land of promise when they were planting fields and raising animals, it was still their God who was supplying all of their needs.
Pray: “Lord, supply my needs today. And I thank you in advance, because I know the ‘manna’ will be there for me. I won’t ‘gather’ for tomorrow by being consumed with worry. You are with me today and I’m confident you’ll be here tomorrow.”
Daily Devotional: Time Alone With God: Matthew 13:44-46
Read: Matthew 13:44-46
Matthew 13:44-46
New International Version (NIV)
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Start Devotional Reading
Consider: Again, Jesus began a parable by saying…
“The kingdom of heaven is like…” (13:44)
Kingdoms have laws. They also have values. They consider some things precious and other things cheap. Every time Jesus talked about the kingdom of heaven, the people who heard him knew that he was drawing a contrast. They lived under the domination of the Roman Kingdom—the Roman Empire. That kingdom certainly had a set of laws and it certainly held to a set of values. And every time Jesus talked about the values of his kingdom, it was clear that he was condemning the values of the Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire was built on violence and the worship of false gods. It was an arrogant empire and was not afraid to crush anyone or any nation that came against its interests. Those values were so deeply engrained that scholars often refer to them as “the theology of Rome” or the “cult of empire.”
So Jesus talked about the kingdom of heaven—or the empire of heaven—to show us that the values of his kingdom would always be at odds with the kingdoms of this world.
Our problem is, we love the kingdoms of this world too much. And because we do, we don’t always recognize the violence and arrogance of the kingdoms of this world, including our own nation. In many ways we worship with the “cult of empire” because we think we can find our joy, security and significance there. Jesus said there is something more precious.
So, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field” or like something of “great value” (Matthew 13:44-46). It shows us what is really important—what is precious and what is cheap. And when we discover it we find that nothing else can compare, for the kingdoms of this world cannot deliver on their promises.
Pray: “Lord, show me what it means for me to forsake everything in order to possess this hidden treasure.”
Daily Devotional: Time Alone With God: Matthew 13:31-35
Time Alone With God by Phil Stout
Matthew 13:31-35
New International Version (NIV)
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”[b]
Footnotes:
Devotional Start:
Consider: These two very simple parables are set in the midst of Jesus’ other parables about the reign of God. And like so many of Jesus’ parables they begin with the phrase…
“The kingdom of heaven is like…” (13:31, 33)
Those aren’t throw-away words. Jesus wasn’t simply looking for a good introductory phrase like, “Once upon a time…” No, Jesus was teaching us about his kingdom—the one that he brought when he came to earth. The entirety of his teaching was focused on helping us see the meaning, the substance and the glory of this new kingdom. And he taught us to pray for its arrival today. And as he repeatedly taught us about this kingdom, he promised that if we would have ears to hear—if we would be submissive and teachable—we would understand and live in this new kingdom today (Matthew 13:9).
These particular parables—the mustard seed and the small measure of yeast—tell us some simple things that we would do well to remember. We live in a day when “big” is celebrated. Huge television networks crank out images from around the world for millions of people to see. Our governments, businesses and cities keep growing and expanding. We’re tempted to measure the worth of something by its size. We think that “big” is significant. “Big” will change the world.
And yet, Jesus talked about two very small things—a mustard seed and a pinch of yeast. In fact, he described the plan of God for the cosmos with these two images. This great present and coming kingdom looks so small at times. It would be possible to go about the duties of our lives and never even see the mustard seed in front of us. In fact, if it were on the kitchen counter, we might just brush it aside. It is possible to eat bread and never realize that a pinch of yeast changed the molecular make-up of that bread so that it looks, feels and tastes totally different than it would have without the yeast.
Yes, the kingdom of heaven is at work. Can you see it?
Pray: I’m reminded of a prayer we sing from time to time—“Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. I want to see you.” Perhaps today we should pray, “Open the eyes and ears of my spirit, Lord. I want to see and participate in the work of your kingdom today.”
Daily Devotional: Time Alone With God: Matthew 13:31-35
Time Alone With God by Phil Stout
Matthew 13:31-35
New International Version (NIV)
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”[b]
Footnotes:
Devotional Start:
Consider: These two very simple parables are set in the midst of Jesus’ other parables about the reign of God. And like so many of Jesus’ parables they begin with the phrase…
“The kingdom of heaven is like…” (13:31, 33)
Those aren’t throw-away words. Jesus wasn’t simply looking for a good introductory phrase like, “Once upon a time…” No, Jesus was teaching us about his kingdom—the one that he brought when he came to earth. The entirety of his teaching was focused on helping us see the meaning, the substance and the glory of this new kingdom. And he taught us to pray for its arrival today. And as he repeatedly taught us about this kingdom, he promised that if we would have ears to hear—if we would be submissive and teachable—we would understand and live in this new kingdom today (Matthew 13:9).
These particular parables—the mustard seed and the small measure of yeast—tell us some simple things that we would do well to remember. We live in a day when “big” is celebrated. Huge television networks crank out images from around the world for millions of people to see. Our governments, businesses and cities keep growing and expanding. We’re tempted to measure the worth of something by its size. We think that “big” is significant. “Big” will change the world.
And yet, Jesus talked about two very small things—a mustard seed and a pinch of yeast. In fact, he described the plan of God for the cosmos with these two images. This great present and coming kingdom looks so small at times. It would be possible to go about the duties of our lives and never even see the mustard seed in front of us. In fact, if it were on the kitchen counter, we might just brush it aside. It is possible to eat bread and never realize that a pinch of yeast changed the molecular make-up of that bread so that it looks, feels and tastes totally different than it would have without the yeast.
Yes, the kingdom of heaven is at work. Can you see it?
Pray: I’m reminded of a prayer we sing from time to time—“Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. I want to see you.” Perhaps today we should pray, “Open the eyes and ears of my spirit, Lord. I want to see and participate in the work of your kingdom today.”
Time Alone With God daily devotional: Galatians 5:1-8
Read: Galatians 5:1-8
Galatians 5:1-8
New International Version (NIV)
Freedom in Christ
5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.
Consider: Paul’s letter to the Galatian believers is a towering statement proclaiming our freedom in Christ. In it he emphatically teaches us that we no longer live “under the supervision of the law” (3:25). As Paul explains throughout this letter, the law could not change us. It could only show us our sin and powerlessness, and move us toward repentance and fellowship with God. Only Christ could change us. As Paul said on another occasion…
“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.” (Romans 8:3)
As Paul wrote to the Galatians, he not only proclaimed freedom, but he honestly expressed his frustration. He was puzzled and disappointed with the Galatian believers. They had accepted God’s grace, but then some people had convinced them that they needed to slavishly keep the Law in order to really be right with God. This angered Paul. He felt as though they had “been alienated from Christ” and had “fallen away from grace” (5:4).
We often fall into the same trap. We believe in God’s grace, but we strive to do enough to show ourselves that we are righteous. It is as if our “works” become an insurance policy just in case we are not fully accepted and forgiven. Paul railed against that kind of thinking.
“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (2:21)
So today let’s bask in God’s grace. We serve him out of love, not to earn his approval. For if we serve him out of fear, we have a terrible time rejoicing in his love.
Pray: Thank God for freedom in Christ.
Time Alone with God daily devotionals: A Daily Devotional on the Fruit of the Spirit
by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Galatians 5:22-25
Galatians 5:22-25 New International Version (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Consider: This is a passage of scripture we should all commit to memory—the Fruit of the Spirit. Simply reading the list inspires us. It brings a yearning for a life like that and a world like that.
Let’s remember that the Fruit of the Spirit—the result of the Spirit’s presence in our lives—is given to us in the midst of a larger conversation about freedom. Freedom is not listed here, but it is the topic under consideration. The freedom we have in Christ is a gift and an accumulation of gifts.
As we saw in yesterday’s passage, we cannot avoid sin through our own efforts. Our victory over sin is the result of the Spirit’s presence in our lives and our willingness to walk in step with the Spirit. The same is true when it comes to the Fruit of the Spirit. I cannot manufacture these in my life. They are gifts.
When I receive them as gifts—rather than seeing them as demands—I’m liberated to receive them from the One I love and the One who loves me. I ask for them. I ask for wisdom in how to live them. I give my best effort to honoring God with them. But they are not of my own making. They are gifts.
And the gifts are the result of the Gift—the One Jesus called “the gift my Father promised” (Acts 1:4).
Pray: “Lord, teach me to find liberation by finding you—by seeing you every moment of my life. I choose today to dwell with you, to be aware of your presence with me, and to be grateful for the Gift you are and the gifts you give.”
Time Alone with God daily devotionals: Matthew 23:23-24
Written by Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 23:23-24
New International Version (NIV)
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Start
Consider: Matthew 23 contains Jesus’ “Seven Woes” against the Pharisees. (See yesterday’s meditation for why Jesus was continually at odds with them.) I’m sure the Pharisees were not amused, but the others who were listening were laughing out loud at Jesus’ image of someone straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.
Some of the Pharisees actually did strain gnats out of their food. They had dietary laws about eating meat that still had blood in it. You can’t bleed a gnat, so you have to make sure you don’t swallow one. I know. You can’t make this stuff up. Jesus lampooned their concept of religion and said they had entirely missed the point of God’s will. They might as well swallow a camel—blood and all!
Jesus wasn’t saying that keeping the Law was bad. In fact, when he talked about their tithing he said that they should have done that. But, in their obsession with measuring an exact 10% to prove their obedience to God, they lost the intent of God’s Law.
“You have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” (23:23)
Working for justice for the poor and vulnerable. Giving mercy as God has been merciful to us. Being faithful to the work of Jesus and learning how to love like Christ. This is what Paul would later call “the righteous requirement of the law” (Romans 8:4).
When we get free from the legalism that is so often embedded in our past, we find the freedom to love. We don’t have to judge others. We don’t have to tell people who is righteous and who is not. We simply get to respond to the invitation to love like Christ loves.
Pray: “Lord, sometimes I try so hard to be right that I lose the freedom of my relationship with you. It’s easy to concentrate on the wrong things. Help me to learn more—this very day—about loving like you love. Give me encounters and opportunities to be the face of Christ to others today. What a thrill it is to be invited by you to be your agent of grace.”
Time Alone with God daily devotional: Matthew 7:24-29
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 7:24-29
Matthew 7:24-29
New International Version (NIV)
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Consider: “Yes, but in the real world…” We’ve all heard that. It’s often the opening phrase of a statement from someone who is struggling with the ethics of Jesus Christ. Have you ever heard that approach? Have you ever used it? Well, for most of us, if we haven’t actually said it, we have wondered, “Does that work in the real world?”
When we read Jesus’ teachings on meekness, peace-making, enemy love and turning the other cheek, we can’t help but wonder if they really apply to our world. In day-to-day human interaction, in family relationships, in business and industry, in relationships between communities and nations, it just seems like Jesus’ teachings don’t apply to the real world.
Jesus’ teaching is stunning. It is challenging. It offends us (even if we won’t admit it). If anyone besides Jesus would say those things, we’d dismiss them as naïve or castigate them for being soft and weak when it comes to injustice. Some of Jesus’ words are just hard. Hard to understand. Hard to put in perspective. Hard to live.
But we can’t ignore them. We can’t say that the Sermon on the Mount doesn’t apply to the “real world” or we are calling Jesus naïve. We’re saying that he doesn’t understand life.
We don’t want to go there, so often we try to make Jesus’ words more palatable. We believe that meekness is for safe environments only. It can be practiced among decent people. We believe that we can love when that love is returned. When it is not, we fall back on “loving” by the world’s rules and values.
So when we listen to Jesus instruct us as to how we should live, we have to come with open eyes and attentive ears. We have to humble ourselves enough to admit that we don’t understand the “real world.” The One who created it does. And he understands the world that he wants for you and me and for all of his creation.
Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by saying…
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock…but everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” (Matthew 7:24, 26)
Pray: “Lord, your teaching on meekness, peace-making, enemy love and turning the other cheek are a rock upon which you want me to build my life. This goes against my engrained way of thinking and judging. Help me to begin to see your real world in the way you see it.”
Time Alone with God daily devotional: Colossians 2:6-15
Written by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Colossians 2:6-15
Colossians 2:6-15
New International Version (NIV)
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh[b] was put off when you were circumcised by[c] Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[e]
Start
Consider: Many of the people who witnessed Christ’s crucifixion mocked him.
“Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!’ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him…. In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.” (Matthew 27:39-44)
The people thought they were seeing the epitome of weakness and failure. The one who had been proclaimed to be a king was reduced to this. All they could see was something to spit on because, in reality, they could not see.
After the fact, the Apostle Paul saw it clearly. And what he saw was quite different. Something else was being exposed and defeated.
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)
“Powers” and “authorities” in the New Testament usually referred to the empires, governments and corrupt systems of the day. These demonic powers ruled by might, intimidation and violence. Jesus ruled by meekness, exposing them and leading to their utter destruction.
So Christians don’t see strength in the sword. We see strength in the cross. We see power in a manner that is unintelligible to the world. The power of love has brought down empires and saved the world. If we miss the humility, meekness, power and love of Christ, we fall into the trap of depending on the wisdom and “strength” of this world.
Pray: “Thank you, Lord, for making ‘a public spectacle’ of sinful ‘power,’ exposing it for all its weakness. Today I humble myself to live in the true sacrificial power of the cross—the power of the love of Christ. Help me to see like you see and to love like you love.”
Time Alone with God daily devotional: Matthew 5:1-3
by Pastor Phil Stout
Read: Matthew 5:1-3
New International Version (NIV)
Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Start
Consider: You may want to take another look at the passages we’ve read from the New Testament this week. You may want to scan the observations we’ve made, because they all point to one of Jesus’ central teachings…
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (5:3)
The kingdom does not belong to…
The “ninety-nine” who won’t admit that they are lost (Luke 15:1-7).
The obedient son who feels morally superior to his promiscuous, but repentant, little brother (Luke 15:25-32).
Those who feel no need for a spiritual “doctor,” believing that they are already whole (Matthew 9:9-13).
The one who looks at the “other” with contempt (Luke 18:9-14).
No, not them. The kingdom of heaven belongs to “the poor in spirit.”
This is the starting point—the very first phrase—in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and it is the starting point for all of Jesus’ teaching. If we do not recognize our own spiritual poverty, if we will not humble ourselves, if we will not ask God to change us from what we are, the kingdom of heaven will be unintelligible to us.
As Jesus sat on the hillside and told the people what it would mean to follow him, his very first sentence explained the attitude we must bring. He spoke about the position we take in order to hear him and to follow him. He blessed us who go to him as “the poor in spirit.”
Pray: “Lord, your call to acknowledge my spiritual poverty is also a promise to me. Thank you for assuring me that I will be blessed by you.”
Time Alone With God daily devotional: Luke 18:9-14
Read: Luke 18:9-14
New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Start:
Consider: Sometimes Jesus’ parables are subtle. You have to look for the nuances. Not this one. Nothing subtle here. Jesus told a parable that sticks a finger in the face of anyone who embraces a sense of moral superiority. And because it is so black and white, it’s easy to dismiss. After all, who of us would stand in church, point to someone else and pray, “Thank you, God, that I’m not like that jerk! Thank you that I’m so much better!”
Of course, we would never do that. But when Jesus spoke in such stark terms, he was trying to rattle us—trying to help us see something about ourselves that may be shocking.
So let’s do a little personal inventory. Let’s talk about our feelings toward others. I’m not referring to rational discourse. I would never say I’m superior to someone else. But how do I feel?
How do I feel about people of other ethnicities? How do I feel about sexual minorities? How do I feel about people of other religions or those with no religion at all? How do I feel about people who hold politics that are completely at odds with my political convictions? How do I feel? How does Jesus want me to feel?
He wants me to feel love. Oh, I know that love is an action and can’t be reduced to a feeling. But let’s be honest, unless I’m willing to feel love toward all humans—willing to see the Image of God in them—I’m never going to act like Jesus.
This parable sticks a finger in my face and compels me to be honest about my love for God’s image-bearers. If I’m honest, it may cause me to fall on my knees and say…
“God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)
And that will lead to my liberation.
Pray: There are many written prayers that have become a part of Christian worship down through the years. One is called “The Jesus Prayer”…
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Another has become a part of common Christian liturgy…
“Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.”
These are good prayers to pray if we approach them in the right way. Don’t see them as self-condemning. See them as the liberating prayers that are taken to the One who loves us more than we can imagine—the One who is eager to forgive and has already forgiven.
Time Alone With God daily devotional: Luke 15:25-32
Read: Luke 15:25-32
Luke 15:25-32
New International Version (NIV)
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Start:
Consider: On Monday we looked at one of the most beautiful names for Jesus—“the friend of sinners.” Of course, that didn’t sound beautiful to everyone. Those who found their identity in being morally superior to others didn’t like those “others” to be loved and cherished simply for who they are. They wanted those “others” to earn it, like they thought that they had earned God’s favor.
What Jesus saw in those Pharisees and teachers of the law (15:2), he addressed in this third parable. He pointed out the thinking of the “older brother” who couldn’t handle the grace and mercy his father gave to his “morally inferior” brother.
Of course, that’s the difference between us and Jesus Christ. We want to feel like we’re righteous. We know we’re not perfect, so we’re tempted to find our “righteousness” in comparing ourselves with others. The older brother said, “Look, I never disobeyed you or gave you a moment of trouble, while he was out spending your money on prostitutes! How can you possibly rejoice over that?” (15:29-20).
We’re always trying to make ourselves appear to be righteous. And, as I said, that’s the difference between us and Jesus. He chose the opposite.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
It’s amazing that the only one who was willing to claim total unrighteousness was the Righteous One. And he did that for you and me.
So, as is the case in so many of Jesus’ parables, he flips our world upside down. The “bad guys” become the good guys and the “good guys” have to realize that if they would only bring their unrighteousness to God, he would change everything.
This is mercy.
Pray: “Lord, I can barely comprehend what it means that you ‘became sin’ for us. I only know that it humbles me. I am reminded that without your grace I have nothing and I am nothing. But your love for me compelled you to a sacrifice of mercy that is beyond my understanding. Thank you.”
Time Alone With God – Daily Devotional: Luke 15:1-7
Written by Phil Stout
Read: Luke 15:1-7
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Luke 15:1-7
15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Start:
Consider: As happened so many times in Jesus’ ministry, he found himself teaching and sharing parables to two different—and very contrasting—audiences at the same time. Before Luke shared with us Jesus’ parable about the lost sheep, he told us who was listening—those who were considered to be the worst of sinners (including tax collectors) and those who saw themselves as the righteous ones (the Pharisees and the teachers of the law).
Knowing who Jesus was talking to, helps us understand the point of his parable…
“There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (15:7)
On its own, that statement doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t we rejoice more if people kept their lives pure? Wouldn’t we be happier about ninety-nine people who did it right than we would be about one person who finally got it right after making a mess of things?
Well, we know there really is no such thing as a person who does not need to repent. But Jesus was looking at “ninety-nine” Pharisees who were convinced that they didn’t need to. And because they couldn’t see their own need for repentance, Jesus knew that they weren’t ready to see what God wanted to do in their lives. So the shepherd went to those who knew they were lost.
By the way, this story contains a powerful truth about Jesus. And if we don’t understand it, we don’t know who God is. It comes from the mouths of the Pharisees who muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (15:2).
That’s where we get that beautiful name for Jesus—“a friend of sinners.” That name should be our name as well.
Pray: “Lord, thank you for loving me. Help me to love others—regardless of their actions—in the manner that you love them. Keep me humble before you. I realize that if I’m ever convinced that I no longer need to change, I close the door on the work that you want to do in my life.”
Time Alone with God daily devotional: Luke 15:11-24
Read: Luke 15:11-24
Consider: The three parables of Luke 15—the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son—all end in celebration. There is one simple reason for that. What was lost was finally found.
Now if a shepherd loses a lamb or a woman loses a coin, it’s pretty obvious that something is missing. But when it comes to seeing that we ourselves are lost, we can be pretty slow (or too stubborn) to see it.
The son who left his father had no clue that he was lost. He kept going the wrong direction, picking up speed and running farther from home. He thought he was doing a pretty good job managing his life. He experienced great tragedy, sorrow and loss before “he came to his senses” (15:7).
What was obscured to the son was obvious to the father. We see that when the son returned and the father exclaimed…
“This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (15:24)
Our Father never stopped waiting for us. He never wrote us off as being unredeemable. He never gave up on us. But he had to wait. He couldn’t (and wouldn’t) force us to come home. He waited and waited. When we were humble enough—when we came to our senses—it became possible for the lost to be found and the dead to be raised.
Pray: “Lord, the thing that can draw me away from you is my delusion of self-sufficiency. When I forget that I am lost without you, I’m tempted to wander into strange lands. Today I walk with confidence because I walk with my Father in the direction you take me.”