Matthew___14

Scripture

Matthew 14:22-23

“Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.”

Observation-What does it say?

Jesus had just finished performing yet another miracle. Not only did Jesus heal all the sick from the crowds of people who were following him from town to town, but Jesus decided to feed the 5,000 men (not including the women and children) that day with only using five loaves of bread and two fish! And all the people ate as much as they wanted that day, and to top it off, they even had 12 baskets of leftovers to spare! Immediately following this miracle, Jesus sent the crowds of people home and sent his disciples back on the boat to cross to the other side of the lake. After everyone was gone, Jesus went up to the hills by himself to pray.

Understanding-What does it mean?

As busy as Jesus was with helping others, teaching, discipling, and performing miracles, He still found time to recharge and rest through His alone time with God.

Throughout Scripture you will find that Jesus often set aside times to be alone and pray to God. Whether it was spending 40 days in the desert or His time in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus knew the importance of connecting to His Heavenly Father for strength, comfort, and wisdom. 

We all complain about our busy schedules and the lack of time we have to accomplish our daily tasks. And the first thing we seem to sacrifice in our life is our time with God (prayer time, Bible study, and journaling). Why is that? I know I can be guilty of this. But reading this passage reminds me just how busy Jesus was in life. He had his own ministry to do, He had his disciples to groom, and on top of all that, He had people fighting for His time on all sides of Him so that they could be healed! How did he keep it all together?! I believe it's because of the emphasis He put in his life with spending time with God. He was purposeful about it. He would sneak away from the crowds and His disciples to get that one on one time He desperately needed to recharge with His Almighty Father. It was in these times Jesus found guidance, strength, and focus on what He needed to do. And He always walked away from those prayer times re-energized to keep moving on to fulfill God's will. So how did the prayer time in this passage end up for Jesus?..He rescued His disciples who were on the boat experiencing rough waters, as Jesus came to them...walking on water!!!

Life Application

If I am to call myself a follower of Christ, shouldn't I follow the things that He does? Shouldn't I make my prayer time with God a priority?

We find time in life to do the things that are important to us. Whether it is waking up early to get to work on time or me not sitting on the couch watching television so I can spend time with my kids. We do these things because we prioritize the things in our life that are important to us. So where does God fit in? Where does His people fit in? If God truly is the head of our household and number one in our lives, our lives should reflect it. 

Let's be purposeful with our time with God the way Jesus was purposeful with His time with God. Let's re-energize, re-focus, seek God's strength and wisdom through it. Let's see what miracle He has in store for us and our church family because of it!

-Moses Gaddi

Matthew_13

Scripture  Matthew 13:44    

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field. Observation-What does it say?  Jesus often used parables to share his message.  The parables were thought provoking, used to separate those who came to be entertained by Jesus’ miracles from those who came to him to find truth and understand His teachings.  Though, Jesus’ parables used common language and everyday examples, which were relatable to his audience.  By doing this, he differentiated himself from the religious elites of his time, the pharisees, who loved to pray using big words (Matthew 6:5-8) and place heavy religious burdens on people (Matthew 23:1-6) and wouldn’t honor their parents because of their religious traditions (Matthew 15:3-7).  Through his parables, we experience the love of God that is for all mankind (John 3:16), not something that is muddled up with rules and religious requirements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX-aAg4_U2Q Understanding-What does it mean?  Have you ever had that one thing that you thought, “If I could only have this, life would be so much better”?  When I was a kid, that one thing was a horse.  I wanted to be a cowboy more than anything else in the world.  I had my boots and jeans, my holster and trusty cap gun, and even a real felt cowboy hat.  The only thing I was missing was a horse and saddle.  For years my Christmas wish list included these items, not realizing the true cost of owning and caring for a horse.  When my parents finally broke the news to me, that they could never get me these things, I was heartbroken.  Later on in life, my desire turned to a league championship in track.  I trained all of high school to become the champion of the 800 meter run.  I expected it to pave the way for a college education and a career in professional running.  I succeeded in attaining my league championship and I still have the medal to prove it.  But, life after the championship did not go like I thought and I was again left with an empty feeling in its wake. The kingdom of heaven is like these things, only much, much better.  The kingdom of heaven is that very thing that we are looking for in the horses and trophies, in the homes and the cars, in the careers and the accolades.  However, the kingdom of heaven does not disappoint us.  We will not be left with the need for something more, because it is so much more than we can imagine. The other things in life are the lies that come from the devil.  Jesus comforts us in saying, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).  In Jesus, we are made whole and can experience the abundant life that this world leaves us wanting. Life Application  Jesus, help me to always look for your truths.  Thank you for being the only thing that makes me complete.  For in you I find my being.  Help me to share your truths and the message of your love in the same relatable way.    -Tyler Galloway 

Daniel_10

Scripture

Daniel 10:12

Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

Observation - What does it say?

After having a troubling vision that he didn’t understand, Daniel humbled himself before God and spent three weeks mourning and seeking God for understanding. At the end of the three weeks his answer came via a messenger from God. This messenger explains that as soon as Daniel began to seek God, he was sent in response. But, he encountered opposition by an evil spiritual power he refers to as “the prince of the Persian kingdom,” delaying him 21 days.

Understanding - What does it mean?

This is a fascinating chapter, and I probably have more questions than answers after reading it. However, this one thing stood out to me: Daniel’s prayers were heard and his answer was sent immediately, although he had to wait 21 days before it arrived.

Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 7 to “Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.”

I wonder how many times we pray about something and lose all faith when we don’t see an answer within 24 hours. The "keeping on" is the achilles heel of our prayer life. There are things going on in the spiritual realm we have no idea about. I imagine many times we fail to “keep on knocking,” giving up and walking away when God’s hand is reaching for the handle on the other side, to open the door. Daniel teaches us in this passage to continue seeking without giving up.

Life Application

Keep seeking! For the people I’ve been praying for to come to know Christ, for breakthrough in relationships and in our community, for a powerful move of God in our city.

God, I believe that you hear our prayers and the moment we speak out our prayers the answer is set in motion! I trust that even when I don’t see much happening in the natural, there are things in the spirit that are shifting, angels engaging in battle, hearts being prepared and people being positioned. I believe you meant it when you repeated the promise 7 times, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Fill us with faith and grant that we may be ones who persevere in prayer. Amen.

- Levi Thompson