Matthew 16 - 9.14.23

Scripture

Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”

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Observation

In this section of the passage I chose, Jesus is talking to His disciples and telling them exactly what it takes to be one of His TRUE followers. They will have to deny their own ways and sinful desires, so that they could wholly and completely follow Jesus. To deny yourself and take up your cross doesn’t necessarily refer to the daily burdens or problems we face, but rather refers more to the ideal of fully living our lives for Jesus, and identifying with every aspect of His rejection, shame, suffering, and even death.

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”-Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭

Application

How can I take up my cross and follow Jesus today?

For me it starts in the morning. As soon as my alarm clock buzzes, I don’t hit the snooze button, (no matter how tired I am), and get up and have my time with God-(praying, reading His Word, and taking some time doing devotions). It can be seeing someone in need of prayer and compassion, and going over to them and praying and loving on them, no matter how awkward and foolish I may look by doing it. It can be sharing with someone what God has done for me, (sharing the gospel of Christ), no matter if I get rejected or not. Ultimately it is about putting aside anything in my life that takes my focus away from wholeheartedly following Jesus. Like Jesus said to the Father, “Not my will be done, but Your will be done.”

Prayer

Father God, thank You so much for ALL You have done for me and given me. You gave me Your best when You sent Jesus. I pray that I can give You my best in everything I do. May Your Holy Spirit continue to live through me with all that I do and say. May others around me know You more because of it. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi

Ezekiel 31 - 9.13.23

Scripture: Ezekiel 31:10-11 - “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height, I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside.”

Observation: Ezekiel’s prophecy, here, is towards the Pharaoh of Egypt.  The intent is to humble the Pharaoh, to remind him of other nations who, like Egypt, experienced great abundance but, ultimately, befell great destruction.  Assyria, assimilated to a Cedar in Lebanon, once a great monarchy, a vast empire – but at the hands of a prideful king fell to ruin.  So, it is a challenge to Pharaoh to check himself…consider his own sin and repent or experience the same fall to ruin.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

The historical fall of Assyria and the prophesied fall of Egypt are both attributable to prideful kings.  Kings that built great and abundant kingdoms; but it’s important to remember that all good things come from God.  Our blessings, our success, our recognition are not our own; they are gifts from God.  And, while God is eager to bless us as His children, He is just as willing and able to ruin our pride (Jeremiah 13:9) – humbling us in whatever means necessary…but even that is out of love, for with humility comes wisdom (Proverbs 11:2).    

Application

God wants us to exercise our authority in Him but we must first be under authority; in other words, we must recognize that God is still sovereign and continue to honor him, perhaps even more so in our abundance (because we have even more to give).

Therefore, let us remain humble, give God the credit and honor He so justly deserves – remembering that all good things come from Him. 

Prayer

God, I know it can be easy to become prideful in our gifts, talents, hard work, possessions; help us to remember that YOU are the source.  Our hard work – you provide the energy and ability.  Our gifts, talents and abilities – you created us with those in mind to serve your kingdom purposes.  May we give YOU the honor and the glory and remember why we are here at all – to know you and make you known – and to use all we have to that end.  Show me ways to do that today.  More of you, less of me.  In your name, I pray.

Psalm 146 - 9.12.23

Scripture

Psalm 146:3-5

Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.  When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.  Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

Observation

The Psalmist speaks about why we should always give our praise to Jesus, not man.  There is nothing wrong with praising people for their hard work and accomplishments or being inspired by others who do excellent and admirable things in life; however, putting our hope in human beings instead of the Lord will always leave us disappointed and exhausted in the end.  There’s a reason why the first commandment is “Thou shalt not have any other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

Application

What is an idol in my life that I am putting above the Lord?

Money, Work, Hobbies, People, Family, Friends, Vacations, Food, Material things, Ourselves and/or our Image on the internet/social media, can all become idols if we are not careful. I also learned recently that Jealousy is an idol too. We must be content with what we have instead of being jealous of what others have.

Like the verse in Psalm says, “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.” Do any of these have the power to save us from our sins? Everything and everyone eventually passes away in this world, but Jesus remains forever. He is our Ultimate Shepherd.  If you didn’t have a chance to listen to the awesome sermon by Pastor Levi on Sunday about the Lord being our Shepherd, I highly encourage you to watch it at this link:  https://youtu.be/Bgd93pizRSE?si=CTk0JnDqWt7x32al

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please reveal any idols in my life and may I be quick to release anything You are asking me to release, so that You remain #1 on the throne of my heart. You are my ultimate hope and help. May my life imitate the Apostle Paul when he said, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Philippians 3:8).”  Amen.

-Michelle Gaddi