Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Day 38 - Matthew 7

Click here to access Matthew 7

OK, I realize I say this 4 or 5 times a week, but it's true. This is just another amazing chapter, packed with promises and commands on how we should live our lives.

First Jesus reminds us to be careful in how we judge, because we will be judged the same way we judge others.  That was a good swift kick in the pants for me today. I'm struggling with an individual that quite honestly I don't trust, I don't trust her motives. Yet, the passage doesn't say don't judge the people you trust, but it's okay to judge the ones you don't trust. No, it says  “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others.t The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. (verse 1 &2)


What's even more convicting is in verse 3-5, basically I need to get the log out of my eye before I start trying to stab the speck out of the other person's eye.

There's the promise of answered prayers if we keep seeking. Of course, there's a lot of debate to be made regarding what answered prayers look like. Sometimes God answers, but we don't like the answers so we pretend we didn't hear anything. (Or is that just me?)

Then Jesus reminds us of the importance of building on a good foundation.

What about you? What do you see in this chapter that excites you or convicts you?

Blessings!

5 comments:

  1. Matthew 7: This morning I read from the bottom up and wrote that direction. This is so rich and I am at the top like cream! That is what His Word is! Cream for our skim milk!
    1-5 I am reminded of Psalm 139:23,24 Search me, O Lord; examine me, revealing Truth to me that I will see in myself. So many times the thing(s) we scorn in others is what we ourselves have, or are, dealing with in our own life. It wouldn't be such a thorn if it weren't acknowledgeable in our own thoughts.
    6 “Don’t give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls to pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them and then tear you to pieces.” This was so valuable to me, especially when I was a new believer. Not to be constantly explaining myself.
    7 “Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.” This has always been so powerful to see this (first letter of each word)!
    8 “Everyone who asks will receive.” ask, seek, knock [acronym ASK]!
    9,10 Daily nourishment or stoney silence, not meeting need where you are enabled to by our Father. He is the Enabler we need! We have snakes here in Missouri and chiggers (in the mite family I swell up from). They keep me out of our yard. Lord, I pray You will encourage me to garden, and just prepare MY soil! I will not be afraid. I will not allow them to keep me home-BOUND looking out the window. Produce in me a harvest.
    12 “Always do for other people everything you want them to do for you.” To be understanding and listen. Not always a tangible doing.
    The Narrow Gate 13,14 I get such a visual of this. Actually when I just typed “Gate,” Gatekeeper came up!! Yes, that is where our focus is to be. He is ready to open for us as we are pressed in from every side!!
    16 You will know them by what they produce.
    “People don’t pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles, do they?” This is exactly what our pastor has been saying the last two Sundays. He does visuals. We live in a farming community. On Sunday he had a clear bin he scattered a little wheat seed into. Speaking about the wheat and the tares coming up alongside each other and not removing the one until harvest. How closely they resembled each other in the growing process. At the end he poured the container full of wheat seed. In what we plant, we will harvest. What do we want our crop to be? We choose what we put in prepared soil. And if it is not prepared....
    29 “Unlike their scribes, he taught them with authority.” He knew whence He spoke! Psalm 121:1-8

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    1. What a great way to read it. I love the idea of it being "cream"! So many good things!

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  2. On judging others, I too am dealing with a situation where I'm struggling with trust. I realized this morning that I am basing this mistrust on things that happened years ago and I haven't even reached out to this woman in years even though we both care about her disabled sister and we're both trying to help her. So, I reached out to this woman this AM in the most gentle way I knew how and offered empathy and help. I have no idea how she'll respond, but I have to trust that Jesus led me to do the right thing.

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    1. Very cool! I totally understand the mistrust thing, it's so hard. Yet, when Peter betrayed Jesus did that mean Jesus never trusted him again!?! (Just thought of that)

      Regardless of how the woman responds, I think you did what God would want you to do, step out and begin building the bridge. We have a free will whether she chooses to respond or not, you did the right thing.
      Blessings and thanks for sharing!

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    2. Sharon, this is soooo cool! God takes the reins after we do all we can do and stand! This same sort of thing happened to me ~*~ a lady at the library where I volunteer on Fridays comes in and shelves books. She was abrasive when we would round a corner and hold her arms straight out like a linebacker ready to plow through. I talked to our new librarian about it and she said to keep smiling and plugging away. On Friday last!!! I continued to say hi and greet her. She came back three times!!! where I was working and sat down, smiled and we talked about the crocuses coming up, her farm bobcat sighting and watching for snakes in the woods at night. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. She talked to me... on her own... willingly. And God smiled!

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