June 17 - Matthew 19:16-30
Dear Father, we come before You in praise and with thanksgiving for You give us our ‘But God’ moments. You orchestrate our lives for Your glory. May we in our quiet time recognize You for who You are: our Lord God, the God of Israel.
First, do your own quiet time and 4R journaling. When you are completed, come back here for the lesson.
Request God's help
Read Matthew 19:16-30
Record a verse that stands out to you
Respond to God
But with God all things are possible
Even when keeping all the commandments as directed, one cannot gain salvation. While yes, we need to keep the commandments, those alone cannot free us from sin. We will never reach salvation on works alone, we must have Jesus.
This rich man in our reading for the day, had so much he couldn’t bear to give it up. The one thing that would bring him salvation, he couldn’t do. We Christ followers know that if we have nothing, yet have Jesus we have everything. But, do we kknnnoowww, like really know?
This word ‘sorrowful’, the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it as a deep distress, sadness, regret for the loss of something loved. This man didn’t just have possessions, he had possessions he LOVED and grieved at the thought of losing them. Yet, we are to love Jesus more than we love our things. And Jesus already knew that those things, they were the very things keeping him from handing his heart over completely to Him.
Oh ya, it’s easy to say, “Yup, I’d give it all up!” And honestly, I’d like to think I would or could, because I know what it’s like to be without. I know what it’s like to only have Jesus and I sure know what it’s like to rescued! But even then, there are just some things that would be hard to let go. My home, the safety and protection it brings. My spinning wheel. I know, it’s so silly. But that one tool brings me so much joy and it’s where I meet with God. And I can lose sight easily that Jesus is all of those things and so much more. And to be perfectly honest, I am so thankful He hasn’t required me to up and sell everything. He has blessed me beyond measure and we are able to serve Him in amazing ways because of it.
But God
But God can make a way when there is no way. When God steps in, big things happen. When God says to sell everything and follow Him, honestly it’s not always that exact. What’s in your heart? Are you willing to give up what is keeping you from Jesus? Are you willing to throw your God blockers into the sea? What is keeping you from serving and following Him completely? Your phone? Your money? Your vacations? What is it? We all have one(s). What will you give up today, so that you can spend more time with our Jesus? That’s what He wants. He wants us to want Him more than any other thing or person.
What are you willing to give up for your But God moment?
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
(Further Reading: Genesis 18:1-21; Job 42:1-6)
Dear Lord, we praise You for You alone formed us, for in Jesus we find Salvation! We thank You for the permanence of grace, that it cannot be ripped from us.
What’s next?
As the Spirit leads, in the comment section below, share what He has laid on your heart.
Then join us again tomorrow for the next commentary.
My Verse: Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
