God Speaks
Jesus Commends John the Baptist and Teaches about His Own Mission
Verse of the Day: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Matthew 11
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 11:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, God come to earth as a human being.
2. People like John the Baptist who are messengers for Christ can expect to be misunderstood.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 11?
Thank You, LORD, for being a great and awesome God who cares for people. Jesus, You came to Your undeserving people to instruct Your followers and to teach and preach in our cities. When John the Baptist was imprisoned, weary, and discouraged, You sent him an encouraging message of what was happening: “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” You want me, like John, to be a voice in the wilderness preparing people for the coming of Jesus into their personal lives and into this world again as sovereign ruler; however, just as with Jesus and John then, the preaching and lives of true believers today don’t “fit the narrative” of their detractors. We need the wisdom that comes from above to discern and act on the truth. You are calling Your people to respond to Your great and small miracles among us with deeply felt and sincerely expressed repentance. This is what Jesus said that Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom would have done with much less evidence of Your grace, mercy, and love. Thank You, Jesus, for choosing to allow me to know the Father. Thank You also for inviting me to work alongside You and to find rest for my soul. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 11?
- I will write down and praise God for at least five ways in which He cares for me.
- I will write down at least three things Jesus is in the process of teaching me.
- I will look at positive news sources like AFA, TBN, CBN, or SAT7 for ways that God is fulfilling “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached the poor,” today.
- I will ask the LORD which one specific sin I need to confess and turn from, then ask the Holy Spirit to assist me to truly change.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.