February 7:  Trusting His Provision.

HIS INTERVISION.
"Do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say."--Matthew 10:19

I had to chuckle when I read the comment on Matthew 10:19 in my study Bible: " 'Do not worry about...what you are to say.'  Not to be used by preachers as an excuse for lack of sermon preparation!" *  As I started studying this topic, I found similar exhortations in other academic commentaries.  But even though this verse seems to have been misused, it contains a most important promise of Jesus.

When we get to this verse, Jesus has already addressed the persecution and opposition that His followers would encounter when they would be handed over to courts and synagogues (Matthew 10:17).  And now Jesus expands this to include the highest levels of society and authority: "You will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles" (verse 18).  Even these unplanned and perhaps unpleasant meetings with authorities and dignitaries would be used by God as missionary endeavors, to witness about Jesus to unbelievers.

Jesus went on to discuss that in some of these critical circumstances, a verbal witnessing would be necessary.  And this is where Jesus asserts that our Father, whom we trust to provide for our daily and basic needs (Matthew 6:25-34), would also provide the words we are to speak in such a crisis.  This is a most assuring promise: no matter the social status or intellectual capabilities of the followers of Jesus called to witness in this manner, God will intervene and provide a Divine Resource.  "For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you" (Matthew 10:20).  Therefore "do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour" (verse 19).  Jesus says that we should not be anxious about our witnessing, even at the highest levels of authority.  We will be talking about Jesus, and the Father intervenes by giving His Spirit for such situations.  Yes, God provides our food and clothing (Matthew 6:25-34), and He also provides our words when we give our testimony of Jesus (Matthew 10:18-20).  Therefore "do not worry" and trust the Spirit's intervention.

My Response:____________________________________________________

February 6:  Trusting His Provision.

HIS CHILDREN.
"From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?...the sons are exempt."--Matthew 17:25, 26


One of the highlights during my trip to the Holy Land was the visit to the beautiful Sea of Galilee, which Jesus and His disciples navigated so many times.  There is a fish named Chromis Simonis in honor of Simon Peter.  It has a large mouth, big enough to hold a stater, which is a silver coin worth four drachmas--one shekel.  The background to our text today is a story about the miraculous provision of a stater in the mouth of a fish in order to pay the temple tax.

The story takes place in Capernaum.  Tax collectors asked Peter "Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?" (Matthew 17:24).  Peter answered affirmatively.  The tax in question was the temple tribute, which every twenty-year-old-and-above Jewish male was expected to pay.  There were some exceptions though; priests, for instance, did not have to pay it.  The temple tax was based on the instructions found in the Law (Exodus 30:11-16).  It was half a shekel per person and was used to maintain the temple.  Later, in the house, Jesus and Peter had a very interesting conversation that reminds us of our identity as children of God.  Jesus spoke to him first, saying, ' 'What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?' " (verse 25).  Peter answered that the earthly rulers collect tribute from strangers, not from their own children.  In this metaphoric saying, God is the king, and Jesus and His followers are the sons.  In response, Jesus concluded, "then the sons are exempt" (verse 26), meaning that He and His followers were not subject to the tribute for their Father's House.  The temple and its sacrificial system would soon become obsolete when its services would find their fulfillment in the sacrifice of Jesus.  Still, not to offend the Jewish authorities needlessly, Peter would encounter a divine provision by catching a fish that had a stater in its mouth, the equivalent of one shekel and enough to pay the temple tax for both Jesus and Peter (verse 27).  We are not strangers!  We are children of the king, and He provides everything we need.

My Response:____________________________________________________

February 5:  Trusting His Provision.

HIS OMNISCIENCE.
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet.--Matthew 21:4

To follow our ministerial calling, we decided to move to another town, where our income would be considerably lower.  Wondering how we would be able to afford house payments with the reduced income, we decided to explore a new community.  As we got there, we both got the impression to pause and pray.  We inquired about a house that we really liked and calculated what our house payment would be.  I left the place with tears of thanksgiving, for the payment was less than half our previous house payment, and we could easily afford it.  But, of course, God knew that ahead of time!

We can rest in God's pre-knowledge and pre-provision for every situation.
During Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we are made aware of His complete knowledge about, and provision for, the situation ahead.  Jesus sent two disciples: "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me" (Matthew 21:2).  Jesus gave specific instructions as to what they were to say if questioned.  This is the only time that Jesus rode an animal.  He always walked, yet for these last few miles He needed a colt in order to enact a particular prophecy.  Matthew indicates that the prophecy was from Zechariah 9:9 (with Isaiah 62:11): "This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 'Say to the daughter of Zion,, "Behold your king is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden" ' " (Matthew 21:4, 5).  Some scholars suggest that Jesus had prearranged for this animal, but even if that's the case, the point still stands.  Jesus knew the prophecy; He planned the enactment of the fulfillment of that particular prophecy; He knew where to find the animal; and He gave specific instructions to His disciples.  Every part of Jesus' ministry followed a divine plan, even in the smallest details.  Rest assured that God knows and provides for everything that you and I need for our salvation and our daily lives.  He certainly goes ahead of us!

My Response:______________________________________________________

February 4:  Trusting His Provision.

HIS SUSTENANCE.
"It is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven."--John 6:32

When my husband was growing up, there were eight members in his immediate family.  His parents were very hospitable, therefore there were always many needy people sitting at the table along with them.  They were not wealthy, yet somehow there was always enough food for them and their visitors.  His siblings always point out that even though they never saw the food multiply; they are sure God frequently and miraculously increased the food so all could be fed.

In his Gospel, John records a lengthy and insightful interaction between Jesus and the people that took place after the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:26-58).  Having been miraculously fed, the crowd now asks Jesus to perform another sign, that they may believe in Him.  They said: "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness" (verse 31).  It was God who had given them the manna, sustaining them in the wilderness, day after day, for forty years.  I really like the story of the manna, which is recorded in Exodus 16, please take a moment to read it.  Perhaps I would have been among the anxious ones who tried to collect more than one day's supply, not sure if God would provide for the following day....Would I have trusted enough to rest on the seventh day, celebrating my Provider's faithfulness towards His children?  Back to John 6, Jesus revealed that the manna was pointing to Him, who was the true Manna that came down from heaven from God.  The material provision in the wilderness was pointing to the spiritual Sustenance that we have in Jesus.  The first was perishable, but the later is eternal nourishment.  Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh" (verse 51).  God lovingly provides for all our needs, physical and spiritual.  Let's trust His faithfulness towards us, casting our anxieties at the foot of the cross.  "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).

My Response:_________________________________________________

February 3:  Trusting His Provision.

HIS NOURISHMENT.
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."--John 6:30

Have you ever been hungry, in real need of food?  The closest I got to that was when I came to the United States, many decades ago.  It was hard to find jobs at first, and we were dependent on a church that gave us a weekly box of food, containing bread, cheese, rice, beans, et cetera.  One day, when I opened the refrigerator, I found only some bread and cheese, nothing else.  I am grateful that God sustained and blessed us.  Little by little, things got easier and better.

Bread was a big concern in the first century; many people worked for it daily.  When Jesus performed the miraculous feeding of the multitude (John 6:1-13), people interpreted that the awaited prophet like Moses (see Deuteronomy 18:15) had arrived: "This is truly the prophet who is to come into the world" (John 6:14).  People wanted to make sure that He was the awaited One, so they asked Him to do another sign, that they might believe in Him (see John 6:30, 32).  They alluded to manna: God had provided water and food for them in the wilderness through Moses.  Was Jesus going to prove Himself by doing the same?  Jesus explained that He was the true Bread from heaven, who provides life-giving nourishment to the world (verses 32, 33).  Back in Exodus 16, God had sent manna, and Israel had collected it every day because it was perishable food.  Only on the sixth day were they to collect for the Sabbath, on which they rested to remember their divine Provider.  But the true Bread from heaven, to which manna pointed, provides permanent and on-going nourishment.  "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger, and...will never thirst" (verse 35).  In John, this is the first emphatic "I am" statement, followed by a metaphor for Jesus' identity.  Human hearts are always searching for nourishment, though sometimes in the wrong places.  But Jesus satisfies our thirst and hunger permanently.  In Him we find salvation, assurance, joy, meaning, purpose, and real nourishment.  He fills our souls; He is our All in all.  Lord: give us this day our daily Bread! Jesus!

My Response:_____________________________________________________

February 2:  Trusting His Provision.

HIS TOUCH.
Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.--Matthew 8:3

My friend Steve was going through an emotionally difficult time when he decided to focus his energy on helping others.  He founded a ministry called "Hugs for HumanKIND," going out several times a week to meaningfully engage with people living on the streets, showing interest in their lives, helping them, or simply listening to what they wanted to share.  When appropriate, he gives them a real hug, which most of them have not experienced in years.  Many of them have not had a healthy human touch in a long time, and they are pleasantly surprised and thankful to be the recipients of this type of kindness.

In the first century, leprosy was a disease that rendered its victims unfit for society.  A leper was considered unclean and untouchable (see Leviticus 13, 14) and would be forced out of his village.  A leper had to carry the stigma of a horrendous contagious disease.  Therefore, the leper who comes to Jesus in Matthew 8:1-4 is not even sure if Jesus is willing to heal him.

In the Gospels, sometimes Jesus' greatest acts of service on behalf of his fellow human beings go unnoticed because we concentrate on the miracles of healing and resurrection.  In this event, we should notice Jesus' attitude towards the sick person: "Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him" (Matthew 8:3).  He touched the untouchable!  During His life on earth, the Son of God never became unclean or defiled by diseases; instead, He brought life and health.  He provided healing for the body, mind, and soul.  In this case, Jesus' touch showed his willingness to reach out to the unclean and the marginalized.  You may not have leprosy, but you may be struggling with an addiction, a sin, a dark past, an unhealthy relationship, or anything else that brings shame to your life or the life of a loved one.  May this story give you the assurance of Jesus' willingness to touch the dark areas of our lives and provide healing where there is sickness.  Jesus' touch demonstrates both His love and compassion!

My Response:___________________________________________________

February 1:  Trusting His Provision.

HIS LIGHT.
"I am the Light of the world."--John 9:5

I had an unforgettable experience while visiting New Zealand to speak at a women's retreat.  I was hoping to find some time between my speaking engagements to visit the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.  Thanks to the kindness and efforts of my hosts, we made it.  In a little boat, we entered a very dark cave; the guide asked us to be completely silent.  We quietly sat there in the dark as excitement started to fill my heart.  I had heard about the light-emitting worms inhabiting these caves, yet nothing prepared me for the sight of them!  As the boat turned into the larger section of the cave, thousands of tiny bright lights appeared as if we were looking at a star-filled night sky.  Because of the surrounding darkness, the lights shone much brighter that I had imagined.  And once again, I felt amazed at the beauty of God's creation!

There is something about darkness that makes the light shine even brighter!  In one of His revealing "I am" statements in the Gospel of John, Jesus announces: "I am the Light of the world" (John 9:5).  Jesus then proceeds  to heal a blind man, who ends up seeing both physically and spiritually, and is the only person in this Gospel to worship Jesus.  The words the blind man uses referring to Jesus highlight his progression towards spiritual sight: he calls Jesus a man (verse 11), then a prophet (verse 17), "from God" (verse 33), et cetera, and finally, he believes in Him and worships Him (verse 38).  On the other hand, the Pharisees, who thought they could see, end up being blind (verses 39-41), and declare themselves disciples of Moses and not of Jesus (verse 28).  They call Jesus "a sinner" (verse 24) and put the formerly blind man out of the synagogue in the name of Moses and Sabbath keeping.  Sometimes, spiritual darkness can be found even in religious circles.  We are blind if anything or anyone other than Jesus becomes the object of our worship, even if it is something religious, as in the case of these Pharisees.  Only Jesus provides peace. He is the Light that illuminates our minds, dispels our doubts and fears, and holds our future.  He is the Light of the world and the Light of our lives!

My Response:________________________________________________

January 31:  Accepting His Love.

HIS GOODNESS.
"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."--Matthew 5:44, 45


One of the faith heroes among the Anabaptists was a man named Dirk Willems, born in the Netherlands.  Due to his newfound faith and re-baptism, he was condemned and arrested.  He was able to escape prison and cross a frozen pond.  But a guard, who had noticed his escape, pursued him and fell into the icy waters, yelling for help.  Willems knew the price he would have to pay for helping him, yet he could not refuse.  He helped his pursuer get out of the freezing waters, which meant that Willems was recaptured and eventually burned at the stake.

God's love for humans motivated the plan of salvation, which meant that Jesus died in our place while we didn't want anything to do with Him.  "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).  We did not deserve it and we still don't.  It is with this understanding that Jesus' followers are empowered to love their enemies and pray for those who oppress them.  God's goodness flows into the believers' hearts and spills over into the world, even toward those who make their lives difficult.  We are called to love our enemies and not to retaliate (Matthew 5:39, 44).  Note that the singular word "enemy" (verse 43) is changed to the plural "enemies" in the next verse (verse 44).  The audience of Jesus would have had many different types of enemies: among them the Romans, as political oppressors, and tax collectors, who were considered traitors.  Yet, by using the plural with no exceptions, Jesus makes an all-encompassing pronouncement: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (verses 44, 45).  A practical way of loving our enemies is to pray for them, imitating our heavenly Father, whose goodness provides the sun and the rain on those who worship him and those who don't.  May the love that Jesus has bestowed upon us overflow towards our fellowmen, even for those who persecute us.

My Response:__________________________________________________

January 30:  Accepting His Love.

HIS UNITY.
"I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me."--John 17:23

I have participated in satellite evangelistic series, where many people come together in one area to plan and organize meetings that are televised with the purpose of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  One of the most encouraging aspects of these experiences is to watch people, with different backgrounds and unique skills, come together with an evangelistic purpose in mind: to share God's redemption through Jesus and His love for humanity.

In his Gospel, John records a prayer of Jesus that has been called "the High Priestly prayer."  In it, He petitions the Father that His followers may become united with an evangelistic purpose: "That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they may also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that you sent Me" (John 17:21).  Each beloved believer is unique in the eyes of God, and He has not asked us to give up our God-given individuality.  The purpose of unity is always to make Jesus known to the world.  Jesus continues: "I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity [Greek: perfected into one], so that the world may know that you sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me" (verse 23).  The purpose of the unity is not sameness but an evangelistic message: making Jesus and His love for all known.  It is a privilege to be in a group of people whose primary aim is to proclaim the love of God, as manifested in Jesus.  By the way, did you realize from this verse that God wants you to know that He loves you?  And that the Father loves you as He loves Jesus!  Wow!  And not only that: He wants you to be with Him for eternity!  "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am" (verse 24).  I personalize this verse: "I want Elizabeth to be with Me."  Place your name there too, because Jesus desires you to be with Him!  May we be part of a community that is one in Jesus, with the purpose of sharing Jesus with the world!

My Response:_________________________________________

January 29:  Accepting His Love.

HIS EVALUATION.
"Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."--Luke 12:7


By the time I was six years old, my mother had saved my life many times.  She had rescued me when I was drowning in a pool, she had run many miles when I was bleeding to death, and she had taken me to the hospital on several occasions when I couldn't breathe due to an asthma attack, just to name a few.  As a kid, I was sure about one thing: I had great value in my parents' eyes.  And that realization shaped my view of God as well.

The way God values each one of us should be a source of assurance for our souls.  Jesus used images of nature to remind us that God cares for the smallest of flowers and animals, and that we are much more valuable than those.  Moving from lesser to greater, Jesus utilized an argument style called qal wahomer ("how much more"), assuring His disciples that if God cares for the most insignificant of birds, how much more does He care for human beings, created in His image!  I love the passage in Luke 12:6, 7: "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents?  Yet not one of them is forgotten before God....Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."  In other words, if God knows and cares for these birds, even though five of them are sold two pennies, then how much more does God care for you!  His loving evaluation of us, and what we mean to Him, is a guarantee that He knows us and cares for us.  Why fear, if we know that He places such great value on us?  The context of this verse is that even when facing persecution, difficulties, and hardship, we shouldn't ever doubt if God cares for us.  He is sovereign and His wisdom surpasses our understanding of the situations we face in our lives, yet we can always count on His care for us.  We are never forgotten!  He knows everything about us; even "the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (verse 7).  He knows every hurt, every tear, and every heartbreak; He cares about our afflictions.  Don't forget that He valued us so highly that He gave His life to save ours.  During difficult days, watch the birds, and remember how God views you.  Yes, in God's view, you are much more valuable than many sparrows!

My Response:______________________________________________