This week's reading asked a searching question: when Jesus says something we don't understand, do we stay? From the crowds who walked away in John 6, to the Pharisees clinging to tradition, to a man born blind who simply said, "Point Him out to me and I will believe," the Gospels showed us two kinds of people: those who stay close and open, and those who think they already know it all. Alongside that, David showed us how to trust God's timing, and Romans 8 reminded us that the Holy Spirit living inside us is the power to follow Jesus.
Stay with Jesus in the mystery, and the mysteries will one day be revealed.
Through Matthew, Mark, John, 1 Samuel, and Romans, we were challenged to stay close, forgive freely, and follow the Spirit.
Word of the Week: Stay Close, Stay Open
Sunday's reading in John 6 reminded us that for someone who wants people to believe in Him, Jesus does not make it easy. His words are Spirit and life, and to obtain the life He offers we must set aside our natural understanding and approach Him in the Spirit. Jesus fed the five thousand near Passover, and it became the launching pad for teaching about the true Bread from Heaven: Himself. Many walked away, but it would be another Passover before He explained the meaning to those who stayed. He ate the last sacrificial lamb that would ever be needed, because HE would become the true Lamb who brought atonement once and for all. Do we stay with Jesus in the mystery? Peter answered for us all: "Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life."
Monday's reading in Matthew 15 and Mark 7 asked, "Why do your disciples brush off the rules?" That is exactly what God wanted to know in countless Old Testament prophecies. Over time, the religious leaders' traditions became a clearer law to them than God's actual law, and Jesus said they "cancel God's law." We are in danger of the same mistake when we place our own interpretation of Scripture on equal footing with the Bible itself, or get indignant when a church service changes. Emphasizing Sunday service is important, but not at the expense of living for Jesus all week long. Am I being kind on Monday? Sharing His love on Tuesday? That is what shows what is in our heart.
Tuesday's reading in Matthew 16 and Mark 8 put us in the disciples' shoes. We judge them with 2,000 years of hindsight, but would we have done any better? Jesus said radical things, and the only reason we don't understand them is the same reason they didn't at first: they were seeing things from a human point of view. Then came the most paradigm-shifting statement of all: to follow Jesus, expect suffering and commit to selflessness in absolutely everything. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way.
Wednesday's reading in Matthew 17 and Mark 9 gave us a sobering phrase: "Everyone will be tested with fire." Jesus names only two kinds of fire, an eternal fire for those who refuse Him and a refining fire for His disciples. The refining fire is putting our need for greatness and significance under the Lordship of Jesus. It's up to God who gets promoted and when; that part is not our business. Our business is to be salt in the world, preserving others by living and preaching the Gospel, and keeping the peace among ourselves.
Thursday's reading in Matthew 18 was about forgiving the way we have been forgiven. We ALL carry an unpayable debt to God, and when we ask for mercy, He gives it. If someone hurts you and doesn't know it, be proactive in working it out, even multiple times. If they know it and are begging for mercy, forgive absolutely and immediately. Do not do to them what you begged God not to do to you.
Friday's reading in John 7-8 took us through some of the most turbulent chapters yet. After years of telling people not to say who He was, Jesus now states it Himself, and the crowd hangs by a thread between believing and shaking themselves back to supposed reality. But Jesus never tried to prove who He was. He simply stated it as truth and stayed on the mission His Father gave Him, always pointing back to the Father: "Before Abraham was even born, I AM!"
And on Saturday, the week closed in John 9-10 with a man born blind who finally saw, while the people with perfect vision refused to. The miracle was as much a spotlight on the blindness of the religious leaders as it was a gift to one man. Spiritual blindness is supposing you know it all and denying any other possibility, but Jesus has lots of other possibilities. To get in on what He is doing, we must be both close to Him and open to His ways. HE is the light, and He turns it on for anyone who wants it.
Spiritual blindness is supposing you know it all. Jesus has lots of other possibilities.
Linking the Covenants: Trust God's Timing
Monday's covenant study in 1 Samuel 24 and Psalm 31 put David in a dark cave with the king's life in his hands. His men whispered that God had delivered his enemy to him, but David discerned the difference between what people said God was doing and what God was actually doing. Sometimes God's tests come disguised as opportunities, and the people around us will often dress up their advice with "thus says the Lord." Test the advice, even when it's wrapped in those words (THE LINK: 1 John 4:1). Then David prayed Psalm 31, a prayer that turned out to be a Messianic prophecy, because Jesus prayed those very words on the cross: "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!" (THE LINK: Luke 23:46).
Wednesday's study in 1 Samuel 25-27 introduced Abigail, the wise woman who stood between David and a mistake he could never undo. When David let his emotions run ahead of prayer, Abigail pointed out that taking revenge into his own hands wouldn't be justice, it would be murder. When we allow God to avenge us, that is justice. We also saw how God sometimes gives us the same test twice, and David passed it a second time with Saul's life in his hands. The lesson: there are no wrong roads to a right end. Taking matters into our own hands would have robbed David of his destiny, and trusting God's timing is how we arrive where He promised (THE LINK: Galatians 6:9).
Romans Verse by Verse: Led by the Spirit
This week's Romans study continued through chapter 8, beginning with the freeing truth that following the Spirit isn't about perfection, it's about direction. Ever wondered what to do with the un-Christ-like thoughts that sail through your mind? We take them captive and teach them to obey Christ. Teach is the key word, because no one who gets saved automatically has all good thoughts and actions. The Holy Spirit is not a harsh slave master dragging you; He is leading you, and it's always your choice to follow. You may stumble while learning, but ask yourself what your dominant choices are, and make it your default to follow His Spirit (Romans 8:3-8).
From there we looked at three realities that free us from our old nature (Romans 8:9, 12-14). You are a new creation, and that old nature is your past, not your present or your future. You are not obligated to anything in the past, because Jesus removed the condemnation, the guilt, the payment owed, and even death itself. And God's Spirit lives in you now as the controlling force in your life. He will NEVER lead you into sin, near sin, or even tempt you. We then saw the same truth from another angle: every born-again believer has the Holy Spirit, which makes you a child of the living God. He is not far away; He is living right inside your body, so don't leave that power dormant.
Then came Romans 8:10-11, where eternal life isn't something that starts when we die. It begins the moment we receive Jesus. The Holy Spirit doesn't simply possess life-giving power, as awesome as that would be. He IS life-giving power, and He has taken up residence inside the bodies of born-again believers. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is living in you right now. Now we need to activate it!
We closed the week with a miracle prayer video. Maybe the miracle you're praying for is already in motion, because Christ has already paid the price for you to receive it. God's miracle-working power hasn't slowed down, and He has given us all things already. So we ask, we believe, and we sow miracles into others as seeds for our own.
The Holy Spirit doesn't simply possess life-giving power. He IS life-giving power, and He lives in you!
Final Encouragement
Every story this week pointed to the same steady reality: the people who receive from God are the ones who stay close, stay open, and trust His timing. Stay with Jesus when you don't understand. Forgive as you were forgiven. Refuse the shortcut, because there are no wrong roads to a right end. And lean on the Holy Spirit, who lives inside you and leads you in every step.
Whatever mystery you're facing today, stay with Jesus. The same power that raised Him from the dead is living in you, and a miracle may already be in motion.
There is always more treasure to discover in His Word. Check out my socials for the full scope of content highlighted in this week's blog!
For His Kingdom,
Yvonne
