Thursday 25 Nov 2021

November 25: Matthew 10:34-42

Key Verse: Matthew 10:38
Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Devotion:
When you read through these verses you may well be worried about the words used here; especially when it talks about being rejected for loving our families more than we love God! Let’s take a bit of time to think about what is being said and not jump to conclusions… When we talk about our faith, our belief in God, how far are we willing to go to say we do love God?

As long as we don’t come from a very broken family, we may well say we love our families more than anything and also say we are willing to do anything for our families. When push comes to shove we actually do go far to ensure our families are safe and protected. How far are we willing to go to ensure God’s Word is trusted, or God’s name is not abused?

This is what is being said here… If we say we love God and believe in Him, then we should be willing to put our faith to the test. We should be willing to uphold God’s word when others mock or ridicule it. We should be willing to stand up for God and show others we are proud to be called Christians. These are all the things we probably take for granted in our families. God invited us into His family and calls us His children. We should be willing to say He is our Father!

When Jesus said He was not bringing peace, but a sword, it was a statement meant to shake up the people around Him. It was His way of saying we need to stand up for the gospel, the word He was proclaiming, and we need to defend it just as we defend our families. If we are willing to do this, then He is willing to make sure we are never rejected and never left alone. He is willing to support us!

Points to Ponder:
Do you uphold God’s Word?

Will you demonstrate your love for God without fear?