God With Us: 365 Devotional from the Gospel of Matthew

Ocean

Day 1

GOD’S PROMISE FULFILLED—MATTHEW 1:1

This is the family history of Jesus Christ. He came from the family of David and from the family of Abraham.

KEY THOUGHT

Jesus is God keeping his promises. This will be one of Matthew’s continuing themes—Matthew writes his Gospel to stress the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people. Matthew begins the good news of Jesus by reminding us that Jesus is not only Jewish, but he also has a family line that can be traced back to King David and to Father Abraham. Matthew wants to show his readers that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Messiah who will bless all nations. The Apostle Paul, God’s chosen missionary to the Gentiles, said that all of God’s promises find their yes in Jesus (2 Cor. 1:18-20). He stresses that faith in Jesus is the key to unlocking the truth of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:15). Let’s use this year to find Jesus as we have never found him before!

TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy and faithful God, thank you for keeping your promises and sending Jesus. Thank you for taking care of your people Israel through their long and often difficult history. Your faithfulness to your Word gives me assurance that you will send Jesus back to bring victory to all of your people, just as you have promised. In the name of Jesus, son of Abraham, son of David, and your Son, I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 1:1-17

Related Passages: Galatians 4:4-6; Galatians 3:16; Romans 4:16

Day 2

TO ALL NATIONS

Matthew 1:1-6a

This is the family history of Jesus Christ. He came from the family of David and from the family of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah. (Their mother was Tamar.) Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz. (His mother was Rahab.) Boaz was the father of Obed. (His mother was Ruth.) Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David.

KEY THOUGHT

Matthew’s Gospel, while in many ways the most Jewish of the Gospels, emphasizes God’s love and grace for all people. At the beginning of Jesus’ life on earth, he is welcomed by foreigners, Magi, who come from many miles away to worship him. At the end of Jesus’ life on earth, he challenges his followers to go tell every nation about him and his good news, baptizing them and welcoming them into God’s family. Even in the genealogy of Jesus, Matthew prepares us for the fact that, by God’s grace, all people can be included in God’s family. In the lineage of great King David, and of the Messiah Jesus, is a Gentile woman. Her name is Ruth, and her story is a marvelous story of God’s grace and the faithful heart that finds its home in the God of Israel.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Father God, LORD of all peoples, please use my study of the Gospel of Matthew this year to awaken my heart to the needs of everyone to know about Jesus. Please give me more understanding and make me less judgmental of other cultures and races. Help me see your image in each person I encounter and see each one’s need to know you as Abba Father. In the name of the Lord Jesus I ask this. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 1:1-17

Related Passages: Matthew 28:18-20; Jonah 4:9-11; Revelation 7:9-12

Day 3

NO HIDDEN SKELETONS

Matthew 1:6b-10

David was the father of Solomon. (His mother had been Uriah’s wife.) Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa. Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram. Jehoram was the father of Uzziah. Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah.

KEY THOUGHT

Nearly every family has a few skeletons in its closets, and you can find them if you open up enough closets. As a propaganda piece, the Bible is not very good because it doesn’t even try to hide the skeletons—not even in Jesus’ family tree. Instead, the Scriptures are brutally honest about the failures of even our greatest Bible heroes. You look through today’s verses and you’ll find some serious skeletons. It’s as if God is saying to us, If I can bring triumph through them and their failures, just imagine what I can do through you! I don’t know about you, but that surely is encouraging to me. I call this the principle of Hallelujah anyway! God’s power and grace triumph over our failures. (FYI, for those not familiar with the idiom, a skeleton in the closet is another way of saying that someone has some bad family secrets that they try to keep hidden. One of the most significant skeletons is Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, and the one for whom David lusted, then had her husband placed in danger so that he died in battle, and then David finally married her.)

TODAY’S PRAYER

Almighty God, I am thankful that your strength is made perfect in weakness. I don’t want to stumble or fall in my service to you, but it is very encouraging to know that you have raised so many others up from failure and made them useful and holy to you. Please forgive my sins and empower me to overcome my weaknesses and sin. Thank you for giving me reasons not to give up when I do falter. In the name of Jesus, my atoning sacrifice and hero, I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 1:1-17

Related Passages: Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:15-17

Day 4

THE PEOPLE LOST IN THE CREDITS

Matthew 1:11-17

Josiah was the grandfather of Jehoiachin and his brothers, who lived during the time that the people were taken away to Babylon. After they were taken to Babylon: Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the grandfather of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Achim. Achim was the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph. Joseph was the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ. So there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David. There were also fourteen generations from David until the people were taken away to Babylon. And there were fourteen more from the time the people were taken to Babylon until Christ was born.

KEY THOUGHT

In every great movie, there are the marquee stars that are almost as important as the motion picture show. Then at the end of the movie, many credits are listed for actors and hands who have helped make the movie possible. They are what I call the people lost in the credits. Without them, the movie would not be the same, and very likely would have never been made. This list of folks in Jesus’ genealogy is not as familiar to us as many of the names in the earlier part of the list. Yet each person had a role to play and was a vital link in the coming of God’s Messiah. While our role may not seem very large compared to others, God can make it important if we will give ourselves to serve him faithfully. To God, we will not be people lost in the credits, but children of the great King of Israel!

TODAY’S PRAYER

Marvelous and majestic God, you obviously love variety since you created so many different kinds of just about everything. I know that you uniquely made me and gave me a specific purpose and part to play in your divine drama of redemption. Please, dear Father, help me value my place in your plan whether it seems large or small and help me to fulfill my role faithfully. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 1:1-17

Related Passages: 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 1:26-28; Hebrews 11:35b-39a

Day 5

MIRACULOUS SCANDAL

Matthew 1:18-19

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ happened. His mother Mary was engaged to marry Joseph. But before they married, he learned that she was expecting a baby. (She was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit.) Mary’s husband, Joseph, was a good man. He did not want to cause her public disgrace, so he planned to divorce her secretly.

KEY THOUGHT

Imagine that the plan of God depends upon the faith of an engaged carpenter and a young virgin who finds herself pregnant. There is a quiet and faithful dignity that undergirds this whole miraculous scandal. In the face of the inexplicable and the scandalous, Joseph and Mary show themselves faithful and kind. This is a great reminder to us of how we should conduct ourselves when things concerning our friends and faith seem untidy, unclear, or unfair.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Faithful and righteous Father, thank you for the example of Joseph’s kindness even though he was hurt and bewildered. Thank you for Mary’s faithfulness, even though her challenge was inexplicable. Most of all, thank you for your faithfulness to your promises. In Jesus’ mighty and holy name I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 1:18-25

Related Passages: 2 Corinthians 4:5-7; Proverbs 3:3-4; 2 Timothy 2:20-22

Day 6

THE GIFTS

Matthew 1:20-21

But after Joseph thought about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to accept Mary to be your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son. You will name him Jesus. Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins.

KEY THOUGHT

Most Christians know the three gifts of the Magi to Jesus were gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But, did you know that the angel of the Lord also gave Joseph the assurance that God is giving three gifts in sending Jesus? God’s three gifts in Jesus are: 1) a Son of David who fulfills God’s promise of a King who will reign forever; 2) a child named Jesus who is God’s Son, conceived through the Holy Spirit; and 3) a son named Jesus, the Great Deliverer, who will save his people from their sins. As Jesus’ younger brother would later write, God is the Father of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). There is no gift more precious or far-reaching than the gift of Jesus, God’s Son, and our Savior.

TODAY’S PRAYER

O dear Father, you give such amazing and generous gifts. Thank you for your assurance and love, for people of faith who believe and act on your Word, for the Holy Spirit who leads us in your will, and most of all, for your Son and my Savior, Jesus. For these gifts and a host of others I so often take for granted, I give you thanks. You are wonderful and your love is too great for me to fathom. Please accept my heartfelt praise, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 1:18-25

Related Passages: James 1:16-18; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Galatians 4:4-7

Day 7

GOD’S PROMISE COMES TRUE

Matthew 1:22-25

All this happened to make clear the full meaning of what the Lord said through the prophet: The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel. (Immanuel means God with us.)

When Joseph woke up, he did what the Lord’s angel told him to do. He married Mary. But Joseph did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And he named him Jesus.

KEY THOUGHT

What if the fulfillment of God’s greatest promises depended upon my faithfulness? Ouch! That’s a tough question. But verses 23-24 emphasize how this happened with Joseph and Mary. In very simple and straightforward terms, Matthew tells how God spoke his will through the prophets and angels as well as how Joseph and Mary obeyed what God told them to do. That’s still the same way God’s promises to people come true today. God uses simple obedience in matters big and small to bring about his promised salvation. We will not always know why God calls us to some task, challenge, or opportunity, but we can be sure that he will use our faithfulness to him to his glory and our greater good. We can experience God with us!

TODAY’S PRAYER

Majestic and loving God, forgive me for my lack of obedience. Please give me a deeper understanding and appreciation of how my obedience also helps you fulfill your promises and bring Jesus into the lives of others. In the name of Jesus I thank you and ask for this grace. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 1:18-25

Related Passages: 2 Corinthians 1:18-20; 1 Samuel 3:19-21; Hebrews 10:23-25

Day 8

GOD OF THE UNEXPECTED

Matthew 2:1-2

Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked people, Where is the child who has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him.

KEY THOUGHT

God does the unexpected! There was no way anyone would suspect— much less expect—that Easterners would come to worship a Jewish King, especially a baby one. No normal person would have expected a king to be born in Bethlehem, a little obscure town of insignificance. No faithful Israelite would have ever believed astrologers would be led to the true God through their false, stargazing-worship. (Remember that astrology was steadfastly condemned under Mosaic Law as one of the acts of divination—purporting to magically foretell the future! Deut. 18:9-15) But then, God doesn’t have to do things the way normal Israelites, Gentiles, or modern people do them. Aren’t we glad God is full of surprises! Aren’t we glad he sent Jesus as his greatest Surprise!

TODAY’S PRAYER

O Sovereign and Almighty Lord, please forgive me for trying to tame you and make you predictable. You have always been full of surprises. Please surprise me in my lifetime by bringing your salvation to every nation, language, tribe, and people in our world. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 2:1-12

Related Passages: 1 Corinthians 2:7-9; Isaiah 64:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:2

Day 9

GOD’S WORD IN THE WRONG HANDS

Matthew 2:3-6

When King Herod heard about this, it upset him as well as everyone else in Jerusalem. Herod called a meeting of all the leading Jewish priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ would be born. They answered, In the town of Bethlehem in Judea, just as the prophet wrote: ‘Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are important among the rulers of Judah. Yes, a ruler will come from you, and that ruler will lead Israel, my people.’

KEY THOUGHT

While God is full of surprises, he has repeatedly given his people help in understanding—even anticipating, his greatest works of salvation. The prophets had seen a new David coming to redeem and lead God’s people. Like David of old, this new David would also be from the town of Bethlehem and he would become the Great Shepherd. But, like so many in our time, Herod was more interested in using this knowledge of God’s plan to help himself rather than to be molded into a person of God. We must learn that God’s Word in Scripture is given to us to help us know, obey, and worship him, not simply to collect a set of facts to use for our own personal advantage.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Dear Father, I want to know your Word so I may more perfectly obey your will. Please help me to find your truth and live it, not just discuss it or use it for my own selfish purposes. I pray this in the name of the Living Word. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 2:1-12

Related Passages: 1 Samuel 16:1-2; 1 Chronicles 11:16-19; John 7:41-42

Day 10

OF DECEIT AND JOY

Matthew 2:7-10

Then Herod had a private meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star. Then he sent them to Bethlehem. He said, Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, come tell me. Then I can go worship him too.

After the wise men heard the king, they left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east, and they followed it. The star went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. They were very happy and excited to see the star.

KEY THOUGHT

Herod is that great reminder of Satan’s design for us: he is a liar and murderer, and has been since the beginning. (See John 8:44.) Under the pretense of worship, Herod seeks to eliminate God’s choice for the throne Herod thinks he himself occupies. Satan had so blinded Herod that he would even use the truth of prophetic Scripture to kill God’s chosen Messiah. Herod’s evil plans are thwarted only because of God’s timing and will. In this way, Herod anticipates Judas, who will betray the Lord for another type of personal gain. A question we need to ask is this: How many times have I betrayed him for nothing?

TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy and Righteous Father, in the power of Jesus’ name, please drive the influence of Satan’s deceptions from my mind and heart. Give me the ability to see your truth and be protected from Satan’s schemes to destroy me, my faith, and those I love. In Jesus’ powerful name I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 2:1-12

Related Passages: Zephaniah 2:11; Revelation 4:9-11; Acts 18:13-20

Day 11

THE BLESSINGS OF WORSHIP

Matthew 2:11-12

The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country a different way.

KEY THOUGHT

While Herod tried using his knowledge of Jesus’ birth to kill him, the wise men used this knowledge to find him and worship him. Their worship involved giving of themselves, their time, their treasure, and their honor. Like them, when we truly come to Jesus to worship him, we must be willing to offer our time, our treasure, our honor, and ourselves; then God reveals his will to us and uses us to bless the work of Christ.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Loving God, Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, I love you and thank you for sending Jesus, my Savior and the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Please receive my heartfelt worship and praise for his worthiness and glory, and use me to advance his cause in the world. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 2:1-12

Related Passages: Matthew 1:20-25; Genesis 37:5-8; Acts 2:17

Day 12

WHEN GOD STAYS AWAY

Matthew 2:13

After the wise men left, an angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, Get up! Take the child with his mother and escape to Egypt. Herod wants to kill the child and will soon start looking for him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to come back.

KEY THOUGHT

Egypt was a long hard journey and a great unknown to this young family. Yet it was God’s place of protection. God’s commands can call us to something undesirable, unfamiliar, and uncomfortable. Yet the Father shows us his reason for these demands throughout revealed Scripture. He wants to protect us and bless us, just as he protected Joseph, Mary, and Jesus from King Herod at this crucial juncture in Jesus’ life. When fully analyzed, many of God’s commands are not unreasonable demands or prohibitions, but they are part of his protection. When we do what God commands, we are blessed and protected in ways we may never understand. In addition, our obedience ensures that we are available to be used by him, in his work, at his time.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Thank you, God, for caring not only about my holiness but also for my physical and spiritual protection. Give me strength to stay away from those things you prohibit, courage to do what you ask of me, and excitement to enjoy the life I have in you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 2:13-23

Related Passages: 1 Samuel 19:9-10; 1 Samuel 27:1; Proverbs 11:9-14

Day 13

THIS ONE ALWAYS OBEYS

Matthew 2:14-15

So Joseph got ready and left for Egypt with the child and the mother. They left during the night. Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This gave full meaning to what the Lord said through the prophet: I called my son to come out of Egypt.

KEY THOUGHT

God moves in mysterious ways and uses common people to do his work and accomplish his will. The connection between an Old Testament reference and its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus depends upon Joseph’s doing what God asked him to do in the middle of the night. While we know so very little about Joseph, one thing we do know: when God asked him to do the unthinkable, the crazy, and the unheard of, he didn’t argue or hesitate; he obeyed—not once, but repeatedly. I don’t know about you, but I hope that I can have the courage and faith to be that bold and obedient!

TODAY’S PRAYER

Give me courage and faith, O LORD, to trust and obey as Joseph did. Humble me gently, dear Father, until my pride gives way to one truth: No matter what God asks, this one always obeys. Father, I make this request in the name of Jesus, who lived and died to be obedient to your will and save me from my sins. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 2:13-23

Related Passages: John 14:15-23; Titus 3:3-5; 1 Samuel 15:22-23

Day 14

SLAYING THE INNOCENTS

Matthew 2:16-18

Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him, and he was very angry. So he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and the whole area around Bethlehem. Herod had learned from the wise men the time the baby was born. It was now two years from that time. So he said to kill all the boys who were two years old and younger. This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophet Jeremiah: A sound was heard in Ramah—bitter crying and great sadness. Rachel cries for her children, and she cannot be comforted, because her children are gone.

KEY THOUGHT

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like this story. It spoils the sentimentality of the birth story of Jesus. But, at a more primal level of truth, this story of Herod’s brutal paranoia shocks us awake and helps us understand why Jesus had to come. Without a reverence for God and his Word, we human beings have shown a remarkable propensity for brutality as culture has lost sight of the preciousness of each person created in the image of God. The slaying of the innocents reminds us of how easily we slip into a mentality that puts personal protection, reputation, and position above the rights of those who are vulnerable and powerless. Just because Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, doesn’t mean he came to a safe and pristine world, or was somehow insulated from the realities of evil unleashed among us. This brutal world awaited him. That’s the core of the story. Even the innocents are not protected, even if that Innocent is God among us—as later events in Jesus’ life will reveal.

TODAY’S PRAYER

O God, please forgive us for the slaying of innocents today—this is especially true when we do such things to maintain appearances while we extinguish any unexpected and unwanted surprises. Thank you for sending Jesus in a time and in a way that exposed him to the brutality of the world, a brutality that still haunts us to this day. Thank you that his blood will cleanse any repentant sinner, even those who have been a part of the brutality. Father, please forgive me for the times I have looked at others without your love for them in my heart. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 2:13-23

Related Passages: Genesis 6:5-6; Matthew 18:3-6; Matthew 18:10

Day 15

THE LORD’S CONTINUING PRESENCE

Matthew 2:19-20

While Joseph was in Egypt, Herod died. An angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and said, Get up! Take the child with his mother and go to Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are now dead.

KEY THOUGHT

Isn’t it interesting how the same place can mean different things for us? Egypt was that way for Israel. Egypt was a place of bondage, but it was also a place where they found food to preserve them during a famine. Egypt was a place of oppression and yet at the same time it was a place of God’s great deliverance. Egypt wasn’t home, but it was a place where God still was active in guiding and protecting his people and fulfilling his promises to them. As Matthew relates how Jesus was protected in Egypt even though it was not his home, all these connections with Israel’s past fill our hearts and remind us of this great truth: If we are seeking to live for our Father, he knows us, he knows our situation, and he is working for our ultimate deliverance no matter where we are!

TODAY’S PRAYER

Ever-present Father, I am comforted to see how you protected your Son when he was vulnerable. I am thankful to know that there is never a place or time that your presence is not with me. Please make yourself known in my life each day as I seek to live for you right where I am, until that day you bring me home. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 2:13-23

Related Passages: Romans 8:18, 28, 38-39; Psalm 139:7-10; Hebrews 13:5-6

Day 16

DIVINE PARTNERSHIP

Matthew 2:19-23

While Joseph was in Egypt, Herod died. An angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and said, Get up! Take the child with his mother and go to Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are now dead.

So Joseph took the child and the mother and went to Israel. But he heard that Archelaus was now king in Judea. Archelaus became king when his father Herod died. So Joseph was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he went away to the area of Galilee. He went to a town called Nazareth and lived there. This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophets. God said the Christ would be called a Nazarene.

KEY THOUGHT

In this passage, we see Joseph caught in a wonderful and mysterious dance with God. God revealed his protective guidance in dreams, through angels, and in visions. Joseph, however, still had to discern the meaning of God’s help and had to choose to obey his direction. So often we want everything spelled out, just like they did in the Bible. We forget that Joseph and Mary were living a mystery that was too big to wrap their minds around; at times it was frightening and at other times it was just bewildering. The human guidance, advice, and training they received to prepare them for what lay ahead of them are remarkably similar to our own—little or none. This, of course, made them rely more on God each day for his direction and protection. They had to rely on God to lead them through this mystery. So must we!

TODAY’S PRAYER

Almighty God, my Abba Father, I am comforted to see your protection of your Son when he was so vulnerable. I am thankful that there was never a place or time that your presence was not with him during his earthly ministry. Please inspire my confidence in your presence in my life, too. I long for you to make yourself known in my life each day as I seek to live for you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 2:13-23

Related Passages: Proverbs 3:1-6; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Psalm 5:4-6

Day 17

AT THE DOOR

Matthew 3:1-2

When it was the right time, John the Baptizer began telling people a message from God. This was out in the desert area of Judea. John said, Change your hearts and lives, because God’s Kingdom is coming soon.

KEY THOUGHT

So often the things we most desire, the things we are looking for most earnestly, are near us, but we miss them. If it had been a snake, it would have bitten you, I heard growing up. We would give our eye teeth to have been witnesses of all the things that will transpire from the baptism of John down to the giving of the Great Commission. We will see so many people who come into Matthew’s story of Jesus and who just flat out miss him and God’s Kingdom. How could they be so close to Jesus and not recognize him? The Kingdom and God’s Son are right in front of their eyes! But, the key to finding the Kingdom, both in their day and in our own, is our willingness to change our hearts and reform our lives to live passionately for God as we trust his grace to save and redeem us. Those who followed John were ready to find Jesus and his Kingdom. Those who refused to repent missed it.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy God, Almighty Father, and King of Heaven, I confess that I often lose my way and live for myself. This selfishness hurts my family, those I work with, and especially me. But, dear Father, I know it hurts you most of all, because it blinds me to your truth, hardens me to your grace, and makes it so difficult for me to yield my life to Jesus as Lord. By the power of your Spirit, transform me to be like your Son. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 3:1-12

Related Passages: Matthew 11:21; 2 Timothy 2:23-26; 1 Corinthians 2:7-8

Day 18

PREPARING THE WAY

Matthew 3:3-4

John is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about when he said, There is someone shouting in the desert: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.’

John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey.

KEY THOUGHT

Preparation is hard work. To be the one who prepares the way for someone else’s travel, but doesn’t get to go down that road, well, that is even tougher. To live all your life so someone else can find the spotlight is toughest of all. But to lose your life in this cause goes beyond words. John spent his life for one purpose: to prepare people to know Jesus as God’s Son, the Christ. Can our purpose in life be any less? What would happen if we decided to begin each day with the commitment that we would live, talk, act, and care for people with the express purpose that their hearts become prepared to acknowledge Jesus as Lord? So let’s find out, beginning today.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Loving and patient Father, I’m a little slow sometimes to catch on to what you want me to do. But, I know you want me to live my life with the same purpose John lived his: to help prepare people to know Jesus as Lord. Give me eyes to see those searching for Jesus and a life that beckons them to follow him. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 3:1-17

Related Passages: John 3:27-30; 2 Kings 1:7-8; Malachi 3:1-4

Day 19

THE FAMINE IS OVER!

Matthew 3:5-6

People came to John from Jerusalem and the rest of Judea and from all the areas along the Jordan River. They confessed the bad things they had done, and John baptized them in the Jordan.

KEY THOUGHT

There is something self-revealing in God’s Word when presented in all of its liberating and uncomfortable truth. Amos had warned God’s people many years earlier that there would be a famine for God’s word, a time when the voice of God through the prophets would go silent. John was the re-awakening of God’s voice through a prophet. There was a clarity and ring of truth in his convicting message. He called people to a life change through the confession of sins and baptism. People flocked to hear him, and then changed their lives based on John’s message from God. John was not in a convenient location. John didn’t have money or power to gain an audience. What was John’s attractiveness? God’s voice was recognizable in his preaching. The famine was over! People flocked to feed on the truth of God!

TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy and Righteous Father, give me a love for your truth and a passion for your word. Through your Spirit, please enable me to understand and apply your truth in my daily life. In the name of my Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.

CONTEXT:

MATTHEW 3:1-17

Related Passages: Amos 8:11-12; Matthew 21:25-26; Matthew 11:7-10

Day 20

SNAKES

Matthew 3:7-10

Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to where John was baptizing people. When John saw them, he said, "You are all snakes! Who warned you to run from God’s judgment that is coming? Change your hearts! And show by the