“Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14 NLT).

January 22, 2022

THE COMPASSIONATE CHRIST After Jesus heard about the beheading of His relative, John the Baptist, He withdrew by boat to a remote place to be alone. However, as soon as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd waiting for Him.   Can you imagine His grief? Can you understand His desire for solitude and

‘And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family”’ (Matthew 13:57 NLT).

January 21, 2022

FAMILIARITY CAN BREED CONTEMPT The people of Nazareth were offended at the authority of Jesus’ teachings because of their familiarity with him. They knew his family. They had seen him grow up. “Who does he think he is coming back home preaching to us?” They thought.   Two ways we might relate to this passage:

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field” (Matthew 13:44 NLT).

January 20, 2022

GIVING ALL, GAINING EVERYTHING! One of Christ’s many kingdom parables, this one emphasizes the willingness of one to give up everything in this world in order to have the kingdom of heaven. The value of the kingdom is “hidden” to most, yet revealed to those who discover its treasure. Others probably thought the man foolish

‘”It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”’ (Genesis 41:16 NLT).

January 19, 2022

EXPECT GREAT THINGS; ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS The Pharoah of Egypt had a troubling dream and his cupbearer remembered that a Hebrew slave named Joseph had rightly interpreted his dream two years earlier. So Pharoah summoned Joseph and asked whether he could interpret dreams. Joseph answered that it was beyond his power, but that God was

“So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt” (Genesis 37:28 NLT).

January 18, 2022

BETRAYED BY HIS BROTHERS Jacob’s sons were jealous of their brother, Joseph. He was the favored son of Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel, who had died giving birth to Benjamin, the youngest of Jacob’s twelve sons. Joseph had made things worse with his brothers by sharing his dreams of them someday bowing down to him.  

“He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world” (Matthew 12:20-21 NLT).

January 17, 2022

THE GENTLE KING WHO WON A BETTER VICTORY The Spirit inspired Matthew to quote the Messianic prophecy from Isaiah 42:3 as being fulfilled in Jesus. For the type of justice and victory that Christ would bring was not as worldly kings would. For Christ’s kingdom did not come with violence and destruction. King Jesus was

“And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.” (Genesis 33:20 NLT).

January 16, 2022

IS YOUR FAITH, YOUR FAITH? As he entered the Promised Land, Jacob built an altar to God near Shechem, just as his grandfather Abraham had once done (Gen. 12:7). However, Jacob no longer referred to the Lord as the God of Abraham and Isaac. Here for the first time, Jacob referred to the Lord as

“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine” (Matthew 10:37 NLT).

January 15, 2022

WHO GETS YOUR PRIORITY LOVE? This statement from Jesus to His disciples is very disconcerting, until you understand its meaning. Jesus is claiming the priority love that belongs to God alone. He is not saying you cannot love your family and be His follower too. No, far from it. He is saying that we must

“I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to me. Now get ready and leave this country and return to the land of your birth” (Genesis 31:13 NLT).

January 14, 2022

REMEMBER THE PILLAR MOMENTS YOU’VE HAD WITH GOD Jacob had arrived in Haran empty-handed, but now he had wives, many children and flocks of sheep, goats and camels. The Lord had made him wealthy. Yet, he was fearful for his life, for his father-in-law and his sons were jealous of Jacob and were beginning to

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 NLT).

January 13, 2022

SEEING OTHERS THROUGH CHRIST’S EYES When Jesus looks at us, what does He see? He sees a world of people who are “confused and helpless.” What is His response? He has “compassion” for us because we are “like sheep without a shepherd.”   Do you see what Jesus sees? Have you ever asked the Lord