Today’s Reading is Matthew 2-3
Before reading, take the time again to pray, presenting to God all the prayer requests you have on your mind. Thank Him, also, for all of the blessings he has provided you, naming several of them specifically. After that, ask Him to allow you to focus on your Bible reading and hear the message he has specifically for you.
Next, take a minute for two (set a timer if you must) to just sit there quietly and listen. Feel free to journal what you hear after you listen or just listen quietly. If you don’t hear anything that is okay. You are learning how to just clear your mind and listen to Him.
Next, open your Bible and read Matthew 2-3. Read it once just to get the main idea. Then stop, and ask God which verse or verses are specifically for you today. Read it again while searching. Consider reading the same passage in another translation by using another Bible, a parallel Bible or BibleGateway.com.
Once you have found your verse, write or type out your SOAP message for the day, saving the title for last.
Here is what I heard:
Just listen and do as told. He does know best.
(Hmmm. Doesn’t this sound a lot like yesterday?!)
Scripture: Matthew 3:14-15
14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
Observation:
Knowing Jesus’ identity, John was confused by Jesus’ request for John to baptize Him. Jesus reassured John, telling him it must be done.
Application:
Sometimes things don’t make sense to me in the Bible and sometimes I want to go off and do my own thing, not really listening to God’s direction because I think I know what is best. But He knows what is true. And he knows what is best. And He is trying to tell me.
Had John not baptized Jesus as instructed, we would have missed that dramatic next action when heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended onto him. Woah! THAT would have been a mistake!
I need to listen more and just do as told. More listening will probably bring more clear direction to me.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for being so understanding and kind, even when I head down the wrong wandering paths. Please, Lord, pull me back where you want me. Guide me in just following your truth and not making things more difficult by coming up with a path of my own.
Help me to hear you clearly and have the discipline to just follow and trust.
Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to hear you, follow you and always be loved by you, even through my mistakes.
I love you.
What did you hear in Matthew 2-3 today? Please share in the comments. Feel free to link to your own blog post about it.
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