“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33
Jesus had just told His disciples of the persecution they would face for faithfully teaching His Word. As Jesus was hated and persecuted for calling upon all to repent and look to Him for forgiveness and life, His disciples would be persecuted for their witness regarding Jesus as the Son of God and the only way to be spared in God’s judgment. While it would be easy to shrink back and not confess our faith in Jesus, He promises to confess us as His own before the Father if we confess Him as our Savior and Lord, but He warns that He will deny us as His own if we deny Him as our Savior.
Dear Lord Jesus, grant me the courage to openly confess You as my God and Savior even when facing persecution for speaking the truth. Keep me from shrinking back and denying Your name. Amen.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.” Matthew 10:16-17
When Jesus chose the 12 apostles and sent them out to preach the gospel of the kingdom, He told them He was sending them out as sheep amid wolves, meaning they would encounter opposition and persecution — being delivered up to councils and scourged in synagogues. Jesus told them to exercise the wisdom of serpents but to be harmless as doves — to avoid unnecessary exposure to such persecution but, at the same time, to be as innocent and harmless as doves. Today, too, those who follow Jesus and share His Word will encounter persecution from the world and from erring churches and their leaders. Believers are to be wise and not seek to stir up opposition and persecution but to be honest and faultless in presenting the truth.
Give me wisdom, O God, to avoid needless confrontation with the world and erring churches, but keep me faithful and uncompromising in my witness to the truth of Your Word, calling upon all to repent of their sinful and erring ways and to look to Jesus and His cross in faith for pardon and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
“And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately, his leprosy was cleansed.” Matthew 8:2-3
We find in this leprous man a beautiful example for us in prayer. We should not command God or make demands of Him but, rather, pray with faith in God’s power and will as did this leper, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can …” We know from Scripture that God can do all things and we trust that His will is always for our good and what is best for us.
Dear Lord Jesus, nothing is too hard for You. Grant to me what is for my eternal good. Not my will, but Your good and perfect will be done. Amen.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.” Psalm 91:1-3
Those who trust in the most-high God and take refuge in His grace and mercy won for us by God’s Son, Jesus Christ, have God’s promise of deliverance from the traps of enemies and from diseases and plagues, later called “the reward of the wicked” (v. 8).
O LORD, “my refuge and my fortress,” my God in whom I trust, have mercy on me, forgive my sins, and keep me in Your grace and under Your protection. Amen.
“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.” Psalm 26:2-3
David here asks the LORD God to examine and test his innermost thoughts and desires so that he might repent of any evil in his life, look to God for mercy and forgiveness, and continue to walk in God’s truth. Are you willing to ask God to examine your heart and soul and reveal any evil in you so that you might repent and appeal to God’s lovingkindness for pardon and the strength to amend your life and live for Him?
“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my mind and my heart,” and move me to repent of my sinful ways and look to Christ Jesus and His cross for mercy and forgiveness. Grant that I live my life for You in accord with Your Word. Amen.
