Dec 07 2024

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Just before today's verse, Jesus said that in the future, the Son of Man (Jesus) will separate people. On the right will be those who gave Him something to eat, clothed Him, or gave Him a place to sleep. On the left will be those who did not. Both groups will ask the same question: "When did we ever see you hungry or in need of clothes?" Jesus' reply tells us that when we do these things for the least of us, we have done them unto Him. This verse has a plethora of modern-day applications.

The first is that we should be on the lookout for ways to bless and help other people, especially those who have nothing to offer us. As Christians, we are already full—we have Christ living within us! This means we should be careful not to neglect those whom the Lord has placed in our lives to minister to. We should be watchful for opportunities to help other people. We should be willing to compromise our plans and welcome inconveniences as moments to share the love of the Lord with someone else.

The second way this verse applies to our lives today is how we know that God sees everything we do. We can trust that God sees what is invisible to everyone else. He sees when you give more than you can afford because He prompted you. He sees when you are late for work because He told you to minister to someone on your commute. He sees every single sacrifice that you made for Him, and He will honor it in the end. Even if you feel like you made a fool of yourself, He will honor your obedience.

The third application to modern life is that until you ask for forgiveness, God will remember your disobedience. If we do not feed the hungry or obey His prompting, we have sinned. This is never okay, nor should it be dismissed as normal. Instead, it's a call to examine our own hearts and repent of the times when we haven't followed God's commandments for whatever reason. We do not have to live in condemnation because Jesus has washed us clean of our sin. But it would serve us well to remember how we felt after becoming aware of our sins—and then seek to change our behavior so we can live in harmony with the life that the Lord has for each of us.

Dear Lord, I thank you for knowing all that we have done. I thank you that you remember every sacrifice I've made in your name and that you will honor it. I thank you for being so good to me. Help me to remember your goodness the next time you prompt me to do something uncomfortable. You are always faithful, Lord; help me to be faithful in return by serving the least of these. In Jesus' name, amen.

Dec 06 2024

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. :

In today's verse, Paul is telling the Corinthians that they should destroy anything that is against God and bring every thought into obedience to Jesus. This is a description of how one is able to live a holy life—a life that is pleasing to God. It is a radical departure from our culture that tells us to live for ourselves, and its severity underscores the importance of holiness. Let's break it down so that we can understand it and apply it to our own lives.

The verse begins with what we should get rid of: imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. The "knowledge of God" refers to getting to know God and having a relationship with Him. Anything that prevents us from growing spiritually, like persistent sin in our lives, interferes with that knowledge. Since we know that sin impedes our relationship with the Lord, we say that it is against the knowledge of God.

Think about how this applies in your culture. How many times are we told that wealth, power, and other people's opinions are important&mdsah;or even the key to success? For me, it seems like every day I am inundated with advertisements that elevate status or fame as the primary goal of life. But when these things are exalted above God, they are sin. And, as this verse says, we should cast them down.

The way we can cast down wrong thoughts—coveting a sinful lifestyle, envying those who are doing well albeit living in sin, or being frustrated at God's timeline—is by taking those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

So when we think, I feel like everyone around me is getting by just fine without considering God, we replace that thought with, Lord, I know that you see me and that there is nothing on Earth that compares to a relationship with you. Over time, taking wayward thoughts back to the Lord will become a habit for us. Instead of being opportunities for us to stumble, our thoughts can be turned into moments where we can meditate on the love of God.

Dear Lord, I thank you that you are so much bigger than my thought life. Help me to not get caught up in the things of this world that seem to constantly tell me I'm a fool for following you. Help me to instead anchor myself in the truth of the Gospel, which proclaims that your love for me is so much sweeter than anything else in the world. I love you, Jesus. In your name, amen.