Daily Bible Devotionals

“‘Have you understood these things?’ ‘Yes,’ they told Him. ‘Therefore,’ He said to them, ‘every student of Scripture instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who brings out of his storeroom what is new and what is old.’” Matthew 13:51-52 (HCSB)

Over the past 15 years of performing concerts and touring around, I have met some brilliant people. Some folks are almost too smart. You may want them as your “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” lifeline phone call, but otherwise, they can hardly relate to the average intellect.

I’ve also met people who are almost exclusively socially oriented. They are by no means scholars, but they’re sure fun at a party! These folks are always up on the newest movies, music, and media. Sadly, their interests seldom go beyond the surface level.

The bookworm and the socialite generally only communicate with others of their kind, but Jesus connects with anyone. Fully God and fully man, Jesus is perfection personified. Unlike Jesus, we are hindered by our personalities.

The Bible calls us “members” of the body of Messiah. Individually, we may not be too impressive, but put us all together, and you get a better picture of Jesus. It is sort of like staring at an impressionist painting close-up; you need to take a few steps back to catch the artist’s true visual statement. The same can be said for analyzing the shortcomings of an individual believer instead of seeing what Christians can do collectively. The purpose of community is to make our weaknesses ineffective. A healthy Christian community overrides our weaknesses and enables everyone to work within their God-given strengths, each person’s strength covering another’s weaknesses.

Jesus taught His disciples to be well-balanced. When we search the Bible, God’s Spirit reveals the truth, making it clear. The Holy Spirit literally puts God’s Word into the storehouses of our hearts.

In addition, Jesus calls us to be His witness in our day. With His Word stored away, we carry His message wherever He leads.

The Gospel is timeless. It will never change or lose its power. Every generation may hold a unique perspective on the Gospel, but the Gospel’s truth is constant. Kingdom-minded believers are continually developing new societal, media-driven, and contemporary platforms from which to share the Gospel. Still, the Bible never changes.

As you read the Bible, ask God to bring new light to the ancient text. Then pray He will give you someone to share it with today in a relevant way: Something old and something new. From the storeroom of Scripture, He is filling up in Your heart.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Matthew 15. Click the links below to watch or listen.

“‘Come!’ He said. And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those in the boat worshiped Him and said, ‘Truly You are the Son of God!’” Matthew 14:29-33 (HCSB)

It’s May 8, 1990. I’m sitting in my ’75 Corvette, listening to a sermon on a cassette titled: “The Crisis of Decision.” If I turned right, I would go home to a lucrative summer job under the blessing of a full-ride track scholarship; turn left, and I would follow the Lord’s call on my life into the uncertain world of the music business.

I turned left. I stepped out of the boat, so to speak. Just like that, I made a step of faith. It didn’t hurt at all; as a matter of fact, it felt kind of warm and fuzzy.

Three months later, things weren’t looking so good. I didn’t have any money or apparently enough REM sleep to make my Rock & Roll dreams come true. I panicked and started doubting if I had indeed heard from God. I began making decisions without seeking the Lord, trying to get back to the smooth college life I had so cavalierly abandoned. I was sinking fast, and everyone around me was watching.

Whenever you choose to follow the Lord, there’s always a boatload of onlookers. You’ve got to hand it to Peter; he had enough faith to step out while the others were hugging life jackets! He took a few steps, but like the rest of us can do, Peter took his focus off Jesus and began sinking. I like Jesus’ response, reaching out His hand and adding, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

In chapter 8, Jesus rebuked His disciples for waking Him during a storm while on a boat. It seems Peter attained some faith from that lesson because this time, Peter braved his fears and stepped out of the boat amid the storm. The moment Peter called out to Jesus, He gave support. Interestingly, the wind and waves didn’t cease until they got back in the boat.

Have you stepped out in faith, only to find yourself weaker than you hoped? Call out to Jesus, and He will support you. The storm may not stop automatically, but He will deliver you safely back to the boat. When you arrive back safely, just know everyone in the boat will worship the Lord with you, encouraged by 1) how the Lord called & supported you and 2) how your faithful response to His call led to a blessed ending. Then, the next time He beckons you out onto the water, perhaps, you’ll have a few others stepping out with you!

“He was still speaking to the crowds when suddenly His mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to Him.  Someone told Him, ‘Look, Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.’ But He replied to the one who told Him, ‘Who are my mother and brothers?’ And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Here are My mother and brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother, and sister and mother.’” Matthew 12:46-50 (HCSB)

I love my parents and my brother & sister.  We had plenty of fun times growing up, but in reality, these days, we’re not as close as I wished.  We love each other but seldom talk on the phone or visit each other.  Part of the problem is that we live so far away from each other.  

I suppose it can be somewhat depressing, but then I think about my family in Messiah.  In the absence of my immediate family, the Lord has provided a church family: hundreds of mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters.

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19:29 (AMP)

We know from elsewhere in Scripture that Jesus’ family had come to take Him away.  They simply didn’t believe in His Messianic mission.  Perhaps they were concerned for His safety and possibly their own.  They had abandoned the faithful vision and trusted their feelings more than the Lord.  Jesus saw past their scheme.

He turned to those following Him and defined their relationship.  They were no longer only followers.  Now, they were FAMILY!  That relationship is still offered to us today.

The Bible says,

“But to all who did receive Him, He gave to them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His Name, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13 (HCSB)

It’s true.  

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe it in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (HCSB)

The Lord desires that everyone will repent and follow Him.  As a result, we become co-heirs with Jesus, sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters of Messiah.

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“While He was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came as guests to eat with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ But when He heard this, He said, ‘Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” Matthew 9:10-13 (HCSB)

A few days before I moved to California, I saw my (soon-to-be) new boss on Larry King Live. Just before a commercial break, Larry figured he’d catch Pastor Greg Laurie on a trick question. Larry asked, “Greg, isn’t religion just a crutch?”

Pastor Greg quickly retorted, “Larry, for me, it’s not just a crutch. It’s a whole hospital!”

What’s up with “the church” that so many have lost their perception of being a hospital? Is it wrong to enter a hospital and admit you need care? Why are people afraid to approach their congregation similarly? We praise the hospital triage staff for quickly diagnosing our condition and immediately rushing us into treatment. Why do people in the church have a stigma about “diagnosing” a sin issue and promptly suggesting a proper course of treatment, in this case, discipleship?

The Pharisees were in denial. They ministered in the synagogue more than anyone, yet they denied their own need for inner healing. “How could the ‘doctors’ need medical attention?” was their attitude. Doctors? They couldn’t heal themselves, much less anyone else. Yet, they criticized Jesus for healing and associating with patients they dismissed as untreatable or “uninsured,” as it were.

Before the Great Physician heals us, we must humbly present ourselves for His diagnosis. Then, we must trust His prognosis and submit to His treatment plan, which will lead to our wellness. I once had a doctor prescribe me medicine and say, “Take every pill.” The moment I felt better, I quit the prescription, only to get sick again.

In today’s passage, Jesus made a house call. Matthew risked his reputation to 1) Show his friends that he was (spiritually) healed and 2) Introduce his (spiritually) ill friends to Messiah. Jesus honored that risk.

The Church is supposed to be a spiritual hospital, with its members acting as paramedics. God calls us to seek and serve the lost and needy. We exist to search out the sick and dying, share our stories of crisis and healing, and bring the people back to the “hospital” for ongoing care and community.

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (HCSB)

In the days of Jesus, rabbis were well respected. In many ways, rabbis were the central cohesive figure in day-to-day village life. They were funny, insightful, commanding, and entertaining. Jewish parents wanted their sons to be rabbis.

Each rabbi had their own method of adhering to the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament). Some taught that you had to memorize the Torah. Others would add discussing the Torah or praying a certain way. Each rabbi’s “course load” was a burden, hence the term “yoke.”

Occasionally, a rabbi would come through town and choose the best young boys to be his Talmidim. (students) They usually chose 12, representing the 12 tribes of Israel. There was a ceremony, customary to many rabbis, where the instructor would pour honey on a writing slate, then hold it over the boy’s mouth. The honey signified the sweetness of God’s Word. This would have been a treat for any boy and a proud day for the parents.

For those boys who were passed up, the rabbi would tell their parents the boys should find a trade. If they married a nice Jewish girl, maybe their son could be a rabbi, but as for them…no cigar.

This was the setting when Jesus traveled to Capernaum and called four young fishermen to be His disciples. See also Luke 5:1-11. Four rejects just got the call of their lives! Is it any wonder they left everything to follow Him? He was Messiah, yet His “yoke” (course load) could be summed up as “Love God, and love people.”

Are you tired? Do you need rest? Have so-called “church leaders” loaded you down with impossible burdens and senseless traditions? Come to Jesus. Learn from Him who is gentle and humble in heart, and find rest for yourself.

“Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and harmless as doves. Because people will hand you over to the Sanhedrin and flog you in their synagogues, beware of them. You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations. But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.” Matthew 10:16-20 (HCSB)

Children bear a resemblance to their parents. That can be good or bad. Often negative attitudes or self-destructive behavior are learned from living in a worldly family environment. You never know how much your upbringing affects your values until you’re under pressure. People are like teabags: you never know what’s inside until you put them in hot water!

Soon after calling His disciples, Jesus sent them out. He tossed them the keys to the Kingdom, as it were, and said, “Take her for a spin!” He gave simple instructions and faith-building challenges. When they returned, they were bragging about how even the demons submitted. Overconfidence is the crown of adolescence.

However, Jesus told them how serious things would get. Little did they realize that persecution was just around the corner. They weren’t quite so “slap-happy” when they learned that following Jesus often means entering the Kingdom to come through the door of martyrdom.

There is a reason why we study the Bible in community, discussing it and sharing what the Lord is revealing to us. We are sowing the seeds of readiness. We are allowing the Lord to “tattoo,” so to speak, His Word on our hearts and minds.

“‘Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days’ - the LORD’s declaration. ‘I will put My teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.’” Jeremiah 31:33 (HCSB)

Eventually, each of us will be called to “give reason for the hope within us.” For many, it will be a series of simple conversations. Others will face life-or-death faith challenges. Whenever that time comes, the faithful will open their mouths, and the Spirit will speak from the inventory of scripture in their hearts. He will literally draw from the scripture you are storing in your heart daily. God often gives “pop quizzes” at extremely inopportune times for His students…so stay alert and be prepared.

Miles Davis once said, “If you don’t live it, it won’t come out your horn.” Be diligent in scripture and prayer. You never know when the Lord will throw you a solo!

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Matthew 8. Click the links below to watch or listen.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 (HCSB)

A friend of mine is very wealthy. When I asked if he grew up rich, he said, “No.” When I asked how he succeeded, he said, “While everyone else was partying, I was studying. Now, I can party.”

Last week, I challenged you to read the New Testament, a chapter each day. I am also personally committed to doing the same so that we can grow in community. So, how’s your first week going? Are you diligent or belligerent? Has it been easy, or has it been a battle?

It seems like there’s never enough time to do everything we want. There is a high-stakes battle for our attention. Advertisers pay millions for 30 seconds of your Super Bowl time. If we never had to sleep, it seems there still would not be enough time to engage in all the activities (offered by so many various entities) begging for our attention.

Why do we often find ourselves too tired for God or His Word at the end of the day? Ask yourself, have you included God in your list of options, or have you committed to making every option subject to spending quality time with God?

Do you find yourself sprinting down the “broad road’, trying to redeem a wasted past?

“In high school, I could throw a football a quarter mile! If Coach had only put me in, we woulda’ took State. I woulda’ gone Pro….” Uncle Rico - Napoleon Dynamite

Matthew warns us that the “broad road” bottlenecks in a multi-car pileup. But it’s not too late to turn around. The Psalms encourage that God establishes the steps (and lights the way) of His children. The “narrow road” will broaden and be leveled beneath your feet as you follow the Lord by faith.

Let’s seek the “narrow way” together, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, faithfully pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God! (Philippians 3:13-14)

Keep reading the Bible together, praying this simple prayer, “Lord, give me something today from Your Word, and give me someone to share it with!” Let’s be among the few who find the way that leads to life and invite a few more folks along the way.

“‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’” Jeremiah 6:16a (NIV)

“‘So don’t worry, saying “What will we eat” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.  Therefore, don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.’” Matthew 6:31-34 (HCSB)

My family is from Arkansas.  We’re SO Southern that my mom’s name is Dixie!  One time we were asked to leave a Chinese restaurant after my mom wandered into their family shrine and asked my dad to take a photo of her tickling Buddha’s belly while she said, “Koochy-koochy-coo!”

After that episode, whenever I heard a preacher talking about idolatry, the only image I had was of Dixie rubbing Siddhartha’s tummy.  I wondered, “How could those people be so crazy as to believe that an idol carved from wood or stone (or pressed in plastic) has the power to bless or curse them?” I was so glad Americans aren’t idol worshippers.  Well, try telling that to Simon Cowell of American Idol fame.

An idol is anything that you assign power to bless (or curse) you.  An idol is anything (intended or not) that you trust more than God or the Bible.  

How does this look in our culture?  Let’s see.  Are you satisfied with your wardrobe?  Do you feel more powerful or attractive when you wear certain outfits?  What about the clothes that you just sent to Goodwill?  Did they use to make you feel powerful but somehow they lost their “power” last season?

What about cars, electronics, or comfort foods?  Americans are no less idolaters than any other pagan culture.  It’s just that our idolatry is more sophisticated.  We are all guilty to some extent, including me.  Now, there is nothing wrong with owning nice things or being fashionably trendy.  The sin is the power and worship we ascribe to such things.  Power and worship belong to God alone.

To quote the great theologian Mick Jaggar of the Rolling Stones: “You can’t always get what you want, but you get what you need.” Of course, Mick Jaggar was as far from a theologian as a person could be, but the Bible says God knows what we need, so don’t worry about fashion or food.  We should always be keen to focus our worship on the Provider instead of His provision.

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?” Matthew 5:43-46 (HCSB)

I’ve heard from colleagues that Gospel singer CeCe Winans used to wake up before everyone else on her tour bus. She would be studying her Bible in the front lounge when, one by one, her band members awoke. As soon as they reached for the coffee pot, she would say, “The Lord woke you up today, and He didn’t have to. Now, why do you think that is?”

God has been gracious to me. For 20 years, I chose to ignore the gospel, and I chose the World’s way. Quite honestly, the World seemed more fun! Nothing about the gospel seemed more attractive than the World. I used to laugh at followers of Jesus for so blindly believing in something I felt scientists could easily explain away.

I was pretty much done with “God,” but there was that nagging feeling deep inside that kept drawing me back. I felt empty in my Worldly pursuits and began to wonder if the Lord was right after all. God never stopped calling out to me.

Why did God keep pursuing me, even though I continued to choose the World over Him? He sent messenger after messenger to tell me that Jesus is the Messiah. Finally, one of those messengers connected.

What I connected with was the LOVE of Messiah, even more than the music or the preaching. I met someone who lived as if they knew Jesus personally, and that person loved me enough to persistently try to introduce me to Him. LOVE made that person different from all the others I had met who claimed to be believers. I wanted that kind of relationship with God, where I could receive and share His LOVE. So, I prayed and asked God for His forgiveness. I surrendered control of my life to Jesus, and at that moment, my life was changed for all eternity.

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13 (NKJV)

“But God proves His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” Romans 5:8 (NKJV)

It is incredible to me that God LOVES us so much that He would wake us up this morning, design something for us to do, and choose to challenge us to choose Him again.

Why do you think He woke you up today? Perhaps, He wants you to read His Word, so He can, again, reveal the depth of His LOVE for you (and for all who are perishing) so that you can remember the urgency of the gospel and share His LOVE with others.

“Jesus was going all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness among the people.”  Matthew 4:23 (HCSB)

Before moving to California, my family and I lived in suburban Chicago, the #2 least-churched city in America. A person’s success in Chicago seems dependent upon their willingness to get up early and work late. In a word, it’s driven.

Soon after school began, it became apparent that our family needed to have a Bible study before school. We started in Matthew chapter 1, and each day I would teach something from the next chapter. Sound familiar?

When we got to Matthew Chapter 4, I asked, “What was the good news of the kingdom that Jesus was teaching and preaching?” My daughter Ruth answered quickly, “That Jesus died for us?” Nope. Jesus preached this message three years before He died.  

So, what was the “good news” Jesus was preaching?  

The good news that Jesus was preaching is straightforward: God can be trusted to fulfill His promises. Four hundred years had passed since Israel’s last prophet. Fourteen generations had passed since their exile to Babylon. Had God forsaken His promises and covenant with Israel? Not in the least.

Messiah was standing before Israel, accompanied by signs & wonders. Jesus came first to the Jew, then to the Gentile, because the promises were given to the Jew first.  The Jews who believed God’s promises of Messiah were looking & praying for the “deliverer.” Jesus came at the time that God appointed, and He didn’t just heal a few sick people. He healed every kind of sickness, including the root of all sickness, sin.

Are you searching for deliverance? Do you feel lonely, forsaken by God? I have GOOD NEWS for you: God CAN be trusted!‍

“For whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 (NKJV)

God has promised never to leave or forsake His children. Because He was faithful to fulfill His promise concerning the atoning work of Messiah, we know that God’s yet-to-be-fulfilled promises to believers (including spending eternity with Him in Heaven because of our faith in Jesus) can be trusted, as well.

“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of Heaven has come near!” For he is the one spoken through the prophet Isaiah, who said: “A voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!’” Matthew 3:1-3 (HCSB)

When John came preaching in the desert, there were perilous times for Israel. Both the Roman and Israeli religious leaders were oppressing the people. In terms of a pendulum, Roman culture swung way over to the left. It was Worldly, liberal, and cutthroat. On the other hand, Jewish religious culture had swung too far to the right. Void of grace, it was fanatically religious. Things had not changed much since the days of Isaiah, so a prophet in the “spirit of Isaiah” was needed to preach repentance.

Sadly, not many people heeded Isaiah’s warnings, so in the days of Jeremiah, God sent Babylon to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem. Similarly, in 70 AD, around the end of the apostolic era, the Romans also destroyed the Temple.

Still, the preacher must preach because he is called by the Lord to deliver the gospel. Our job is to be faithful to God’s Word, and God’s job is to produce results. Many people repented and turned back to the Lord in the days of John the Baptist. And while that desire to follow the Lord, in and of itself, did not lead to salvation, it made many people able to see Messiah once He was finally standing in front of them!

John was letting everyone know there was another way. It was not the broad ways of liberalism or religious legalism. It was the narrow path, the true way.

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6 (HCSB)

The cry of John the Baptist was for the people to turn to the Lord. The “baptism” of John was a baptism of repentance, and it signified a person’s desire to be “immersed” in (re-committed to) the Lord, but how could they seek Him if the national religion had become so corrupt? By seeking God’s Word, perhaps they could distance themselves from the legalistic misinterpretations of both the Pharisees and Sadducees and the Romans’ worldly idolatry and practices. When we seek His Word, He reveals Himself to us.

By repenting and receiving the baptism of John, the people of Israel would not eliminate their need for Messiah. But repentance (turning toward the Lord) would facilitate Jesus’ mission to atone for sin on the cross. Imagine a nation of people who understood Who Messiah would be (God made flesh), when He should come to earth and what His mission was (atone for sin through suffering).

Similar to the days of John the Baptist, the first act of following Jesus today is repenting. We are not saved by repentance but by the desire to turn from our sin is still the act that precedes receiving the Grace of Jesus, by Grace, through Faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“So he (Joseph) got up, took the child and His mother, and entered the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.” Matthew 2:21-23 (HCSB)

My father is retired from the oil business. One of the drawbacks of my dad’s job was that we moved around a lot. By the time I entered 6th grade, I had lived in 5 different cities.

I believe the Lord used those re-location experiences to prepare me to serve Him as an adult. Every time we moved meant a whole new set of experiences. I often draw from those experiences whenever I communicate the gospel, as I’m doing right now!

My dad once told me that if he could do it all over again, he would have just stayed in one town and raised his family in a more “sheltered” environment. My dad’s retrospective desire (to have stayed in one town) may have eliminated certain emotional and logistic conflicts, but it would not have prepared me for God’s unique call on my life.

I believe Joseph planned to take young Jesus straight from Egypt to Jerusalem. We can assume this because the Scripture says Joseph was headed straight for Judea. Jerusalem is in Judea, and the angel told Joseph & Mary that Jesus was the Messiah.

Any Jew who knew Israel’s Biblical history (especially a righteous Judean like Joseph) would know that all the great Jewish kings were enthroned in Jerusalem. Little did Joseph know, as Jesus would later say, “It is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem!” In Joseph, we find a similar decision-making dilemma akin to his errant (yet well-intended) plans to divorce Mary quietly. The Lord needed to intervene.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but it's end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)

Trying to do something on God’s behalf that He never called you to do is a recipe for disillusionment. No Divine calling means no Divine equipping to complete the task. Had Joseph done what seemed right to him and decided to settle in Jerusalem, Jesus would never have survived all the vicious, exploitative opportunistic self-seekers swarming around the Temple. Can you imagine someone boasting, “I taught the Messiah all He knows; buy my book!”? Did God have a plan for Jesus in Jerusalem? Yes. Did Joseph understand from the Scriptures that Jesus’ ministry would eventually wind up in Jerusalem? Yes. Did Joseph comprehend all that needed to happen between Jesus’ boyhood and His manhood? Nope.

We may not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds it. God doesn’t usually unfold His plans to us, and often His wisdom is understood in hindsight. He simply commands us to trust Him, seek Him and His direction daily, and follow His leading, just as we are seeking Him today.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Matthew 1. Click the links below to watch or listen.

“Remember the instruction of Moses My servant, the statutes and ordinances I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Look, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome Day of the Lord comes. And He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”  Malachi 4:4-6 (CSB)

“And His disciples asked Him, ‘Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’  And He answered and said, ‘Elijah is coming and will restore all things; But I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he was talking about John the Baptist.”  Matthew 17:10-13 (NASB)

What was John the Baptist’s message? It was the same message of return & repentance that Malachi foretold.

“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near.’”  Matthew 3:1-2 (HCSB)

Isaiah is another prophet who foretold John’s coming. “For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said: a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, saying ‘Prepare the way for the Lord. Make His paths straight!’”  Matthew 3:3 (HCSB) (Isaiah 57:14)

John the Baptist’s ministry is even mentioned in the Psalms.

“Righteousness will go before Him to prepare the way for His steps.”  Psalm 85:13 (HCSB)

And how was the Lord’s way to be prepared? The way was prepared when people repented and turned their hearts toward the Lord.

If you have ever walked against the flow on a Manhattan sidewalk, you understand that it is easier to reach your destination when everyone walks in the same direction as you!

Repentance reverses the flow of spiritual and moral traffic, so to speak. By turning hearts toward the Lord and His Word, men become educated about God’s character, His commandments, the concepts of holiness & man’s depravity, and the world’s need for Messiah. In short, repentance prepares the heart to receive the gospel.

Repentance is not, in & of itself, salvation. It simply prepares the way for it. That’s why John said, “…but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I”. (Matthew 3: 11)

Moving into the New Testament, let’s continue turning our hearts to God’s Word. Let’s commit to advancing His kingdom by sharing the Truth of Messiah, which His Spirit reveals to us, one chapter at a time.

“At that time, those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared YHWH and had high regard for His name. ‘They will be Mine.’ says the Lord of Hosts, ‘a special possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked between the one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.’” Malachi 3:16-18 (HCSB)

I love this passage because it reminds me of the people who study the Bible with me in coffeehouses. Those of us who fear the Lord are getting together and speaking about Him openly and publicly. Scripture says the Lord is with us when we gather in Messiah’s Name. He takes notice and listens.

“For where two or three have gathered in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:19 (NKJV)

Two factors distinguish the believers Malachi speaks of: 1) They fear the Lord, and 2) They have high regard for His name. Remember the third commandment: Do not receive the Lord’s name in vain. A “Book of Remembrance” is written before the Lord. All who fear YHWH are set apart as “a special possession” on the day of the Lord when the Lord judges the world. Malachi’s words are obviously Messianic.

Consider how the Lord will have compassion on those whose names are written in the book: “as a man would have compassion on his son.”  Those who follow Jesus are called sons and daughters, co-inheritors with the Messiah. (Rom 8:16-17) As God raised Jesus from the dead, so He will also raise those who, by faith, believe in Jesus. Finally, a distinction is drawn between those of Israel who fear the Lord and those who do not: righteous and wicked, servants and self-servers. Compare God’s offer of compassion (toward Israel’s repentance) in Malachi 3 with His attitude toward Israel’s wickedness in Exodus 32.  

“The Lord replied to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against me I will erase from my book. Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about; see, my angel will go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will hold them accountable for their sin.’ And the Lord inflicted a plague on the people for what they did with the calf Aaron had made.” Exodus 32:33-35 (CSB)

The idea that salvation is secured to the Jew simply by virtue of having been born Jewish is not supported even by the Old Testament. It is as ridiculous as the notion that damnation is unavoidable for the Gentile by being born a non-Jew. Righteousness must be imputed into each believer’s account by God’s grace alone. That transaction occurs when individuals turn from their sin and faithfully fear the Lord by trusting God’s Word concerning the Messiah. This is how men are saved. This is how our names are recorded in the Book of Remembrance. (Revelation 21:27)

“You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you ask, ‘How have we wearied the Lord?’  When you say, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the Lord’s sight, and He is pleased with them,’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’”  Malachi 2:17 (HCSB)

Here is a saying that bears repeating. Two things confound a fool: 1) How slow God is to respond to sin, and 2) How quickly He shows up to judge.

The religious contradictions in Israel had reached their peak by the end of the first prophetic age. On the one hand, the religious leaders were teaching that God was overly gracious, to the point that He was pleased with those who practiced evil. On the other hand, they demanded God’s justice for their enemies.

How can a God, who is pleased with evil, serve justice? Justice demands that God hates what is evil.

Today’s verse reminds me of a conversation I had with a gentleman in Israel a few years back. This young man told me he didn’t believe anyone was going to Hell. He thought we shouldn’t risk personal confrontation by preaching about judgment and redemption because God would pardon the whole world at the last moment.

Later that day, the issue of suicide bombers came up. The same fellow’s comment was, “I hope those suicide bombers get what they deserve!”  Contradiction. When we refuse the Bible as the standard, we allow feelings, politics, and secular philosophy to determine our theology. With this approach, our opinions “seem” to make sense in isolated situations, but they don’t collectively agree. We elevate our intellect to be the judge and humiliate the Bible to be “just another opinion.”  

We find a similar situation in the book of the Judges.

“In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did whatever he wanted.” Judges 21:25 (HCSB)

Paul lists several manifestations of moral relativism displayed in the last days.

“But know this: difficult times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of religion, but denying its power. Avoid these people!”  2 Timothy 3: 1-5 (HCSB)

The same perversion of truth, which brought judgment upon Israel before Messiah’s first coming, will eventually bring judgment upon the whole earth. It signals the approach of Jesus’ second coming, not as a Suffering Servant but as the Righteous Judge.

“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man Who is My Companion,” says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; then I will turn My hand against the little ones. And it shall come to pass in all the land,” says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” Zechariah 13:7-9 (NKJV)

Speaking of Messiah, the great Shepherd of Israel, Zechariah reminds us of Messiah’s primary role in His first coming: Atonement for sin. He does not come first as the great King whom so many people in the Jewish community are awaiting today. While He will return as the triumphant King in His second coming (Revelation 19:11-16), Messiah first comes to atone for the sin of the flesh with His own flesh, offering atonement, even to the rebels who opposed Him.

“Therefore I will give Him the many as a portion, and He will receive the mighty as spoil, because He submitted Himself to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.” Isaiah 53:12 (HCSB)

Of course, we know the Messiah has been revealed in the person of Jesus. A portion of our evidence (that Jesus is Messiah) comes from His fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy (and Micah’s (Micah 5:2), David’s (Psalm 22), and Isaiah’s (Isaiah 53), to name a few. He was struck down, and His crucifixion resulted in the scattering of His “sheep,” aka His disciples.

“Then Jesus to them, all of you shall be offended because of Me this night: for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.” Matthew 26:31 (see also: Mark 14:27; John 10:12)

But more than fulfilling prophecy, the scattering of Jesus’ “sheep” also had a therapeutic result. It separated His disciples from the vicious “wolves” posing as shepherds in Jerusalem, separated “wheat-from-tare” among those who called themselves His disciples, and helped spread the gospel by 1) Scattering the evangelists around the world and 2) Ensuring that the gospel preached was pure. Job spoke of the purifying nature of his own hardships.

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10 (NKJV)

A great thing about God’s chastening & refining His people is that the season of chastening & refinement does not last forever. Hence, He fulfills Hosea’s words.

“Say to your brethren, ‘My people,’ and to your sisters, ‘Mercy is shown.’” Hosea 2:1 (NKJV)

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am your father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me? Thus says the Lord of Hosts to you priests, who despise My name. ” Malachi 1:6 (HCSB)

It may not sound very hip, but I am concerned with what corporate worship services have become for many congregations. I say this from the perspective of having performed over 1,000 concerts in worship settings worldwide.  

There is a growing sense, present in many churches, that following God is all about us as individuals. The music, theatrics, marketing & promotion, and message series seem to be focused on our pleasure. The whole production seems to be at the expense of simply teaching the Bible comprehensively and living out God’s Word in a community of accountability.

This was very much the case with Israel in the days of Malachi. Prophets and priests tickled the ears of the public and showed favor to whoever contributed the most money. The religious leaders spoke of the positive and popular aspects of God’s blessing, and they steered clear of the negative and unpopular elements of His standard.  

Selective preaching perpetuated an ignorance of God’s Word. Ignorance of His Word leads to a diminished view of God’s character. A diminished view of God leads to a heightened view of oneself.  

Ultimately, the leaders were more concerned with the approval of men than with glorifying God, at the risk of man’s rejection. As a result, Israel heralded Adonai neither as Father nor Lord.

Most modern-day production-centered churches assume that their methods result in the spiritual growth of their congregants. Research has discovered that this may not be the case. For instance, consider this example from Chicago seeker church, Willow Creek: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/march/11.27.html

Please understand I’m a showbiz guy. The music business is my professional background. I love a great worship experience when music, media, and message are artfully woven together. But problems arise when a congregation focuses more on gathering, retaining, and (dare I say) entertaining congregants rather than graciously yet comprehensively teaching the Bible.

“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding.”  Proverbs 4:7 (NASB)

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 (NASB)

When we acknowledge God as Father AND Lord, we will worship Him as such.

“Then I will pour out the Spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly for Him as one weeps for a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning of Hadad-Rimmon in the plains of Meggido. The land will mourn, every family by itself: the family of David’s house by itself and their women by themselves; the family of Nathan’s house by itself and their women by themselves; the family of Levi’s house by itself and their women by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself and their women by themselves; all the remaining families, every family by itself and their women by themselves.” Zechariah 12:10-14 (HCSB)

Today’s passage presents a picture of the awakening of Israel when the “veil” begins to be taken away. (Romans 11) Then the call will come to self-humility and contrition of heart for Israel having rejected Messiah and having sinfully refused the testimony of the Holy Spirit as to Jesus’ true identity. This will be, for that Remnant, their great “Yom Kippur” (day-of-atonement). At least two millennia have elapsed since Messiah atoned for the sin of the World, and since that time, the community of Israel has not kept that day of fasting and introspective soul searching, as God commanded. In 70 A.D., the Romans destroyed the Temple, which is in ruins today, making Temple sacrifices impossible. So, while the Jewish community may set the day aside, they fall short of God’s desired requirements for the day.

It is important to note that we are studying the words of an ancient prophet who predates Jesus’ earthly advent by almost 600 years! For the sake of discussion, let’s say that Jesus is not the Messiah, and the “real” Messiah was to come on the scene today. According to Scripture, the Jewish community would not accept him, either! They would reject him and kill him - simply because it is prophesied, all the way down to their acknowledgment of wrongdoing and grief for having “pierced” him.

Now, back to reality: Jesus IS the Messiah! And there will come a time when a Remnant of Israel will not only worship Him; they will grieve, family by family, for how they had once rejected Him. We see it also in Revelation 1:7

“To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to His God and Father – to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him. And all the families of the earth will mourn over Him. This is certain. Amen.” Revelation 1:5b-7 (HCSB)

It is not a wailing of terror that is described here but the anguished mourning of the awakened Remnant when they realize the dreadful impiety their fathers were guilty of in crucifying the Lord of glory. Yet God will pour on that believing Remnant of David’s house (and on Jerusalem) His spirit of grace and prayer, not one of judgment & wrath!

“Then I said to them, ‘If it seems right to you, give me my wages, but if not, keep them.’ So they weighed My wages, 30 pieces of silver. ‘Throw it to the potter,’ the Lord said to me – this magnificent price I was valued by them. So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw it into the house of the Lord, to the potter. Then I cut in two my second staff, Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. The Lord said to me: ‘Take the equipment of a foolish shepherd. I am about to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are going astray, and he will not seek the lost or heal the broken. He will not sustain the healthy, but he will not sustain the healthy, but he will devour the flesh of the fat of sheep and tear off their hooves.’” Zechariah 11:12-16 (HCSB)

Reading today’s passage, one might believe they were reading one of the New Testament descriptions of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas, for it is a perfect fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy:

“Then one of the twelve – the man called Judas Iscariot – went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?’ So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver for him. And from that time, he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.” Matthew 26:14-16 (HCSB)

“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,’ He said. ‘What’s that to us?’ they said. ‘See to it yourself!’ So he threw the silver into the sanctuary and departed. Then he went and hanged himself. The chief priests took the silver and said, ‘It’s not lawful to put it into the temple treasury since it is blood money.’ So they conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners.” Matthew 27:3-7 (HCSB)

So, the Good Shepherd has asked for His wages and broken His shepherd staffs, named “Favor” and “Union.” It reminds me of the violinist who not only retired from performing but he smashed his violin, making a return to the concert stage nearly impossible. But what of the new shepherd? Contrary to The Who song, for Israel, it was not a case of “meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” It was more like, “Meet the new boss; he is evil and selfish.” In other words, Meet the Anti-shepherd, “Antichrist.”

The scenes leading up to today’s chapter have contained some lovely pictures of God’s favor for the repentant Remnant of Israel. But the glory of Israel’s full return has been held at a distance from our present generation because of the rejection of the Shepherd upon whom the blessing depends, Jesus. So, we are still left with the sorrowful account of the refusal of the Good Shepherd. (Isaiah 53). The spirit of Anti-shepherd, who seeks only his own glory and doesn’t care a bit for the ruin and scattering of the Lord’s “Flock” is rampant. The former passage predicting the events surrounding Jesus’ betrayal was fulfilled precisely as prophesied, so we can expect Anti-messiah to arrive on the scene exactly on time. Already, the signs of the end are appearing. Are you ready? Jesus is coming to redeem and shepherd His Flock. Have you joined His sheepfold?

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter of Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9 (HCSB)

The book of Zechariah is divided into two parts. The second division embraces chapters 7-14. Chapters 9-11 deal with the coming of Messiah, Jesus, and His rejection by Judah. (Chapters 12-14 follow with the inspired account of Jesus’ second coming and His acceptance by the repentant Remnant.)  

Israel’s refusal of the Messiah was connected with the state of moral decline into which the people had fallen long before. The cross was just the culmination of a course of willful hardening that had been going on since the days when Moses was guiding Israel through the wilderness. Because of this “willful hardening” of the heart, Israel suffered various captivities, and many afflictions had come upon them. When these Divine disciplinary rebukes resulted in true repentance, God mercifully relented His rebuke. It was such repentance that Israel was called to in chapters 7 and 8.

In chapter 9, the prophet begins speaking of the coming of the Savior King and how hearts must be prepared to receive Him. Today’s passage is quoted in three of the four gospels: Matthew 21:2-5, Mark 11:1-9, Luke 19:28-35, and all three speak of the direct fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy.

And what an accurate prophecy it was! Try and visualize, if you will, Jesus riding into Jerusalem amid the welcoming cries of His disciples, a “remnant” from among those who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. They all cried out, “Hosanna!” which literally translates, “Save us now!”  Surely, they saw Jesus as the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prediction. In this way, Jesus came as the Prince of Peace, the chief Cornerstone of the rebuilding of Israel’s worship, only to be despised and cast away as a stonemason casts off a rock unfit for construction.

But when Jesus comes a second time, it will not be as the humble Prince who rides His donkey through the streets while His disciples herald his arrival. No, in the second coming, He will present Himself as the Warrior-King on the white horse of victorious judgment. (Revelation 19)

But between verses 9 & 10, this entire dispensation of grace comes in; it is evident that the latter part of chapter 9 has never been fulfilled. The King came but was refused. His cross has become the sign of salvation for all who trust in Him, while He Himself has taken His seated beside the Father in the Heavens. Never, for even one hour, has He occupied the throne of David. He will take that throne with power and great glory when He descends from the Heavens. Then He will cut off all the enemies of Jerusalem, and “He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.” Zechariah 9:10b. Only when He appears in person will Zechariah’s words fully come to pass.

“Ask the Lord for rain in the season of spring rain. The Lord makes the rain clouds and He will give them showers of rain and crops in the field for everyone. For their idols speak falsehood, and the diviners see illusions; they relate empty dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore, the people wander like sheep; they suffer affliction because there is no shepherd. My anger burns against the shepherds, so I will punish the leaders. For the Lord of Hosts tended His flock, the house of Judah; He will make them like His majestic steed in battle. From them will come the cornerstone, from them the tent peg, from them the battle bow, from them every ruler.” Zechariah 10:1-4 (HCSB)

Today’s chapter details a time when another Remnant of Israel will again reach out to Him, whom they once “spurned” as the Anointed One. From verses 6 and 7, we see that the Remnant will not merely come from Judah but will represent all twelve tribes. These are those brought into blessing and who will settle in the land of their fathers, never more to be uprooted by an enemy’s hand. This chapter communicates more than simple immigration of Jews to the land of Israel. It carries with it the implication of returning to the Lord through Messiah and being restored to the land. In that sense, a Jewish person may immigrate to modern Israel yet not be fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy if they do not embrace Jesus as Messiah. Furthermore, suppose a Jewish person comes to faith in Jesus and never moves to Israel in their lifetime. In that case, they fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy because Scripture promises they will eventually reside in the New Jerusalem. (Revelation 21:2)

Considering agriculture & meteorology, without the latter rain (Joel 2:23), Israel becomes little better than a desert wilderness. Under natural conditions, the former and latter rains are required to ensure agriculture and, hence, the prosperity of the people. Therefore, we should not be surprised to find the prophets using these “rains” in a figurative sense.  

Spiritually, Israel (in her history) had received her former rain when God blessed her by allowing her to be a nation and His Temple established in Jerusalem. But a long season of drought had set in, triggered by her idolatry. Zechariah encouraged them to look up again and ask the Lord for “rain in the time of the spring rain.”  In response to their request, God pledged Himself to give them showers of blessing. There is no doubt that Zechariah is speaking prophetically of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit predicted by Joel. It would be Israel’s “latter rain.”  But for us, looking forward, the giving of the Holy Spirit constitutes our former rain. We are still awaiting our latter rain when the Holy Spirit works mightily again in this present season of spiritual drought. This will be a brief time before Jesus returns, resulting in a revival that includes Jewish people.

Until then, a spiritual famine of sorts prevails. Yes, Jewish people are coming to faith (and in increasingly significant numbers) in our day, but since the days of Jesus, they have primarily been like “sheep without a shepherd,” blindly following blind guides. (Mark 6:34) That is why our proper understanding (and preaching) of God’s Word is so important: We don’t know how long the Lord will tarry, so we cannot assume our present Jewish friends will be part of this prophesied revival. We must preach as if He will tarry!