Category: Upside UP

Matthew 9: 3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?”

The response of the Lord to these teachers of the law who were accusing Jesus of blaspheming was—”why do you entertain evil thought sin your hearts?”

Jesus is here confronting the evil of sin—that undercurrent of unbelief that can taint the holy moments before the Lord.  The word ‘entertain’ can also mean ‘allow’, ‘let it remain’, ‘let it ‘fester’, ‘infect’, ‘rot’, and ‘become septic’. The question that Jesus is asking is “Why do you in the midst of God’s holiness and goodness, let evil thoughts fester and infect your hearts?”

Are there inward thoughts that tend to fester in your heart, such as—I am not favored by God, I failed the Lord again, He must be really sick of me, my shame will always be with me, etc.

Today the message of the Lord is very clear: Do not entertain evil thoughts! For God is always good, will always do good, and His goodness will follow us all the days of our lives!

Spend time asking the Lord to cleanse our minds of ‘evil’ thoughts that are contrary to His love and grace.  Spend time in worship today with the song ‘Fullness’ (click here).

-GK

Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?”

“Worry is inappropriate or wrong when it is misdirected, is in wrong proportion, or indicates a lack of trust in God. It is this latter sense that Jesus addresses here. Jesus then directs a question to his disciples that assumes an immediate answer and response: “Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? The implied natural answer should be, “Yes, of course my life and my body are more important than food and clothing!” And the natural response to the argument should be, “If God has given me life and the body, He certainly will give me food and clothing.  [Hence], Jesus calls for them to live in the immediate challenge of daily trusting God in everyday situations.  [NIVAC, Wilkins, 297]

Do you have deep fear about your future, especially when it comes to provisions, such as jobs, family, money, etc. The old undercurrent is where worry was the only response we’ve known, for we were on our own, with no God caring and providing for our needs. However, that is no longer who we are! Our Father in heaven cares for our needs!  We are now to live in faith and confidence, and without fear.

Today, meditate and pray through the passage above, and worship with the song “I am not afraid” (click here).

-GK

Revelation 5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

In Romans chapter 3, this is the state of humanity without God:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”

This is the undercurrent of this world, and there is no one worthy or holy in this world to enact the work of healing and salvation that we so desperately need. Hence the question in Revelation 5—is there anyone worthy to break the seal and open the scroll of salvation?  The answer is an emphatic no as John surveys humanity. However, there is one who is worthy, and He is Jesus.  He is worthy to save us!

Today, we are now living in the blessing and rescue of Jesus, who is worthy!  Spend time today in worship with the song “Is He Worthy” (click here).

-GK

Psalm 103
¹ Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Praise the Lord! With every fiber of our beings, let’s praise the Lord!  As those redeemed by the Lord, we are no longer under the old reality and undercurrent of sin—where every inclination, every experience was infused with this reality of evil—a life without God and His goodness. Instead, we are now enveloped and permeated with God’s goodness and benefits.  He forgives all our sins, heals all our diseases, and lifts us up from the pit.  This is now the new undercurrent and reality of our lives. Therefore, let’s come humbly before the Lord confessing and acknowledging the wrongs we have done, for He has forgiven all our sins. We are also to come before the Lord bringing all the broken areas, for He is the Lord our God who heals. And instead of being stuck in the pit of despair and discouragement, He crowns us with love and compassion.

Today let’s pray through this Psalm, acknowledging all of His benefits.  May we indeed experience the undercurrent of God’s goodness, for we are now God’s redeemed. As we pray, let’s worship with the song ‘Everything’ (click here).

-GK