READING: Jonah, Matthew 11
I am deeply grateful for the patience and grace of God. During the year I wrestled with following Christ after having first heard the gospel, I know God could have closed the door on me. He would have been justified in saying, “You’ve heard the message. You know what you need to do, but you’ve rejected my wooing.” Then, I think about times in my Christian life when I had a good sense of what God wanted from me but didn’t respond immediately in faithfulness. To be honest, I sometimes needed more convincing than I should have to be obedient – but still God was gracious.
I am reminded today, though, that the human heart can be incredibly deceived and hardened. Jesus reminded us of that truth when He not only condemned the cities of His day that had rejected Him and His miracles, but also indicated that other pagan and wicked cities would have responded affirmatively had He worked miracles in their midst. They would have repented “in sackcloth and ashes” (Matt 11:21), thus showing the depth of their grief. Not so, though, with the very cities in which Jesus displayed His power through miracles—and they would suffer greater judgment.
My prayer this day is that I would always repent when the Son of God through His Word and His Spirit makes Himself known to me. I want my heart to remain teachable, humble, and dependent on Him.
PRAYER: “God, help me not to miss when You’re working in my midst. Lead me, God, to repentance.”
TOMORROW’S READING: 2 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 25; Psalm 53; Matthew 12