READING: Amos 1-3, Matthew 13
The people in Jesus’ hometown rejected Him. He was, after all, just one of them—surely not the Son of God. Thus, they chose not to believe in Jesus; their hearts were hard. As a result, Jesus did not do many miracles in that town. He could have, but He chose not to. His audience was simply not receptive. They said “no” to Him, and He then said “no” to them.
The people described in today’s New Testament reading were non-believers who had already said “no” to Jesus. I wonder, though, how often Jesus chooses not to do many miracles around us simply because we don’t truly believe. We know intellectually that He is trustworthy, but we still live without hope. Should God really come through and answer our prayers, we would be surprised.
This issue matters for me today because I am longing for God to work some miracles in people I love – family members, friends, neighbors, high school classmates, and others. I’m also praying for churches who are in turmoil. And, I’m asking God to draw to Himself our local and national government leaders. Then, I’m interceding for an unreached people group every day. At the same time, though, I must confess that I struggle with fully believing that God is listening. Faith can become a wrestling match.
But, then I remember that faith in Jesus really does matter. I want to so love Him and follow Him that any unbelief never gets in the way of what He wants to accomplish around me.
PRAYER: “God, I need Your help to just trust You.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Amos 4-6, Psalm 55, Matthew 14