READING: Isaiah 14-16; Matthew 28
In English, they are just twelve words – but they make all the difference. Those words are the words of Christ as He began speaking Matthew’s version of the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt 28:18-20). When we begin to see that Jesus has all authority, we:
- recognize that He has a right to tell us how to live
- choose His way over ours
- understand better that we will stand before Him and answer for the way we live
- as husbands, love our wives differently and raise our children differently
- serve through the church, knowing He is both the head and the cornerstone of His Body
- willingly follow His call, even if that call takes us to the most dangerous places in the world
- accept His mandate to forgive others and pray for those who wound us
- long to hear from Him through His Word
- almost find it hard to believe that He invites us to speak to Him in prayer
- accept His discipline as an act of love
- are better prepared to worship Him in eternity
May we live today under His authority—recognizing it and celebrating it!
PRAYER: “Jesus, I know You have all authority. I commit to living with that truth in mind.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Isaiah 17-19, Psalm 62, 1 Corinthians 1
