VERSE: Matthew 9:36–Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. TRUTH: Do we see people as God sees them? He looks at people and sees their hurts and their needs. Do we see the same? Or, do we only see the appearance of people, or the actions of people? We must look past these and see people as Jesus sees people and then respond as He would. RESPONSE: Lord, You see people as they truly are. Help me to see others as You see them so I can respond to them and treat them as You would, not as…

VERSE: Matthew 8:2–And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” TRUTH: Jesus has both the power and ability to do all things; the question is the willingness. The leper recognized this and did not ask Jesus “if” He could heal him, but instead makes the statement, “You can make me clean.” Jesus has the power over every area of our life, there is nothing that is impossible for Him. However, just because He can do something doesn’t mean He is always willing, for a variety of reasons. We can ask God about His willingness, recognizing…

VERSE: Matthew 7:13–Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. TRUTH: Do we sometimes feel like we’re all alone and no one understands us? That may mean that we’re on the right path. Since the path to destruction is broad and filled with people, finding ourselves with plans and ideas that differ from the majority is not always a bad thing. We must constantly evaluate ourselves to make sure we line up with the Bible, but if we are following that, we will find ourselves in the company of fewer and…

VERSE: Matthew 6:1–Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. TRUTH: Motivation matters. The reasons why we do what we do are very important to God. We are to be focused on pleasing and obeying God solely for God’s benefit. If we are doing things in order to be seen and rewarded by others then we will miss out on God’s reward for our obedience. Why do we follow Him? Are we seeking praise from Him or from others? RESPONSE: Lord, I pray my obedience will remain simply for Your glory alone. I desire…

VERSE: Matthew 5:24–leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. TRUTH: Relationships matter. Our relationship first and foremost with God sets the example for how we should be relating to everyone else in our life. And, the way we relate to all the others in our life is a direct reflection of how we are relating to God. Do we hold grudges? Are we unforgiving? These attitudes will affect our relationship with God. We cannot overlook or ignore our relationships with others. RESPONSE: Lord, I pray You will show me my relationships with others through Your…

VERSE: Matthew 4:1–Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. TRUTH: As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be led by Him and the Spirit. Jesus was led by the Spirit directly toward Satan in this instance, not away from him. Still Jesus followed and went through that time of testing. Do we follow God, even when we know that it will be difficult and we may face the testing of Satan? We are to follow Him and He will lead us through. RESPONSE: Lord, no matter what You lead me through, I’d rather follow than go another way. Your Word…

VERSE: Matthew 3:6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. TRUTH: John the Baptist was out preaching and teaching the need for repentance. He was also baptizing them in the Jordan river. Baptism was a public display that people made to let everyone know about the internal decision that they had made to repent. They were baptized AS they confessed their sins to let everyone know that they had repented. Once we have asked God’s forgiveness and repented from our sins, do we make that decision public and let others know our decision? RESPONSE: Lord, I pray that each day, whether it is…

VERSE: Matthew 2:12–And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their country by another way. TRUTH: This chapter tells of several times when God warned people about danger that was coming. Are we paying attention to God? He knows what is coming in our lives and He will often left us know what we need to be doing. This verse doesn’t say that God told the magi exactly why they should not go back to Herod. So, we may not know the reason why we are to do or not do something, but we can always trust God for the…

VERSE: Matthew 1:21–“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sin.” TRUTH: This verse is a brief statement by the angel of the entire purpose for Jesus’s coming. Jesus came to same people from their sins. Such hope, such promise, such excitement is found in this verse. Are will living out the hope and excitement so that it’s visible to others? RESPONSE: Lord, You came to bring hope to those who had none. You provided a way for us to experience forgiveness and restoration. You desire reconciliation. Help me to never forget that through You is the hope…