January 21, 2025 | Be God's Family
No Strangers in God’s Kingdom
Scripture: Matthew 8:14-17(NIV)
14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“He took up our infirmities
and bore our diseases.”
Devotional
At the end of the Gospel of John are two sentences about the three years of Jesus’ ministry on earth:
“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book” (John 20:30).
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).
In today’s reading we find an example of this, with Jesus driving out demonic spirits and healing the sick bodies of many who were brought to him. The vast majority of these were unnamed and unknown strangers to the disciples. But be assured of this – Jesus knew them, just as certainly as Peter knew his wife’s mother who was healed.
Here's the truth: none of us are unnamed or unknown to God. Psalm 139:1 says, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” With God, there is no duck and cover, no hide and seek, no out of sight, out of mind. We are never beyond the ears, eyes or touch of Jesus.
Are you in need of a word from Jesus? Sit and listen.
Do you desire a touch from the Lord? Reach out to Him.
Are you longing for God to hear your voice? Speak with confidence.
Psalm 145:18 says it all, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
Poem
Thoughts Upon A Sickbed
Psalm 41
“The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.”
Psalm 41:3
I lie here
Feverish
Chilled
Coughing
Weak
Aching
Sleepless
Idle
And I wonder
Where is my mother?
Will this ever end?
Is there a cure?
How long will this last?
What is my worth?
Will I ever work again?
Will I ever recover?
And I feel
Tired
Worthless
Pathetic
Stinky
Hopeless
Exhausted
Abandoned
Can you come
To bring me a drink?
To be present, yet silent?
To hold me in prayer?
To lift up my head?
To sing to my soul?
To cool my brow?
To bear the stench?
So I pray
Please, an end to this soon
Please, somebody come
Please, healthy strong days ahead
Please, revive me
Please, a breath of fresh Spirit
Please, have mercy on me LORD
