Discernment

Read:  Matthew Chapter 15

“He answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?’” (vs. 3)

Jesus consistently reveals what faith is not throughout His conversations with the religious leaders.  Their hearts had grown cold, completely missing the point of God’s Law.  They loved to use it to measure, judge, and condemn.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to distinguish between God’s instructions and man’s tradition or cultural expectations.  When we believe Jesus for our salvation, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us, speaking to us through our renewed spirit.  When we obey His voice, it is then we experience freedom from the weight and burden of man’s external rules.

Father, draw me close to You.  I confess that sometimes I see Your commands as standards and use it to judge myself and others.  Purify my heart, so that what comes out of my mouth honors You.  Allow me to discern Your Voice and distinguish what comes from You and what comes from the spirit of this world.

*This post is part of a month long devotional series on Matthew.  To start from the intro click here.  To go to the next post click here.