Blog Layout
Send the Naysayers Away
Andrea Lende • April 21, 2021
Matthew 9:24-25
Send the Naysayers Away
You can listen to the devotions and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Send-the-Naysayers-Away-evanfq
Matthew 9:24-25
“He said, Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping. And they laughed and jeered at Him.”
“But when the crowd had been ordered to go outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.”
Jesus sent the naysayers away.
And He did it before the miracle.
He couldn’t do what He was there to do amongst all those people.
He needed peace and belief.
In that moment He showed us it is okay to thin the crowd out around us, so we are able to follow God more closely.
In fact, He showed us it is necessary.
When a miracle is at stake, we need peace and belief.
If the Lord wants to do something extraordinary through us or with us, He needs our full attention.
And not just our attention.
He needs us to be seeking Him and growing in our relationship with Him.
Why?
Because there is a storm coming.
There are always trials and tribulations.
And He needs to be sure we are standing with Him and will not waiver.
He needs us to be filled with faith and belief.
These are precursors to a miracle.
So, I know I have to be very careful how I spend my time and who I spend it with.
Ultimately, this means I have to give up things and people who distract me from seeking Him.
I love Jesus’ example of shooing out the naysayers.
He knew what He needed to do to perform a miracle.
We can follow His lead.
Today I choose to limit the distractions around me, so I can serve the Lord as He asks.
May you find the Lord is standing with you as you filter out the noise in your life that distracts you from seeking Him.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for continually teaching me and showing me more about how I should live and who I should be. Thank You for showing me how to prepare my heart to be a part of Your miracle. Increase my faith, Lord. Fill my spirit with Your Spirit which breathes power and belief into mine. Help me clear away the distractions which keep me from Your perfect will. Help me prune away the excess. Help me clear away the unnecessary, so I have more time to spend with You. May Your will be done in my life. Ready me for Your service, Father. Help me do all that you have for me to do. Help me be obedient to Your gentle whispers. Strengthen me in every way, so I may serve You as You ask of me. Keep the enemy far from me and lead me away from temptation, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank you for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child and My Spirit is leading and guiding you.
Response: Thank You Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.