Matthew 14
COMMENTARY:
: 7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. (154 “ask” [aiteo] means desire, beg, require, crave, or call for.)
DEVOTION: Promising someone something should always be done carefully. Too often we promise things that we wish we had never done. Sometimes we make promises that we know we will never keep.
We make these promises even to our spouse and children. We say we are going to do something and then we don’t. We don’t mean to not do them but when we promised we either thought we could or we thought they would forget the promise. Too often they remember and hold it against the one making the promise.
Some people are even more foolish and promise God something that they will never keep. If we say we are going to do something to God we should keep our promise to HIM. Once we start breaking our promises to God it gets easier and easier to say things we don’t mean to get ourselves out of the consequences of our actions.
Here we find Herod promising something to his brother Philip’s wife’s daughter. She did a dance that really pleased him and wanted to give her something. He wasn’t thinking at the time. He probably thought she would ask for something small. She didn’t. She asked for the head of John the Baptist. She received it to give to her mother. He regarded his promise.
On a second note we need to watch what we ask of our children. Here we find a mother asking her daughter to kill someone because she didn’t like the truth about her marriage relationship. She will be held accountable along with her daughter for the murder of John the Baptist.
CHALLENGE: Don’t make foolish promises to others or to the LORD. Keep your promises.
: 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. (3441 “alone” [monos] means without a companion, forsaken, destitute for help, only or by one’s self.)
DEVOTION: Death has an effect on each of us when we have a loved one leave this world for the next world. If the individual is a believer we are happy that they are with the LORD but sad that we will miss them.
Here we have Jesus being told that HIS cousin is dead at the hands of Herod. HIS reaction is to try to be alone with HIS Father for a while. The present situation was that there was a large group of people in the wilderness who had followed HIM and they were hungry.
HE fed the multitude and they took time alone to be with HIS Father in prayer. HE had sent the disciples across the lake. HE wanted to be alone.
Many times we will see that the LORD when off by himself to communicate with the Father.
We need to go to a place of solitude to communicate with the Father. This is the practice of two of the disciplines of the faith listed below. There are many disciplines the LORD practiced while he was here on this earth. While we are here on this earth we need to follow HIS example and practice the disciplines. When we are hurting we need time alone with the LORD to work through our emotions. When we have major decisions we need to take time alone with the LORD with prayer and fasting to ask HIS guidance in our decision. Being alone with the LORD in a quiet place is always a good practice.
The disciplines for today are solitude and prayer. Do we need to get away without a companion and talk with the LORD about something important in our lives?
Do we need to get together with a spouse to make a major decision in our married life? I just talked with a husband who has been having trouble at work that seems to have no resolution except for him to resign and take another position. He is going to do that after praying with his wife regarding this decision.
Has there been an event in your live where we have to go to the Master and ask for HIS help to know what to do? Are we going to the Master by ourselves to seek HIS wisdom and comfort? We should be!!! Trust in the LORD.
CHALLENGE: If Jesus needed time alone with HIS Father we should also find time alone with our Father in heaven as well. When was the last time you have been alone with God?
: 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (5399 “afraid” [phobeo] means state of fear, be alarmed, respect, to be frightened, fearful sight or to be apprehensive.)
DEVOTION: Those who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ have a hard time fully trusting HIM. Most in our world would not have even tried what Peter tried this day. He asked the LORD if he could walk on water with HIM. He got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus Christ.
He like all of us did something wrong. He took HIS eyes off Jesus. Once he had taken his eyes off Jesus things went wrong. He started to sink in the water. He would have drowned if he hadn’t asked the LORD to save him.
Jesus reached out HIS hand and took Peter. Jesus reprimanded Peter for a lack of faith. He had enough faith to go out of the boat but not to finish the job.
It seems that most of the time we are the same way. We start to step out in faith believing that we are doing what the LORD wants us to do but then we have our flesh put doubt in our mind that maybe we are going beyond what the LORD wanted us to do. It is possible some of the time that we get ahead of God but also there seem to be more times we are not willing to even get out of the boat.
Our faith has to grow. Our trust has to grow. Our walk has to move toward the direction the LORD is leading. There are pitfalls on every side but the LORD has promised to be with us.
If we are praying for direction and the LORD opens a door we need to take our steps of faith in that direction. There is no status quo with the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Are you asking the LORD for direction in your life? Will you step out of the boat to go through the open door HE gives you?
: 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped HIM, saying, Of a truth, YOU are the Son of God. (230 “truth” [alethos] means surely, in reality, most certainly, indeed or really.)
DEVOTION: Jesus was walking on the water between 3 A.M. and 6 A.M. I am very familiar with those time periods. It is very unusual for me to be in bed before three A.M. most nights. As you can see it is after 3 A.M. when I will be sending this devotional.
The disciples were crossing a lake at that time of night. It was stormy and they observe someone walking on the water. They are afraid. Jesus identifies HIMSELF. Peter wants to walk on water too and the LORD invites him to come out to HIM. Peter does but then takes his eyes off Jesus. He begins to sink and needs the LORD to save him.
Now they enter the boat and the storm ceases. Jesus has control over the weather too. What do the disciples think after seeing these three impossible things?
They make a statement that the LORD wants all of us to make. HE wants us to realize that HE is to be worshiped. HE is truly the Son of God. HE can do the impossible.
Once we get to the point that we realize that our God can do the impossible we can learn to ask for what will be pleasing in HIS sight to help us to minister well for HIM. Doubt is part of the human nature that we have with us until we die. We need to fight the doubt when it comes to serving the LORD.
CHALLENGE: TRUTH is stranger than fiction. Jesus was equal with the Father and Holy Spirit and had the power to control nature.
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