As dearly loved children of God (v.1), how are we to live?

This chapter sets forth four areas that will negatively impact our fellowship with God: (1) “even a hint of sexual immorality”, (2) “any kind of impurity”, (3) “any out of place talk”, and (4) greed. As you prepare your hearts during Lent to worship and celebrate the Lord at Easter, all four of these areas must be addressed in your life. This is serious!

Jesus tells the story of cleaning out a house and the great danger of leaving the house empty;

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left’. When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” – Matthew 12:43-45

If you clean up your life and remove the evil from the four areas, what will you put in its place? If you do nothing, you risk replacing the evil with even greater evil – sevenfold!

Paul points out clearly that what should replace the evil is a spirit of thanksgiving, activities of thanksgiving, and prayers of thanksgiving.

It is said that one failure, accident, mistake is remembered with the equivalency of fifty blessings, victories, or joyous events. Do you dwell on the dark clouds?

He leads, and you follow. It sounds so simple. So, why do you run into problems?

1. You can be captivated by the momentum. You know you are making progress, but you have taken your eyes off Jesus. In practical terms you have become so busy, even doing religious activities that you fail to feed upon God’s Word. It won’t be long before the momentum wanes.
2. You wander off. You get caught up in other things, that though they may be very important, they are not what God has called you to do or where He is leading you.
3. You don’t trust God. Life’s challenges are waring you down. There is no response to your cries for help.
4. You don’t understand God’s purposes or His methodology. You let the ways of the world define what you should do in your situation.
5. In your exuberance, you have run ahead of Jesus. You are no longer following.

What can be done to stay the course?

Giving thanks is an antidote for the many distractions that would cause you to wander. As you follow Jesus with a grateful heart and a thankful spirit, you will discover that the Lord uses those who follow him and are straggling behind, to display His grace and mercy.

The fragrance of the Lord in your life will be used to bring blessings to others. Thanks be to God.

As one of his followers, what does it mean to be more like Jesus? Here Jesus is going everywhere teaching, preaching, and healing. He is doing what he was called to do. Matthew highlights here, not a great sermon or a miracle, but Jesus reaction to the people around him.

In the midst of his calling, Jesus becomes keenly aware of the needs and suffering of those around him. This is not just a mental exercise; Jesus is physically and emotionally moved with compassion. He is gripped by the condition of the masses.

There are three descriptives of what Jesus saw:

1. “harassed” – Literally exhausted, weak, and tired. As one may say, “I have tried everything, and I have nothing.” Jesus sees through the facade.
2. “helpless” – Literally to fall to the groud in fatigue and hungar.
3. “sheperdless sheep” – This is both a reference to their vulnerability as sheep and to the Old Testament use of the term (i.e. Jeremiah 23) referring to the need for leadership and care of God’s people.

In the midst of your calling, what do you see as you observe the people around you? Are you moved with compassion or are you just moving on through?

Lent is a period of forty days of spiritual reflection as one prepares the heart for the celebration of Easter. This Psalm provides guidance for such personal reflection.

The refrain is repeated four times (8,15,21,31), “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.”

How has God loved you? Count the ways. What is amazing is that God loves us in spite of our rebellion and selfishness. We think more highly of ourselves than of others. Thoughts of Almighty God are often out of our minds. Even when we remember God’s unfailing love and the deeds that flow from his loving compassion, we remain mute.

Hear the exhortation (v.22), “Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.” Who will you tell today about God’s unfailing love for you? What examples will you give?

Four times (6,13,19,28) the Psalm highlights a turning point and tells of God’s response.

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he brought them out of their distress.” God hears your cries of desperation, because you are loved. God does and will lead you out of your crisis.

Hear the exhortation (v.32) “Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and prise him the council of the elders.” What Christian leaders will you tell (phone call, email, letter, face to face) today about God’s unfailing love for you?

“Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord.” (v.43)