READ:
Matthew 28
We come to the end of the story, at least from the perspective of
Matthew as inspired by the Holy Spirit. But what a story it is! And it’s real!
The power of it all! The glory of Jesus! Even the greatness of what happened is
supported by the intensity of the earthquake, the majestic appearance of the
angel, the hurrying of the women to tell others, the immediate worship of Jesus
by the disciples. The resurrection of Jesus truly is one of the most
significant events in the history of mankind. It’s wise for us to meditate on
its significance! Of course, its importance has resulted in many attempts to
cover it up, including by the chief priests right
away. Can we defend attacks against the resurrection of Jesus?
However, as we finish this part of the story, we transition to the next
stage of history, even to our part. We
have a job to do, a mission! First, it is based on the authority of Jesus! Our
“going out” is under the authority of the King of Kings. We should remember
this . . . It’s not about us! It’s about us serving
the King under His marching orders. Second, we need to make disciples. A
disciple is far more than a person who says they believe in Jesus. In fact,
Jesus defines it – “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Personally
we need to be these kind of disciples, but also prayerfully, carefully and
intentionally helping others along this journey.
Finally, the immensity of the task requires great help! We can’t do this
on our own, nor should we. Jesus makes one of the most reassuring promises in
the entire Bible – “and surely I am with you always to the very end of the
age.” When we imagine or face challenges in fulfilling our mission, we should
always be mindful of God’s promise to be with us. This makes it all worth it
and possible. Could we ever praise God enough for inviting us into His plan,
and giving us all we need? He is SO good!
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1.
Let’s thank God for helping us in our reading and understanding of His
Word. Thank Him for our access to the Bible – we shouldn’t take this for
granted! Ask Him to continue to grow all of us in both our understanding of and
obedience to His Word.
2.
In your journals, write down a list of people you are discipling, or could be discipling. Ask God to help you
make this list! Ask Him to show you where each person is at, and humbly ask for
next steps and strategies. We may not have something to do with each person,
but there may be some immediate action we can take.
3.
Spend some time asking for the filling of the Spirit – God with us! Ask
Him to fill you for the ability to disciple others, pray, and further His
Kingdom until His glorious return!
Foundations Notice
We are working on our next Foundations Devotional right now, and we should have it ready shortly. As a result you may see an interruption in receiving these updates. In the meantime, you may download an archived Foundations or simply use a Bible Reading Plan to stay in the Word. Thanks so much and have a wonderful day!
