Matthew 5:27-30 Wandering Eyes
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: January 31, 2019, Matthew 5:27-30
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
(Understanding the Text) Jesus was not saying for us to mutilate our bodies. Instead, He was trying to show us the importance of cutting out anything in our lives that separates us from God. We should find anything that endangers our relationship to Jesus abhorrent. We should flee from anything or anyone that comes between us and God. Our relationship with God should be the most important element of our life.
This is still within the framework of the blessings and showing a righteousness that is more than the Pharisees. To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to desire to be clean on the inside more than the outside. Jesus is showing an example of where corruption can be present on the inside even when the appearance is innocent on the outside.
(Revelation of God) Too often our ideas of God are similar to our ideas of behaving righteously. When we focus on outward actions, we re also focusing on a shallow God who cares more about the house color than the strong structure of the house. In other words, We do not see that God cares about the health and happiness of the whole person because He is whole. He is not fooled by outward obedience. He knows us inside and out and wants the best for us. God is pure and beautiful and strong inside and out and He wants us to also be pure and beautiful and strong throughout our whole being. When we focus only on outward obedience, we are essentially saying that we think that God can be fooled and that He is more concerned about appearance than who we really are.
(Application / Prayer) I always think that I don’t have a problem with the adultery commandment. I am never tempted to look at real people with lust. However, Jesus makes it clear that the romance books that I used to read, and the movies that I used to watch are committing adultery. They fill the mind with thoughts and attitudes that are opposed to God. I thank God that He took the desire for these books and movies away (for the most part). I pray that I will find such love in You that I won’t be tempted at all by make-believe stories that are composed of so many sinful rebellious attitudes.
My application for myself is that Jesus has a higher standard for me than I have for myself, but His standard is to create in me a close relationship to Him, not to make me feel inadequate. Jesus wants me to be pure in heart so that I can see God. If I let my mind be cluttered up with worldly ideas and feelings, I will not be able to see God. I want to see God.