Matthew 18:7-9 Stop Playing with Fire
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: May 16, 2019 Matthew 18:7-9
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.
“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
(Understanding the Text) This is a continuation of the answer to who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus had already told them that they had to become like a child. Then, He had warned them against leading a little one away from God. In these verses, Jesus continues the idea of not leading someone away from God. Jesus says that it would be terrible to be the one who gives the temptation to break relationship with God.
(Revelation of God) Jesus makes a throwaway comment in the middle of his warning that it is necessary that temptations to sin come. Why is it necessary? Why do I have to be tempted? Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan. It was necessary for Him to be tempted for some reason. Why? The SDA Commentary says that this is not saying that it is God’s plan that I face temptations, but that it is an inevitable part of life on this world. “That is, ‘it is necessary,’ or ‘it is unavoidable’ that occasions for stumbling should come. ‘Offences’ are not ‘necessary’ in the purposes and plans of God, but simply impossible to avoid, men being what they are (see DA 438; cf Luke 17:1).”
(Understanding the Text) The next part says that no matter how near and dear something is to us, if it causes a rupture in our relationship with God, we need to throw it away. The cutting off parts are obviously symbolic since hands, feet, and eyes are not the causes of temptation. If it is symbolic, what is it symbolic of? The feet take us places, so if a certain place causes us temptation, we should not go there. The hands perform actions, so if a certain action causes us temptation, we should stop doing that action. The eyes are where outside stimuli enter the mind most often, so if something is entering your mind through your senses that would bring temptation, we need to block off that input. This is a call to be careful where we go, what we do, and what we allow to enter our minds. We have a goal, which is heaven. Anything that weighs us down to this sinful world and does not uplift us to heaven is trash and should be released and thrown out from our lives.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I am headed toward one specific goal. My goal is to live with Jesus throughout eternity. I need to stay focused on that goal. I need to include activities in my life that move me closer to that goal and exclude activities that would draw me away from that goal. The activities that promote my goal are communicating with Jesus and getting to know Him better and working closely together with Him, i.e. prayer, Bible study and meditation on who Jesus is, and uplifting my fellow man to bring him/her closer to my Savior. I pray to know You and know that You are with me as I do the jobs that You have given me. I pray to see Your hand in the events that surround me. I pray to be aware of You always and that You love me and are with me.