Matthew 24:32-35 He is at the gates!
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: August 16, 2019 Matthew 24:32-35
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.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
(Understanding the Text) The generation part is explained by the local application to the temple, which is what the questioners were most interested. “But he answered them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’ As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’” (Matthew 24:2-3). In A.D. 70 the part about the temple being totally destroyed took place. That generation did not pass away before the temple was gone. However, I think there may be more to the meaning than that. I need to study it more.
(Understanding the Text / Prayer) The signs of the end are all around me. The time is near, but how near? Every day, things seem to be getting worse and worse. I pray to stay faithful and trust You to the end even when everything goes haywire and I might not know where my next meal is coming from or have the money because of the economy collapsing. When natural disasters and violence increase, teach me to trust You and wait for You patiently. Sometimes, the last little bit of a wait is harder than the long hours before.
(Application / Revelation of God / Prayer) My application for myself is that God’s promises and prophecies are true. He has His own timetable, and it is all proceeding according to plan. It may look like Satan is winning in the world, but he is not. God uses subtle ways to counteract the evil around us. We can’t always see His working, but it is there, which is why this world didn’t end in annihilation many years ago. We’ve come close to destroying ourselves multiple times since I have been alive, but it never happened because God is working for us against the enemy who wants to destroy us, so I need to always have hope even when I seem to see no progress. Help me to have hope.