Devotional Thoughts

Matthew 12:43-45     " When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.   Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.   Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation."   Jesus has been dealing with the self-righteousness of the Pharisees throughout most of this chapter. He has repeatedly pointed out the falsehoods they profess, all to discredit the very One they claimed to be looking for. The Pharisees were not really seeking a Savior in the sense that they saw themselves as needy sinners. Their desire was for one to come and “save” them by elevating them above other men and to make them rulers in the land. In our verses this...

Numbers 14:6-9     "And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:  (7)  And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.  (8)  If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.  (9)  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not." We cannot talk about Joshua without also looking at Caleb. Their lives are very familiar to all of us. Out of the 12 spies who were sent to search out the land, they were the only 2 whose faith stood firm. The other ten spies became afraid and their hearts melted because of the walled cities and the giants that inhabited the land. But Joshua an...

Matthew 12:38-42     " Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:   For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.   The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.   The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." The scribes and Pharisees that were gathered saw Jesus cast the devil out of the man that was blind and m...

Joshua 24:14-15     "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.  (15)  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." There is much to be said about Joshua, but tomorrow we will move on to another. I cannot leave Joshua without including today's verses. Certainly God knew what the people would do in generations to come; and, even what some of these very people would do after settling into the Promised Land. Just as Moses gave parting thoughts to the people, now Joshua is giving his inspired words to them concerning their spiritual lives. Quite honestly, I believe we live in a time when we must...

Matthew 12:34-37     " O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.   A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.   But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.   For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."   To keep this account in focus, let us remember that Jesus is addressing a crowd that included some self-righteous Pharisees. These men had tried to lessen the people’s esteem of Jesus by claiming that He had cast out a demon by the power of the prince of demons. Jesus then began to denounce their folly before the people while proving in both word and deed that He had come from God. Their long-awaited Messiah was here! Jesus plainly told the Pharisees t...