A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW     

ALL GOD SAYS IS IMPORTANT  

Matthew 5:18-19 “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”   

In the United States culture, as is true in most, scales are important. Much of what is purchased in a grocery store must be weighed as it is sold by that measure. Every day you wake you put much information on your personal scale, weighing it to determine if it will be important for you that day or you can discard it or at least set it aside. 

Your sinful human nature wants to take God’s Word and put it on a scale. While God says all sin is sin, the sinful Old Adam in you weighs sins, dividing them into “big” ones such as murder, grand theft, child abuse and the like while hardly giving a passing thought to white lies, half truths and cheating a store out of a few pennies. 

Jesus teaches in today’s devotional verses, “not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” and “ . . . anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” All of God’s Laws are equally important. God expects every one of them to be perfectly obeyed.   

You are not able to meet this expectation of God. Daily, by sinning, you set aside the least commands of God and sometimes some of the big ones also. Thankfully, God sent His Son Jesus into the world to keep His commands from the least to the greatest. Jesus did this in your place, for your sake. Jesus then sacrificed His life on Calvary’s cross in payment for the many, many times during your lifetime when you fail to keep God’s Commands. His shed blood wipes away, removes and gives you God’s pardon for your disobedience.  

Prayer: Holy Spirit, lead and guide me to know and obey God’s commandments. Dear Jesus, when I fail to obey God’s commandments, wash away the guilt and condemnation my sins deserve. Heavenly Father, forgive my disobedience for Jesus’ sake. In the name of Jesus, I pray. 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!  
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.  
Mold me and make me after Thy will,  
While I am waiting, yielded and still.  
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!  
Search me and try me, Master, today!  Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,  
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.  
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!  
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!  
Power, all power, surely is Thine!  
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.  
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!  
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!  
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see  
Christ only, always, living in me.  (Text by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907. Public Domain)