“Jesus is not anxious or in a hurry when it comes to your spiritual growth.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 15, 2021
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. Matthew 9:13, NKJV
Go and learn. With these words, our Lord Jesus proclaims a profound truth that lies at the core of our journey of faith: true understanding of the ways of God is a lifelong, even eternal, process of discovery. Though we may be drawn to Jesus, and even feel an immediate longing for the ways of his kingdom, our hearts and lives must be made ready and able to live as faithful citizens, and that is a process that cannot be rushed or fast-tracked.
Jesus is not anxious or in a hurry when it comes to your spiritual growth. He isn’t angry or bothered when you and I fail to understand the first, or fiftieth, time. Our sin and self-made isolation from God is severe, and we therefore shouldn’t be surprised that our hearts are initially resistant to his grace. Apart from his love, we are hardwired to think only of ourselves – our wants, our needs, our happiness – failing to see his heart of compassion for those around us. We have grace for ourselves, yet hold others to an impossible standard, often judging and condemning for the slightest infractions. Simply put, our Lord is right to say we do not know what it means to “desire mercy.” We must go and learn.
While it is true that our Lord’s yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11:30), it does not mean that we instantaneously become mature and faithful disciples. The way of Jesus is meant to reshape and reform every aspect of your life. Every hardened position must be submitted to the teaching of Christ. Every firm conviction must be held with an open hand, allowing him to shape and reshape it until it is a reflection of his mercy and love.
If the words of Jesus never give us reason to pause, question, or reassess, we likely have failed to truly hear his word to us. Yes, he often speaks words of comfort that soothe our weary souls. Yet his word is also meant to alert us to danger, to identify and call out places of sickness in our souls so that we can be healed and restored. Though it can be disorienting and uncomfortable, his word is always for our good, leading us from darkness to light, from fear to faith, from death to life.
Prayer
Father, teach and guide us we pray, showing us where our lives are out of line with your will and ways, and by your grace lead us deeper into your life and love, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Instead of rushing past the words of Christ, what does it look like for you to sit with them for a season of life, taking the time that is needed to truly learn to hear and obey the Lord?
Related Reading
Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8; John 9:39
Worship Resource
The Brilliance: Hands and Feet
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