ESOCS Devotional 8 February 2022
TEXT: LUKE 6:39-49
MEMORY VERSE: “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” Luke 6:46 KJV
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place ”
39 And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil [a]treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was [b]founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it [c]fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
While followership, submission, and allegiance is highly celebrated, it is however disheartening when it is done under deception. Frankly speaking, there is nothing as painful as the discovery of deception, betrayal of trust, as well as misleading information or action. Practically, victims of such circumstances find it difficult to recover from the shock and move on in life.
Jesus decried the deceptive character of all those who throng around Him, shouting Lord, Lord, but vehemently refusing to obey His teachings and instructions. As much as the words may be chorused or expressed in other forms, the heart disposition is what matters most. The deception of man was the centre of the response Jesus gave to the Scribes and Pharisees when they asked him question. In Matthew 15:8 Jesus says, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with lips; but their heart is far from me”.
I hear the Master Jesus raising a very critical matter, and asking why we always say or do something different from the true content of our hearts. God considers the intents of the heart more than the spoken words. But still want us to be whole in ourselves. As believers, we believed with our heart and confessed with our mouth what we believed in our heart. Therefore, our heart content and our word content must agree for there not to be deception.
Every business built on deception does not stand. The relationship built on the ground of deception soon falls apart. Wealth gotten through deception takes away your peace and haunts you continually. The reason why many persons today are retarded in life is because their deception was discovered. If you deceive people, you will lose their trust. If you lose their trust you will also lose whatever benefit you could possibly get, whether in business, academics, marriage or ministry.
We can deceive men but the truth will be known sooner or later. We cannot deceive God, hence the need to live in sincerity and integrity with God and man. Let God confirm that your heart and words are the same. Let men also confirm that the words you speak or your action is not dubious. Make honesty your watchword and begin to live a more peaceful life.
- Go out and be sincere in your service to God and all your dealing with man.
Father, thank you for speaking to my heart, give me the grace to be honest at all times, in the name of Jesus.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Leviticus 25:1-24; Songs of Solomon 3:1-end; Ephesians 5:1-14
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ESOCS Devotional 8 February 2022
