4 x 6 Plan | Read: Matthew 23:37-39 & Ephesians 5:11-21
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. (Matthew 23:37)
In Matthew 23:37-39, we witness Jesus’ heartfelt lament over Jerusalem, a city that had rejected Him and the message of grace He brought. He desired to gather them under His wings, but they refused. This passage invites us to reflect on our own response to Jesus and the invitation He extends to us.
In a world that often demands perfection and adherence to a set of rules, Jesus offers us a different way—a way of grace. He longs to gather us into His loving embrace, offering us refuge and acceptance. Yet, sometimes we may find ourselves striving to earn His love through our own efforts, attempting to follow the law and meet a standard of righteousness. When we realize our inability to meet the requirements of the law and surrender ourselves to the grace of Jesus, we find true rest and peace. It is in His arms of grace that we discover our true identity and receive the love and acceptance we long for.
Let us not reject the outstretched arms of Jesus, but instead, run into His embrace. May we find solace and rest in His grace, knowing that we are forgiven, accepted, and loved beyond measure. As we experience the depth of His grace, let us extend that same grace to others, inviting them to find refuge in the loving arms of Jesus..
Thoughts on Ephesians 5:11-21
“Thanksgiving is not a day; it’s a lifestyle.” Maybe you’ve heard that phrase or seen it on a church billboard. Learning to be thankful every day is not a new concept. It’s an idea Jesus taught and a principle that Paul, the writer of Ephesians, tried to pass on to Christians in Ephesus almost 2,000 years ago. Paul was a Christian missionary who was imprisoned for his faith. Yet in Ephesians 5:20, Paul encouraged the church to give thanks to God for all things. How could Paul, of all people, be thankful in every circumstance? The answer is the Holy Spirit. When we ask Jesus into our lives, we receive the Holy Spirit to be our helper and our guide. And in the same breath that Paul encourages us to be thankful in all things, he says to fill up on the Holy Spirit instead of turning to wine, or whatever else used to bring us joy, because the Holy Spirit is far more valuable (Ephesians 5:18).
Action Steps
Bible: What is God showing me? What am I going to do about it?
Bless: Serve one person through word, action, or gift today.
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