Ok so in one day of seeking God’s wisdom on a few different questions I had, He has revealed to me a lot. First let’s talk about BeEncourage. Yesterday I wrote you all about how the daily devotionals had become an obligation and work verses it being a safe space for growing christians, its original intention. After, my venting session I started to ask myself and God the hard questions so that I could clear the space of what was not of God. I soon realized one of the major key problems with the devotionals, I was writing as If I knew it all. I did not create a space for me to learn. I instead created a space for me to teach. That was never apart of God’s instructions to me. BeEncourage, in its fullness, is a space for growing Christians to be encouraged and to encourage one another in times when we need courage. I had gotten away from his idea and moved toward being a teacher. God reminded me that I don’t know it all and I won’t and don’t have to know it all. With that being said, the new direction for these daily devotionals will be more of a conversation. Please share with me what you know. Let’s help each other GROW. Starting now!!!

Secondly, I read Matthew Chapter 22. In this chapter there is so much to learn but the one thing that stood out to me was the parable of the wedding feast verses 1-14 that Jesus is telling. As I read this parable and did my study many truths stood out to me however, one thing stood out more than the others. The source for my meditation through out the day came from verses 11-14 that say.

“But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding.12‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply.  13Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’14“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

What held my focus about these verses is that I couldn’t understand why the king, who represents God, would throw out this man for being at the feast, which represents the kingdom of God, that he invited him to be apart of? Why does it matter if the man was dressed accordingly or not? Was the man on the streets made aware that there was a dress code in order to attend the feast? How did everyone else know to dress a certain way? What was the time lapse between the invite and showing up? All these questions started going through my mind. I really began to seek God’s understanding of what all this meant.

So far I have learned that in scripture 11 the term proper clothes correspond to spiritual fruit that demonstrated real faith. In my study I was lead to Matthew Chapter 7: 13-27. In these verses Jesus is speaking about the Narrow Gate, The Tree and  Its Fruit, True Disciples, and Building on a Solid Foundation. Below I will share what I learned from each of these and how they relate to Matthew 22:1-14:

The Narrow Gate- The narrow gate is the decision to follow Jesus, while the board is the decision not to that leads to hell. In Chapter 22 many were invited into the kingdom of God yet choose not enter. They chose the path to hell.

The Tree and Its Fruit- Just as the fruit indicated the nature of a tree, so one’s life indicates either a regenerate or unregenerate heart. The man thrown out of the banquet obviously did not have a regenerate heart. Spiritual rebirth is absolutely necessary if one is to produce the good fruit that Jesus demands. Good works flow from faith; good works and faith cannot be separated. 

True Disciples- Speaks to those who were never really converted even though they did great works in Jesus name. They were not obedient to the teachings of Jesus Christ, which teaches the will of God. This man in Chapter 22, broke God’d law through rejection of the Father’s will taught by Jesus. Having never known Christ, him the. Others in Matthew 7: 21, never learned to do what he commanded. 

Building on a Solid Foundation- A wise person understands that Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament promises, willing submits to him, and walks the path that ultimately leads to blessings, avoiding the storm, God’s all-knowing judgement. 

All that said, the emphasis in this whole devotional is on doing what Jesus teaches by walking in righteousness. To hear and not obey is to choose the wide gate that lead to destruction. Decision is necessary in the light oof what has been revealed. There will be a day when we answer to Jesus for our decisions.

What do you have to add??? Comment Below!