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Day 23 Matthew 11 Matthew 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. How well do people know you? How well does your best friend know you? Do your siblings know your intentions and purpose? Do you have doubts and fears that you missed all the signs for your purpose? Do you look at what you’ve accomplished and tell yourself it isn’t good enough? John the Baptist faced all those questions and sent his disciples to make certain he didn’t miss it, and Jesus sent the reply back that he hadn’t missed his purpose and calling. Jesus then proceeded to tell the people who John the Baptist was and who he wasn’t, and what John came to do. Jesus knew John, and Jesus knows you. He knows everything about you. He knows your doubts and fears. He knows you’re going to slip up and think you’ve missed it. However, just as Jesus told the people about John, he will tell people about you as well. How will Jesus tell people about you? Through your friends. Through people you know. And sometimes through people you don’t know. When you need a word of encouragement, he will give it to you. When you need a blessing, he will give it to you. When you have doubts and fears, he will cast them aside and reaffirm your purpose and let you know you’re doing exactly what you were meant to do. It’s okay to doubt. It’s okay to ask questions. When you do, you will find your answers, and you will see you are right in the middle of God’s will for your life. Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou came forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Let’s pray: Father, take all my doubts and fears from me. Cast aside my feelings of inadequacy and show me I’m in the middle of my purpose. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 11 May 2018 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay