No Deals Needed - Day 40 Month 2 Week 6 Day 5
Exodus 8-9:7
Psalm 35
Matthew 25:31-26:13
No Deals Needed
God brings all kinds of signs and plagues upon Egypt, but God hardens Pharaoh’s heart so he won’t free the Israelites. Pharaoh makes promises, but changes his mind each time a plague is stopped. While Scripture tells us that God hardens Pharaoh’s heart, we need to recognize that Pharaoh’s heart is already hard. He is already treating the sons of Israel as slaves and has no regard for God.
It’s such an easy trap. When we are in crisis, we often pull out all the stops. Sometimes we even try to make a deal with God. I know I have. “LORD, if You’ll just allow … then I’ll …”“LORD, please get me a new truck … then I’ll …”
Be careful when you make a deal with God. Don’t be the deal-maker! God does not want us to make deals. God simply wants you. I’m not saying, “LORD, please get me a new truck… then I’ll….” I’m simply asking for a new truck while staying focused on what He is asking me to do. He may say no—Or He may say yes. The old truck will not pass it’s inspection in May but if we continue to camp with our RV we need a truck.
Matthew 6:33 makes this point plainly: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Our Matthew reading gets even more direct. The King (Jesus) separates the people to His left and His right. The people on His right did the following:
“I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat.”
“I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink.”
“I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.”
“I was naked, and you clothed Me.”
“I was sick, and you visited Me.”
“I was in prison, and you came to Me.”
They ask Him, “When did we see You hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison?” Jesus answers, “To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”
The people on the left, however, did none of those things. They were selfishly looking after themselves and ignoring the needs of others—and in the end, they were driven out of the Kingdom. Just know this: if you are doing the will of Jesus as listed above, don’t worry about your needs. Recognize instead that some of what we call needs may actually be wants.
In January 2026, a homeless man in Hamilton named Dale died. He was loved by many, many people who lived, worked and hung out in downtown Hamilton, Ontario. Sylvia had met him several times as we took hot chocolate, coffee and snacks to the streets for the housing challenged who lived there. She knew him better than I. He was known as a “street preacher” and a “homeless hippie.” He positively impacted many people by sharing Jesus with them. He was also a strong advocate for the unhoused, well known for volunteering in the downtown area and for his dedicated—sometimes fiery—advocacy for affordable housing. He shared the little he had with others he considered to be in more dire circumstances than himself.
Dale, the street preacher.
To my understanding, he had no interest in living off the streets because that was his home and his ministry. Someone raised funds for his funeral because so many people wanted to show their gratitude. Imagine his reward when he saw Jesus face to face!
God is simply asking us to look after the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the sick, and those in prison. It’s back to the supreme expectation: Love God and Love your neighbour.
Have a great day,
Steve
Exodus 8-9:7 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%208-9%3A7&version=NASB1995
Psalm 35 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalms%2035&version=NASB1995
Matthew 25:31-26:13 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025%3A31-26%3A13&version=NASB1995
Comments
Post a Comment