Read Matthew chapter 6.  Someone once approached a teacher and asked her
how to cultivate a deeper life of prayer.  The teacher’s response was quite simple, “Say the Lord’s Prayer, but take an hour to say it.”  Today might be a hard day to take an hour to pray the Lord’s Prayer, but consider repeating it several times throughout your day. Records your thoughts at the end of this day … where was God made known to you in a special way?

Read Matthew chapter 5.  Recently the group MercyMe produced the popular song “I Can Only Imagine.”  Take a few moments to reflect on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) and “only imagine” how the world would be different if the body of Christ was known for its poverty of spirit, its meekness, its mercy, its purity of heart, and its peacemaking. Considering journaling today about what only you can imagine.

Scripture:  Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him’ " (Matthew 4:10, NRSV).

Observe the Context:  In reading Matthew 4:1-13 we see Jesus emerging from the Jordan river’s baptismal waters and being led into wilderness.  After 40 days of going without food and water Jesus is said to be "famished" (an understatement for sure!).  The Evil One (diabolos in the Greek) or Satan comes to Jesus and tempts him saying "if you are the Son of God, then …."  These words remind the reader that only 40 days earlier "a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased’ " (Matthew 3:17).  Satan comes at Jesus at a moment of weakness (when he is famished) and simultaneously compliments him on his strength (you are the Son of God).  Jesus responds by rejecting Satan with answers that reside in the Torah (see Deuteronomy 6-8) and choosing to worship only the LORD our God.

Apply the Text to My Life:  Jesus is tempted in the ways I am tempted and usually fall.  When "I am tired, I am weak, and I am worn" the Evil One tempts me and most often I want to fix it for myself, rather than let Jesus "lead me on to the light" (from Thomas Dorsey’s "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," The United Methodist Hymnal, #474).  But the Evil One also comes and says such great things about me … and I don’t want the words to stop flowing.  Jesus offers me the answer in verse 10:  "Away with you, Satan" and "worship only the Lord"  I reject Satan by depending on God’s Word ("thy word is lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path," Psalm 119:105) and worshipping God (and not the idols of self or others).   There is no big red easy button here (where is Staples when I need them) … I have to depend on and worship God.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, watch over me as I move through this week that I may learn to depend on you and you alone.  Teach me to worship you in solidarity with others who seek sustenance in your embrace.  Indeed teach me to love you with heart, soul, mind, and strength and my neighbor as myself.  Hear my prayer lifted in the Name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

SOAP = Scripture, Observation, Application, & Prayer

Read Matthew chapter 4.  After doing without food and drink for forty days and nights, scripture tells us he was famished. In this moment of needing to be fed Satan, the evil one, tempts Jesus with several ways to nourish his soul.  Where are you spiritually hungry today?  What needs in your life are not being met?  Where have you tempted to meet those needs in illegitimate ways?

Read Matthew chapter 3.  Folks flock from Jerusalem to see this stranger thundering in the desert and what they find is a man wearing a camel’s hair cloak, a leather belt, eating locusts and wild honey. They listened to John the Baptist on a lark, but stayed to hear more because of the truth-telling he was doing. Where has truth come to you that did not originate from ivy-covered centers for learning?

Read Matthew chapter 2.  The Magi, mysterious visitors from the East,
brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Some suggest that these gifts anticipated
Jesus’ death, but maybe they also were used by Jesus to prepare for life. What gifts have others given you that have
allowed you to become the person you are today? Who gave you those gifts? Consider dropping a note of thanksgiving to one of those persons in the
coming week.

Read Matthew chapter 1. The Genealogy of Jesus found in this chapter
shows how God can use brokenness for holy purposes. Take a few moments to think of Rahab the
prostitute, Judah visiting prostitutes, Ruth risking being a stranger and rejection
to and David doing great things for Israel and producing an heir to the thrown
(Solomon) with “Uriah’s wife” (Bathsheba). Take a few moments to think about your spiritual ancestors (Sunday
school teachers, bible study leaders, parents, preachers, etc.). Then offer God all of who you can become
through God’s grace.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17, NRSV).

“Matthew writes this
Gospel in the early church period when the church is predominantly Jewish. Matthew frequently cites passages from the
Old Testament that are fulfilled in the coming of Jesus the Messiah, a
watershed event in the long tradition of ancient Judaism. Matthew’s intent is that those who read his
Gospel, whether Jews or Gentiles, will see themselves as participants in the
grand sweep of God’s purposes in history. The coming of Jesus, says Matthew, is the culmination of all our
waiting” (Gary Thomas, “Promises That Come True,” in The Spiritual Formation Bible (Grand Rapids; Zondervan:
1999) 1272).

You are invited to read
Matthew’s Gospel anticipating Jesus’ coming to you. Jesus was named by Joseph “Emmanuel – God is
with us” and he is still with us. Bring
your troubles, trials, tribulations; your praises, thanksgivings, and
celebrations to the One who promises to be with us always. Come and be filled with the power of Jesus’
presence so that you might be used to fulfill God’s purposes in history. Richard Blanchard, a United Methodist pastor,
said it this way in 1958:

Fill
my cup, Lord; I lift it up, Lord.
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more;
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.

May you cup be filled,
your thirsting soul quenched, your hungry heart fed, and may you be made whole
in Jesus Christ

Each week you will find
four readings. Use the journaling
questions to prompt your thinking. You
may also want to be led in your journaling by the acronym SOAP. In doing this you are invited to center of
one verse in the SCRIPTURE reading that catch’s your attention (write it
down). Then you should OBSERVE the verse
in its context (and make your notes about the journal). Then APPLY the lesson from God to your
life. Finally, PRAY to God to bring this
lesson to fruition in your life today.

The authors for this devotional journey also include Jay Bissette pastor of Bascom Chapel and Page Memorial UMCs, Doug Lain pastor of Salem UMC, and Gregg Presnall pastor of Vass and Cameron UMCs.  Together we are part of a larger journey with the Wellspring Colleague Forum of the North Carolina Annual Conference.