April 16 - Wanting what God Wants

Overview of: Matthew

Today's Reading:
Matt. 5:1-48
"Sermon on the Mount"

Focus Verses: Matt. 5:17-18, 20
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. - - - 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Insight:
Jesus is the fulfillment of everything the Law and Prophets pointed to. Through faith Christ, we are able to become more than rule-keepers. By the power and grace of God we are able to experience transformation of the heart. More than just obeying external laws, the Spirit of God changes the hearts and renews the minds of those who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Response and Action:
My faith is in Jesus. I am looking to him for the renewal and transformation of my heart. I want to be more than a rule-keeper; I want my heart and my desires to be shaped by God. I want to want what God wants.

More than merely modifying or restraining my behavior, I want to live out the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus. I want to love and live righteousness in a way that makes commands unnecessary. I want to be renovated by the Spirit and grace of God. I will surrender my will and my heart to Jesus, and yield myself to God's transforming power.

O God, help me to turn away from what is wrong and do what is right. Lead me away from temptation and deliver me from evil. Change my heart and place righteous desires within me. Lead, shape, transform, and strengthen me, that I might delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Through Christ, my Lord and Savior, Amen.

Old Testament for Today: Ezekiel 36:26-27
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
In Context: Ezekiel 36

Proverb for Today: Prov. 16:23
"A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction."

Recommended Reading:
The Message of the Sermon on the Mount: Christian Counter-Culture
by John Stott