Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
Teaching them to observe all that I have
commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the
age.
There is a certain is a pizza place in Chicago that makes
the best deep dish pizza. If I lived in Chicago I honestly think I could eat
there almost every day for weeks and never get tired of it. Their pizza is just
that good. However, I know that eating stuffed pizza for every meal for weeks
on end wouldn’t be good for my health. I know that I should include other food
groups in my diet. To be healthy, I need to eat a balanced diet.
A balanced diet is also good for us spiritually. It’s
really easy to get into a rut when it comes to reading our Bibles. Many times
we focus on those verses that make us feel good, and we ignore those that
challenge us. Just like it isn’t good for us to eat the same foods day in and
day out, it’s also not good for us to do that spiritually.
We shouldn’t pick and choose to read only the things in
the Bible that we like, or the passages we want to obey and ignore the rest.
That’s not what being a true disciple means. As we look at today’s Bible verse it
says:
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
In this verse, Jesus is giving some final instructions to
His disciples. He tells them to teach others to obey everything He commanded
them. He didn’t tell the disciples they could obey the things they liked and
ignore the things that challenge them in the Bible. Rather, Jesus told them to
obey everything.
The same goes for us today. We can’t pick and choose what
we’re going to obey and believe in the Bible. We need to take time to read it
all, and take time to obey it all. Even if a passage challenges us, or goes
against what makes us feel good, as disciples of Jesus, we need to obey it. So
today, examine your heart. Are there areas where you’ve ignored some of Jesus’
commands? If there are, make the adjustments today to line your life and
beliefs up to God’s word.
Dear Lord, help us to be faithful in reading all of Your Word
and not just the things that we want to hear and obey. In the Name of Jesus,
Amen.