Scripture Union Daily Guide 1st February 2025 (Saturday) Devotional Message
TOPIC: The Good News Is For All
OPENING PRAYER: Help me to understand the exceeding greatness of your power as I read through this passage, dear Lord.
Please support 5dailydevotional.com so we can continue publishing impactful and uplifting content daily. GIVE HERE
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Matthew 9:1-13 (NIV)
1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
The Calling of Matthew
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
► Q 1: What does the passage teach about God the Father, or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?
► Q2: Is there any example for me to follow or not to follow?
Scripture Union Daily Guide 1st February 2025 – OUTLINE
Contrary to Jewish and popular beliefs, all sickness is not the direct result of sin by the individuals or their parents. See John 9:1-3. However, in this case, sin may have been the cause since Jesus forgave the sins of the young man before He miraculously healed him. Nevertheless, the Scribes did not believe that Jesus had the power to forgive sins (Matthew 9:3).
During Jesus’ time, tax collectors or publicans were hated and despised. They were branded corrupt, being collaborators with the oppressive Roman government. It is for this reason the Pharisees were unhappy that Jesus associated with such ‘notorious’ people and ate with them in the home of Matthew, a tax collector whom He newly recruited as a disciple (Matthew 9:9-11). On both occasions, note the response of Jesus (Matthew 9:4-6,12-13). His association with sinners was part of the process of winning them back to God.
Let us ensure that narrow denominational traditions do not prevent us from acknowledging God’s power at work around us. Similarly, we must not limit the gospel to only certain people in our society. We should always open our churches and fellowship meetings to all who want to come in.
And So:
Reach out to someone today with the gospel message.
* Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?
Offer a prayer of faith in line with: Psalms 22:19
CLOSING PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to be focused on what you want me to do.
Pray for Christian ministries and organizations, that they will continue to fulfil the divine mandate for which they have been established. .
Pray for boldness to continue to speak and stand for the truth. Pray against every form of pollution that is weakening the power of god in the body of Christ.
One Year Bible Reading Guide:
Exodus 7-8, Psalms 28.
National Prayer Bulletin – Saturday February 1, 2025
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and wonderful works to the children of men. Ps 107:21
THANK GOD FOR:
* His goodness to you, your family, the Ministry, the Church , the Nation and everyone around you.
PRAY FOR:
* Faith to keep trusting and following God and His Word; and grace to avoid doing anything that will make God angry. • God’s visitation, intervention and wonders in your life, family, brethren and the nation.
PRAY AGAINST:
* Unbelief, ignorance, spiritual blindness that robs us of the privileges God has for us.
Scripture Union is an international, interdenominational, evangelical Christian organization. It was founded in 1867, and works in partnership with individuals and churches across the world. The organization’s stated aim is to use the Bible to inspire children, young people and adults to know God. (Scripture Union Daily Guide 1st February 2025)
