Today’s Devotion
Topic: Do You Understand?
Text: Mat 13: 51
“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. Amen
Every good teacher wants to know whether or not his students are getting the full understanding of what he tries to put across. He will often ask the class if they understand the lessons so far. Most often than not, the chorus reply is “yes sir”. This can go on a whole term until exam results are released. There it becomes apparent that not all really understood the lesson and its application as was claimed.
One day Jesus taught His disciples a parable and said, “the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mat 13: 47- 50)
There after, He asked them, “Have you understood all these things?” They replied “Yes”. But obviously they didn’t. As a matter of fact, most of them deserted Him when He needed them most. As if they were people who didn’t know that, the value of knowing and walking with Him was accredited to them as righteousness and that candidated them to be citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
The same is true about most of us. We have read from the Bible everything we need to know about salvation and the kingdom of heaven. How just like a fisherman’s net, the kingdom can attract all kinds of fish (people), both wicked and righteous; how on the day of reckoning, angels will separate the truest children of God from the fake; yes! And how the wicked will be thrown into blazing fire. We really know of these.
Even, after each salvation sermon, the preacher often asks if we understand these things and we always say, “yes”. Amidst tears and sorrow, we join the choir to sing the chorus “I Surrender All…” with our hands lifted to heaven. However, our lifestyle doesn’t look anything like a people who are repented and desiring righteousness. We are still very wicked, unforgiving, bitter, hateful and promiscuous.
How then could we claim to have fully understood scripture that there shall be a day of reckoning, sooner than many will prepare for? A day which will catch us all like a thief at night. How prepared are you to meet the Lord?
Begin to pray and re-dedicate your life to Jesus. Ask Him into your life if you’ve never done so. Surrender to the Holy Spirit for “groomings” to make you like Christ. And always remember that Jesus comes soon. His reward is with Him, to give everyone according to what they have done (Rev 22: 12). Do you understand all these things?
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