August 11, 2024 Devo

August 11th, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. – Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT)
“The Most Sacred Act of Worship”

When we think of the cross, we typically imagine something that looks like a plus sign. Two beams, one horizontal and the other a vertical beam through the middle of the horizontal one. It’s a great picture, not just of remembering the great sacrifice of Christ, but also of remembering the greatest concerns on God’s heart: That we love God and love others.
We often forget that it’s just as important to God that we are “right” with each other as it is that we are “right” with God. Though we can only take care of our end of that, God makes it clear over and over again that He expects us to do our part. That’s what Jesus is driving home to us in our passage today. And it’s a strong point.
Jesus says if you’re at church, in the middle of worship, and you remember that you’ve done something or said something to hurt someone else, you need to stop worshipping with your songs, your prayers, and your offering. Instead, you need to give God the greatest act of worship that you can give. Go make things right with whomever you’ve hurt. That will bless Him more than any song, any ritual, or any other act of worship.
Any parent reading this will understand. If one of your children has hurt another of your children, and they come to you and say, “I love you so much. What could I do today to return all the love and grace you have shown me?” What would you say to them as a parent? You’d say, “The thing that would bless me the most, the thing that would make my day, the thing that would bring me so much joy that it would make me cry, would be for you to go and make things right with your brother/sister. Because when you guys are good with each other, WE’RE good with each other!”
Take a moment today and let God speak to you. Is there someone that He’s nagging you about making things right with? Do you feel as if there’s a splinter in your conscience because you know that you’ve said some things or done some things that have hurt your spouse, hurt your kid, hurt your parent, hurt someone at church, or hurt someone else? Then perform the greatest act of worship that there is. Humble your heart, own what you did, and seek their forgiveness. You can’t control how they will or won’t respond, but one thing I can assure you. It’ll be the most sacred act of worship that you can give to your Heavenly Father. That’s God’s Word for you today.