Author: Nathaniel Colt

Read about It

Read: Psalm 139:16–18

There are 60 minutes in an hour, 1,440 minutes in a day, 10,080 minutes in a week, and 525,600 minutes in a year. If you had to write down everything you’re going to do in the next year from minute to minute, what kinds of things would be on that list? The Bible says that every day of our life is recorded, and God knows what every moment of our life will look like. The things that may seem like interruptions to us are actually things that God knew were going to happen to us long ago.

When He places people in our path, He already knew, before we were even born, that our paths would cross with them because He knows them too. Following God means trusting that He knows best. Many of the people we come into contact with are there for a reason. Following God also means trusting Him with our time and being ready to jump into whatever God may bring our way. Just as with Peter, John, and the man who was lame, maybe that interruption will be the very thing that would help someone learn about Jesus.

Read about It

Read: Isaiah 55:8–9

Imagine this. You’re home on a school night, and your homework and chores are finally done. Dinner is all cleaned up, and you’re getting ready to sit down and play your favorite game. In the other room, you hear your parent answer the phone and after a quick conversation they say, “Sure, we’ll be right there.” Your parent comes in to tell you that your neighbor’s dog has run off, and your neighbor needs help finding it. What do you do?

God is not surprised like we are when things like this happen. His plans for our day might be totally different from ours because His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Sometimes an interruption in our day may be God’s way of lining up a perfect opportunity for us to reach out to others and show them that we care. Peter and John could have been frustrated when the man asked for help, because it was an interruption in their day, but they weren’t. That man needed someone to show him that they cared. When unexpected opportunities come up during our day, we can ask God to help us not get irritated and to help us see others the way that He does.

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Read: Acts 3:7–11

Have you ever skipped stones at a lake or a pond? One flick of the wrist can send a stone skipping several steps across the water. The stone creates lots of ripples that flow out from where it touched the water. That one stone can affect all the water around it, even without touching that part of the water. This is exactly what happened with Peter and John when they took the time to stop and speak with the man who was lame at the gate. The man was healed and the people around him witnessed the results of the miracle.

God wants to use us to change the world around us with His love. When we take the time to listen to His voice and follow His commands, we will not only affect the people we talk to, but also others as well. We will be part of the ripple effect of them sharing Jesus with people we may never actually talk to ourself.

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Read: Acts 3:1–6

Peter and John went to the temple one afternoon to pray, and it was probably much like any other afternoon. The man who was lame was carried in, just like he was each day. But, Peter and John were full of the Holy Spirit. Instead of rushing past the man to make it on time to the prayer service, they stopped when the man asked for money. We don’t know if they had seen this man before or not, but we do know that on this day, they were willing to stop and speak with him. They were willing to allow their schedule to be interrupted to do something that Jesus would have done.

Although they didn’t have money, they offered him what they did have: a miracle in the name of Jesus! You see, God isn’t always looking for the richest people or the most talented people to do His work. He wants to use people who are willing to be used by Him; people who are willing to interrupt their normal schedule to stop and care for someone who may be hurting.

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Read: Acts 16:6–10

Paul, the missionary, traveled far and wide, telling others about the love of Jesus. He started churches, trained leaders, and encouraged new Christians. The Holy Spirit led Paul. He knew that he needed to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading so the Church could grow. He kept traveling and preaching, but the Holy Spirit stopped him from going to a certain place. What was he to do? Then, in a dream, Paul saw a man from Macedonia begging for help. Paul didn’t think twice. He immediately left for Macedonia to spread the good news about Jesus there.

Who do you know that needs to hear? Everyone needs to hear about Jesus! But, just one person can’t tell the entire world. Paul, the first missionary, who started many churches and saw many come to Jesus, couldn’t reach the whole world alone.

Like Paul, we need to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us. He will show us where to go and who to talk to. Like Paul, we can obey when the Holy Spirit calls. Listen carefully for times you think the Holy Spirit is leading you. It could be in prayer time, or it could be during your day. He can help you know who to tell about Jesus. He helps you know where to go. Keep working for Jesus and sharing His love. When the Holy Spirit speaks to you, then obey!

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Read: Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13

Jesus reminded the Pharisees about an instructive Bible verse from Hosea. As religious leaders, they told others how to act and what to do to be close to God. The Pharisees offered sacrifices and taught the Law. They did certain good things for God. But their hearts were far from God, and it was clear because they weren’t ready to offer mercy. Mercy means to show forgiveness to someone who deserves to be punished.

When these leaders saw Jesus eating with sinners and tax collectors, they couldn’t believe it! Why would Jesus spend time with bad people? Jesus knew that sacrifices and following the Law were good. But Jesus also knew that loving others was even more important. The sinners and tax collectors needed mercy. They needed Jesus more than any sacrifice or good deed. This was a time to put mercy before rules.

Imagine you are playing soccer with your friends. The score is tied, and you are about to score the winning point. But as you are about to kick the ball, you notice someone from the other team has tripped. The kid is hurt. The rules say you should score the goal. But what would mercy tell you to do? Jesus always looks at people first. He loves them. He shows them mercy. Sharing God’s love means sometimes we have to look beyond the man-made rules. We have to look at the person and show love and mercy the way Jesus did.

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Read: Matthew 9:11–12

Matthew made a quick decision to follow Jesus, which forever changed his life. So, what was the first thing he did to celebrate his new life? He had a dinner at his house! Matthew invited other tax collectors and sinners to come to sit at the table with Jesus and His disciples. Matthew knew that the One who called him loved these other sinners too. The Pharisees, however, seemed unhappy about it. What kind of man was Jesus who hung out with sinners? Why did Jesus sit down and eat with these types of people? Jesus replied, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Jesus knew that He came to heal the sick and broken. Matthew was one of those people. Because Jesus saved him, Matthew could not help but tell others who needed to hear!

Jesus wasn’t talking about people who had a cough, fever, or even needed to go to the hospital. He was talking about people living in a way that wasn’t honoring Him. There may be many people in your school, your neighborhood, and even your church who aren’t living for Jesus. Some people may have forgotten about them. Others may have labeled them as cheaters, liars, or bad kids. Jesus hasn’t forgotten them. He offers them new labels like friend, worthy, and good. We can be like Matthew and “set the table.” What does that mean? We can invite others and allow them to meet Jesus!