Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Author
Kate Culver
The commissioning of the disciples ends the book of Matthew. The disciples encounter Jesus after they know he has died. They gather to worship him, and yet there are some among them that doubt his divinity. Jesus, who surely knew the presence of this doubt, commands all of the disciples, even the doubters, with “all authority in heaven and on earth” to go out and make disciples. The passage ends with the words of Jesus, “and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If we want to grow physically stronger, we have to work at it. For example, lifting weights literally tears at your muscles, and where the tears are, they grow back stronger. When we break a bone, where the bone sets and knits together, it grows back harder and stronger than before. This is the lesson of faith that Jesus was teaching us here. We learn here that doubt is a part of faith. Jesus did not tell the doubters to go away or to wait until they believed fully before they went out into the world. He knew that what the doubters needed was to exercise their faith to grow their faith. To question one’s faith is to wrestle with the hard questions and come out with a stronger answer.
Summer Devotional
God Goes With Us
This summer’s devotional is a walk through the Bible. Join our pastors and staff for daily reflections on scripture passages from Genesis to Revelation. In the beginning, God said, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” Come and see how this covenant promise changes through time yet remains steadfast from generation to generation.
Each Sunday, Chris Holmes will share a short message on the texts for the week, and written reflections will go out every Monday through Thursday morning.
We wish you blessings and deeper faith this summer!
