Stress Test Devotional April 27
April 27, 2024
MATTHEW 16:2-3
He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
In parts of the US with beautiful weather, like Florida and Southern California, the weather often leads the evening news. Images of snow in Chicago or ice in New York are common. It is as if the stations are congratulating their viewers on being intelligent enough to live where they do. Weather obsession goes back a long way, and in this passage Jesus calls out his opponents, who are experts at monitoring meteorological signs but who are missing the significance of his ministry. Spiritual blindness is compatible with insight in other areas. Many brilliant people cannot see clearly when it comes to matters of faith.
PRAYER
Gracious God, Grant me discernment. Help me to use the gift of my mind in conjunction with my heart. Show me signs of your goodness and grace that I can celebrate and praise. Don’t allow me to focus on the trivial and passing and miss the vital and eternal. Amen.
