Matthew 12 opens with Jesus and his disciples picking grain in a field on the Sabbath and enraging the religious leaders. (See Matt 12:1-8)

There is so much to glean from this short passage. I think we need to remind ourselves to slow down and mine the gold that is found in the Word.

For instance—

1. Spurgeon points out that Jesus and his disciples were poor and hungry, yet Jesus obviously didn’t perform miracles every time they needed something.
2. Jesus clearly had a purpose when He didn’t intervene to fix their problem and this purpose would soon be unfolded.

(From this, we can remember, God has a purpose in our lives when we wonder why He doesn’t just quickly fix some of our circumstances.)

3. Also in this passage, Jesus pointed out the absurdity of man-made religious rules just for rules sake.

(Let’s make sure we have a scripture basis for what we do, and what we don’t do.)

4. In this account, Jesus was absolutely declaring His deity.

He rules over all rules, rulers, authorities…there is no greater power.

So what do we do with all this?

We stay committed to reading the Word because we remember God has so much to say to us. He wrote it for us! We apply what we read to our understanding of this God we serve.

Specifically today, in this short passage, we remind ourselves He always has a purpose and we can trust Him even when we have to wait or when the answer is not in the way we might like or expect.

Oh friends, the Word is rich! It’s wisdom, it’s encouragement, it’s understanding to keep us going and help us live our lives in blessing and peace.

And one more thing —the Word will stand alone. While I love studying and sharing what He teaches me, you don’t need me.

If Jesus is your Savior, you have the Holy Spirit. Jesus called him the Helper — “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

As you seek the Lord through His Word, you will find Him, and the Holy Spirit will teach you all things, and remind you of truth right when you need it. All He needs is a willing student!

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