“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12).

We know what Jesus will do.  For round one, He has told us to leave the wheat and chaff together.  Round two, He will separate the wheat and the chaff.  This age is often talking about those we think are chaff and making them into wheat.  That is not our business.  As many as see the light are they who will be made into children of God.  Those who are in Him shall be gathered together, for they are His bride, the church.

Jesus, You told the disciples that they knew what You were doing.  Here it is made clear.  You are making children of the Heavenly Father in this age.  You call everyone, but it is “as many as follow You” and who come into Your presence, purpose and power that are saved.  You have given Your Holy Spirit to sift our hearts so that the wickedness of this age may be sifted out in order for the goodness You pour in to remain.

Lord Jesus, You are working through me and the daily struggles are my cross to bear.  Guide me today as You sift my heart by the power of Your Holy Spirit so that I willingly and humbly walk in the Father’s will for all that needs to be done.  Burn up within me all that is not useful.  Pour into me all that is needed so that I may live as a child of the Heavenly Father.  May Your will be done in me.  Amen.

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).

Never forget who Jesus is.  The Lord God, Creator of the universe has shown up.  Yes, He makes Himself approachable, but He is still God.  What we do pales in comparison with what He does and who He is.  He who is the Alpha and Omega will accomplish what He has purposed.  We are baptized in water.  He comes and fills us with His Holy Spirit and empowers us to become children of the Heavenly Father.

How then shall I live knowing these things?  Shall I go on as if nothing else mattered?  Guide me, Lord, in the way of life You know I need to live.  I am unworthy, but by Your grace and in Your power, I can do all things necessary.  Lead me, Lord, in the way of living life such that I may now and always be guided by You, the author and finisher of my faith.  Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and open me to receive all that You command.

Lord Jesus, my Savior, You have done so many wonderful things for me.  Now, help me to return the favor and begin again the journey of becoming like You.  Through the Holy Spirit, which You have given me, help me to do those things today which are right for one of Your followers to do.  Let me not look at any others in the way of thinking who is worthy, but instead, to look through eyes of compassion to help all of those in need.  Amen.

“And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10).

This warning is important.  Only the Lord knows the heart, but there appears to be many who simply give lip service.  Their actions are like the world’s and do not reflect any of the Lord’s commands.  Those who are not rooted in Christ will be cast away.  Where are your roots?  Are you living the life to which you have been called, or is your life no different than the one who hates the Lord?

I know I am conflicted because of this world in which I live, I also know I do not do the things I ought, but also, Lord, I desire to be one who is Yours.  Sink my roots into You and let the fruit that grows in me be Your production.  Guide me in Your goodness to look to You and seek after You always.  May the living water You give flow deep in me always.

Lord Jesus, Master of my soul, You know all that is needed.  You know me better than I know myself.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to produce fruit befitting one who is Your follower.  You have forgiven my sins and I am empowered by Your grace.  Help me to live with what You have given me and to fulfill Your Great Commission to go out into the world and obey all that You command. Amen.

“Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance; and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham” (Matthew 3:8-9).

Do you rely upon the Lord and His salvation, learning to obey all that He has commanded?  I do not know, but it seems as though many say, “God’s got it covered, so I’ll just do a I please.”  The Lord Jesus has come to make you to be like Him, a child of the Heavenly Father.  There is no place in this eternal relationship for continuing to sin.  All things will be made new and that includes you and me.  Therefore, your life should be consistent with what you say you believe.

Lord, You know that I am filled with inconsistencies, but that is not what this saying.  My heart needs to long for You and Your ways, and not make excuses to live the way of the world.  Let me see this difference clearly.  You have come to grow in me that which You intend to have in me and with You forever.  Keep me be on the path of faithfulness, and make my being on that path evident to those around me.

Lord Jesus, You know I need to be saved and You have come to do that.  But also, I have my part and here too, I need Your help to stay on the right course.  Let the root of my life be You so that the fruit of my life may be what is right and proper for one who follows You.  Guide me in all my ways so that I may now and forever walk humbly with You, my Savior and God.  Teach me how to be faithful.  Amen.

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7)

The goats and others who hate the Lord are often in the mix.  The devil hates the Lord and will do whatever he can to derail what the Lord is doing.  Do not think it is different in your fellowship.  Sadly, it is not.  But so what?  Will that change how you behave as one called by the Lord to learn how to be faithful and conformed to the image of Christ?  Will you listen to those whose father is the devil or to the Savior of your soul?

Come, Lord Jesus, and lead me in the way of everlasting life.  Help me to understand that those around me are in all kinds of places.  Saul (Paul) may have been one of those brood of vipers, and Your Holy Spirit used this to begin awakening his heart.  I do not know who is where.  All I know is that You have called me through my own baptism to come and follow You.  Let me be one who knows to flee wrath and live in Your promise.

Lord Jesus, You know what I need.  I may think I know, but I do not.  Lead me in the way of salvation that You have prepared.  Help me to have deaf ears to those who hate You.  Help me to hear Your word alone to guide me into all righteousness.  Let me not act as one of the offspring of vipers, but as a child of the Heavenly Father in the making.  Guide me today and forever through Your grace and mercy.  Amen.

“At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins” (Matthew 3:5-6).

It was a day’s journey to the Jordan river from Jerusalem.  The city was stirred up, for in a few years, shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Rome would destroy Israel and scatter her people.  People were curious as to who this baptizer was.  The faithful were confessing and he was baptizing with a baptism of repentance.  Many others were watching too.  Things have not changed.

The faithful act in faith and the watchers gather around.  Some of the gathered are puzzled, but others scoff and jeer.  We live in an age when the goats and the sheep, the wheat and the chaff are mingled together.  That aside, you have been called as one who is faithful to live a life that is quick to confess and repent.  Would you have been one of those who went a day’s journey to confess and be immersed in repentance?

Come Holy Spirit and baptize my heart with the living water so that I may be quick to confess, slow to scoff, and always willing to hear as You speak.  Guide me in the Gospel way despite my circumstances and grant me boldness of speech.  Lead me today to grow through all that comes my way to become more like Christ, my Savior.  Be the light that illuminates my path as I walk the narrow way.  Amen.

“Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4).

In Israel, the carob tree produces pods that, when roasted, taste like chocolate.  They are loaded with caffeine.  In John’s day, they were called locusts.  Perhaps John ate carob and honey.  In other words, he lived simply with a cheap coat, eating free food.  The Lord has called us to live despite our circumstances, learning to be faithful to the call He has given us.  The prosperity of the Lord is walking with Him, increasing in knowledge, and coming into His wisdom.

The Lord raises up whom He raises up.  We need teachers to help us know what the Lord is saying.  Then, we need to learn to really listen to what the Holy Spirit will say and hear as He speaks.  No matter your circumstances, the Lord has already raised you up through the promise of your baptism.  Walk in His promises and come into the wisdom He gives through His salvation.

Lord Jesus, before You began Your ministry, John the Baptist came to prepare the way.  You are the way; and He came to clear the path for Your coming.  These things have been revealed. I am familiar with the story, but it is not like stories that are made up.  It is rough and the way seems narrow.  No matter my circumstances, bring me through this rough place on the narrow path so that I too may join with You now as we go into forever.  Amen.

“For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said “The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’” (Matthew 3:2)

We hear the words of prophecy from Isaiah 40.  We are here for only a short time.  We know this is especially true when we think about living a few decades here and an eternity with the Lord.  What is the call before us?  In part, it is to walk the paths that have been straightened before us.  Learn to love the Lord, your neighbor, and obey all that He has commanded.  Don’t twist these things up; just do them.

Lord, there is the difficulty.  I spend more time avoiding doing what You have asked me to do than actually learning and doing those things.  Guide me in the way of life so that I realize that the journey You have set before me is living the Christian life.  I do not know what will come, but I know that the outcome of my sanctification will conform me to Your image.  Let me join in preparing Your way, making paths straight for my brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus, You have brought down the high and raised up those who were low.  You have made the way of salvation available to all, even children.  Lead me in the straight and narrow way that You have made possible so that I am conformed to Your image.  In Your grace and mercy, help me to live this faith, being true to what You have set before me.  May I learn how to be faithful as You are always faithful.  Amen.

“Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1).

The kingdom of heaven is at hand.  The times have not changed.  To repent is to turn.  To turn to the Lord is to turn away from the rebellion of this age.  One cannot both live in rebellion and live in the Lord.  It is one or the other.  Too many seem to think they can be a Saturday night hedonist and a Sunday morning Christian.  This is not so.  We have been called to be conformed to the image of Christ every day of the week.

Lord, I know this is not specifically about behavior.  Some of the worst are the self-righteous who would never be found in certain places.  Some of the most faithful are the hurt who can’t  be found in those places avoided.  It is about turning to You, the One true God and learning to follow where You lead.  It is about who we are from the inside out.  Let the fullness of Your word open my heart to the obedience of  faith.

Lord Jesus, I need what You have accomplished to be true in my life.  I do not need to look at my neighbor.  I need to learn how to repent.  Through the Holy Spirit, teach me to be quick to repent, slow to sin, and always willing to love my neighbor as myself.  Lead me to always follow Your example and continue to walk the narrow path that You have set before me.  In You I have hope and a future.  Lead me in that hope and into the future You have planned.  Amen.

“And came and settled in a city called Nazareth. This happened so that what was spoken through the prophets would be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:22-23).

Only someone who knows all the twists and turns of the future would be able to say beforehand how it would turn out.  The Lord is forever.  Every moment is “now” for Him.  He sees history as a story already unfolded before Him: Jesus, born in Bethlehem, brought of Egypt and called a Nazarene.  The Lord knows your story too.  He will fulfill the promises He has made to you.

I look at Scripture, Lord, and do not realize that what You have done with prophecy, foretelling the twists and turns that really do happen in life, means that You know the twists and turns that I will experience.  In my baptism, You have promised to be with me every step of the way.  You do know the plans You have for me.  Bring me to the place in faith where I trust this to be true.

Comfort me, Lord, in the comfort of Your Holy Spirit that I may live out my faith knowing that You already know the outcome of all things.  I have freedom, even greater than I thought, because You have purchased all the grace I need.  Lead me according to Your goodness and mercy to know that in Your grace I can walk the path You have set before me, trusting that I am always in Your hands of mercy.  Amen.