Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

September 15, 2018

by Pastor Hawtree

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO SEE YOU

Matthew 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

The “receipt of custom” is a phrase referring to the establishment where a tax collector would gather, receive, organize, and record taxes. Pretty exciting, huh?

I admit, I sometimes look at God’s Word a little different than some. I have quite a vivid imagination. Maybe you can read between the lines with me a little bit here. What was life like for Matthew before Jesus walked by his office that day? I picture him sitting there going over tax assessments, tax bills, and tax payments. I do not know what the highlight of his days were before things changed for him. I see him going home to an empty house after a long day of work. Maybe he was a bit bothered by the dislike I am sure some people had toward him as a tax collector. There may have been times when he was deep in thought, pondering if this was all that life had to offer. Pretty much the same routine every day, opening the office and closing at five. Can you picture it?

I can see him that specific day, going to work as he always did. I can even see him sitting there at his desk, oblivious to what was getting ready to happen. I imagine Jesus already knowing the eternal impact that Matthew would make on mankind as one of the founding apostles that served with Christ. Matthew did not know how life changing this moment would be, but Jesus sure did. Can you picture that first moment when Matthew’s eyes fix themselves on God in human form? It all changed when Jesus “saw a man”.

I do not know if you were aware of this, but Jesus saw you. Your life changed when you finally saw Him. Life changed when Jesus said, “follow me”, and you followed Him. Why not take a few moments today and reflect on the moment that you were saved. I’m not saying you need to know the day or the hour, but you need to remember the moment that you said “yes” to Jesus. You need to never forget the moment when Jesus walked by your desk. If you can’t remember that moment dear friend, then you need to get your salvation settled. Matthew went from gathering taxes to gathering souls. Pretty exciting, huh?