Matthew 5:20 “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Have you experienced divine setups by God?
You’re in the middle of telling someone to forgive, and out of nowhere the name of a person you have a grudge against comes to mind. Or you’re trying to teach a child to be patient and realize you’re losing patience because he’s not getting it. Divine setups sometimes appear like inconvenient truths.
The other day I was in the city writing from my favorite coffee shop about how important it is to shine the light of Jesus. As I sat there drinking my overpriced coffee and eating my delicious lemon blueberry scone, my thoughts went to people who didn’t have that same opportunity. Slowly, I began to sense the Holy Spirit convicting me. Go to the counter, buy some muffins and give them away to people you pass on the street.
So with a bit of fear and trepidation, I bought the muffins and set out on my mission. The first person I encountered was a man with a young boy. Thinking the child would like sweets, I asked if they wanted a muffin. The man responded, “What I would like is for you to go back from where you came from!” Agitated, he said he wanted his land back. Not quite the response I was expecting, I replied, “I’m sorry, Sir. All I have are these muffins.”
The next person I offered one of my muffins to, also refused. So did two more people. But undeterred, I persisted until my box was empty. I prayed God would somehow use my smile and meager offering to make someone’s day brighter.
In spite of the somewhat rough beginning, I knew God had challenged me to put my words into action. You want to grow in generosity? Here’s your chance. He set me up to live out the words I was writing.
The sin of the Pharisees was that they did not practice what they preached. They told others what to do, but refused to follow their own directives. And in so doing, they forfeited righteousness. So the next time the Holy Spirit lets your words convict you, don’t hesitate to respond. Thank him for the divine setup and do what he tells you to do.