Matthew 4:23–5:12

Be Still: Lord, would you come and speak to me through your Word today. Quiet my thoughts and help me to see your heart clearly. Amen

Read: Matthew 4:23–5:12

News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralysed; and he healed them. (v24))

Encounter: Before the smart phone, Instagram, or TikTok, Jesus was going viral. Everywhere he went, people couldn’t stop talking about him. News of his teaching and healing spread like wildfire across the region. There were no ad campaigns, no promotion plans – just the undeniable power of God on display through the person of Jesus.

And that’s the beautiful thing about the Gospel – it was made to grow. The kingdom of God has always expanded by its own divine momentum. When Jesus heals, forgives, and restores, people notice. The power and goodness of God naturally draw hearts in. It’s not something we need to manufacture or manipulate; it carries its own life.

So often we can feel pressure to make things happen – to build, promote, or strive to see results. But the story of Jesus reminds us that when the presence and power of God are revealed, the message spreads on its own. Our role isn’t to make the kingdom grow; it’s to make room for the King to move.

We are vessels of that same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11), living temples that carry his glory (1 Corinthians 6:19) which means when we draw close to God and are yielded to his Spirit, the Gospel will flow through us effortlessly – drawing others not to us, but to him.

Apply: Where might you be striving to ‘make things happen’ instead of trusting God’s power to move? How can you simply make space for his presence to speak for itself today?

Devote: Lord, help me make space for your Holy Spirit to flow through me today, let me be yielded to you so that your power can be seen in my life.