Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

January 6
Monday


THE NIGHT
NO ONE CAME

READ:
Matthew 6:1-7
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One winter night composer Johann Sebastian Bach was scheduled to debut a new composition. He arrived at the church expecting it to be full. Instead, he learned that no one had come. Without missing a beat, Bach told his musicians that they would still perform as planned. They took their places, Bach raised his baton, and soon the empty church was filled with magnificent music.

This story made me do some soul-searching. Would I write if God were my only audience? How would my writing be different?

New writers are often advised to visualize one person they are writing to as a way of staying focused. I do this when I write devotionals; I try to keep readers in mind because I want to say something they will want to read and that will help them on their spiritual journey.

I doubt that the "devotional writer" David, whose psalms we turn to for comfort and encouragement, had "readers" in mind. The only audience he had in mind was God.

Whether our "deeds," mentioned in Matthew 6, are works of art or acts of service, we should keep in mind that they're really between us and God. Whether or not anyone else sees does not matter. He is our audience. __Julie Ackerman Link

```````````````````That my ways might show forth Your glory,``````````````````
````````````````````That You , dear Lord, greatly deserve!`````````````````````
````````````````With Your precious blood You've redeemed me__````````````````
````````````````In all my days, You I would serve! __Somerville`````````````````
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Serve for an audience of one.

****************************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 6:1-7*************************

1 Take heed that you do not
do your charitable deeds
before men, to be seen by
them. otherwise you have
no reward from your Father
in heaven.

2 Therefore, when you do a
charitable deed, do not
sound a trumpet before you
as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and in the
streets, that they may have
glory from men. Assuredly,
I say to you, they have their
reward 3 But when you do a
charitable deed, do not let
your left hand know what
your right hand is doing,

4 that your charitable deed
may be in secret; and your
Father who sees in secret
will Himself reward you
openly.

5 And when you pray, you
shall not be like the
hypocrites. For they love to
pray standing in the
synagogues and on the
corners of the streets, that
they may be seen by men.
Assuredly, I say to you,
they have their reward.

6 But you, when you pray,
go into your room, and
when you have shut your
door, pray to your Father
who is in the secret place;
and your Father who sees
in secret will reward you
openly. 7 And when you
pray, do not use vain
repetitions as the heathen
do. For they think that they
will be heard for their
many words.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In Matthew 6, Jesus is in the heart of His Sermon on the Mount.
Today's text speaks of the personal nature of a relationship with God
and prepares the way for our Lord's model prayer (vv.9-13). Jesus
distinguishes both His pattern for prayer and the attitude behind that
prayer from the shallow practices of ceremonial religion.

[dema]

Beautiful