Journal Guide - Pleasing God - Matthew 3:16-17
Pleasing God
Matthew 3:16-17
Week 5/Day 2
Hey y'all, it’s Daisy, and I am back with another devotional. And today, I am inviting you to join me as we dive into the Book of Matthew. To follow along, you will need your Bible, a pen, and a designated journal. If you have our Alone With God journal, please use that. And if you don’t have our Alone With God journal, you can order one at wordbymail.com. We would love to make sure that you have one so that you can follow along. You can also download a journal page here.
The Alone With God journal is perfectly crafted to help you in learning how to spend quality alone time in the scripture so that you can transform your life through the Living Word of God.
Today, we’re going to be meditating on Matthew 3:16-17. I will read the verses a couple of times, and then you read it on your own. Let the scripture sink in, and as you meditate, just be thinking about the verse and what they are saying, and why it is important.
Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV)
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Okay, now, in the Meditate section of your journal page, write out the scripture in your own words. What is God’s Word saying? What are the spiritual principles here? Take some time and write in your journal.
So, I never understood why Jesus needed to be baptized. It was a story that always confused me when I was little because Jesus was blameless. He was God. He was completely holy, completely righteous, never in need of forgiveness. But Jesus was also obedient to God. He was in full alignment with his Heavenly Father.
And so, everything that he requires from us, he did before us to show us the way because part of his obedience was to be the way to give us a demonstration of true humility and discipleship. So, although Jesus was God, he was also the ultimate disciple of God. And baptism is this representation of our oneness with Christ, just as Christ is one with God. And so, when we put our identity in Christ, and when we live according to the Spirit instead of the flesh, then we know that we are one with Christ. And that’s how God sees us. And we know that the Father is well pleased with us in the same way that he was pleased with Jesus’ obedience.
So, let’s take a moment, and in the Apply section of your journal, write down how these verses are applicable in your life. In what ways do you know that God is pleased with you and with your obedience? And in what ways can you improve? How do these verses apply to your life today, specifically and personally?
Okay, so now we are going to take a moment to respond to God with Action. In the Respond section of your journal, write down what action you will take today in response to this truth. How are you acting as one with Christ in your day-to-day life? Do your words and your choices line up with those of Jesus? And if not, then how can you change what you’re doing to make them align with the identity of Christ?
I will close us out in prayer. And then, you move on to the Pray section of your journal. Take some time and write out your prayer to God. Write a prayer to align your heart with God’s will on the truth revealed to you today.
So, let’s pray.
Jesus, thank you. Thank you for coming to earth. Thank you for being a loving sacrifice for our sins. Thank you for showing us how to live in a way that is obedient and honorable, and pleasing to God. It is because of you, Jesus, that God looks at us and is pleased. So, thank you for loving us and for leading the way so that we can have an everlasting life in Heaven with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The Alone With God journal is perfectly crafted to help you in learning how to spend quality alone time in the scripture so that you can transform your life through the Living Word of God.
Today, we’re going to be meditating on Matthew 3:16-17. I will read the verses a couple of times, and then you read it on your own. Let the scripture sink in, and as you meditate, just be thinking about the verse and what they are saying, and why it is important.
Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV)
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Okay, now, in the Meditate section of your journal page, write out the scripture in your own words. What is God’s Word saying? What are the spiritual principles here? Take some time and write in your journal.
So, I never understood why Jesus needed to be baptized. It was a story that always confused me when I was little because Jesus was blameless. He was God. He was completely holy, completely righteous, never in need of forgiveness. But Jesus was also obedient to God. He was in full alignment with his Heavenly Father.
And so, everything that he requires from us, he did before us to show us the way because part of his obedience was to be the way to give us a demonstration of true humility and discipleship. So, although Jesus was God, he was also the ultimate disciple of God. And baptism is this representation of our oneness with Christ, just as Christ is one with God. And so, when we put our identity in Christ, and when we live according to the Spirit instead of the flesh, then we know that we are one with Christ. And that’s how God sees us. And we know that the Father is well pleased with us in the same way that he was pleased with Jesus’ obedience.
So, let’s take a moment, and in the Apply section of your journal, write down how these verses are applicable in your life. In what ways do you know that God is pleased with you and with your obedience? And in what ways can you improve? How do these verses apply to your life today, specifically and personally?
Okay, so now we are going to take a moment to respond to God with Action. In the Respond section of your journal, write down what action you will take today in response to this truth. How are you acting as one with Christ in your day-to-day life? Do your words and your choices line up with those of Jesus? And if not, then how can you change what you’re doing to make them align with the identity of Christ?
I will close us out in prayer. And then, you move on to the Pray section of your journal. Take some time and write out your prayer to God. Write a prayer to align your heart with God’s will on the truth revealed to you today.
So, let’s pray.
Jesus, thank you. Thank you for coming to earth. Thank you for being a loving sacrifice for our sins. Thank you for showing us how to live in a way that is obedient and honorable, and pleasing to God. It is because of you, Jesus, that God looks at us and is pleased. So, thank you for loving us and for leading the way so that we can have an everlasting life in Heaven with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.