January 19 | Bible in a Year: Genesis 46–48; Matthew 13:1–30

God’s Protective Love

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. Matthew 7:15

READ Matthew 7:13–23

One summer night, the birds near our home suddenly erupted into chaotic cawing. The squawking intensified as the songbirds sent piercing calls from the trees. We finally realised why. As the sun set, a large hawk swooped from a treetop, sending the birds scattering in a screeching frenzy, sounding the alarm as they flew from danger.

In our lives, spiritual warnings can be heard throughout Scripture—cautions against false teachings, for example. We may doubt that’s what we’re hearing. Because of His love for us, however, our heavenly Father provides the clarity of Scripture to make such spiritual dangers plain to us.

Jesus taught, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). He continued, “By their fruit you will recognise them. . . . Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” Then He warned us, “By their fruit you will recognise them” (vv. 16–17, 20).

“The prudent see danger and take refuge,” Proverbs 22:3 reminds us, “but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” Embedded in such warnings is God’s protective love, revealed in His words to us.

As the birds warned each other of physical danger, may we heed the Bible’s warnings to fly from spiritual danger and into God’s arms of refuge.

By Patricia Raybon

What spiritual warning has been speaking to your heart? How has Scripture confirmed a warning to you?

The Scriptures warn with love, dear God, and we thank You. May we heed those words today.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

In Matthew 7, Jesus teaches His disciples using a series of comparisons: narrow and wide gates (vv. 13-14), true and false prophets (vv. 15-20), true and false disciples (vv. 21-23), and wise and foolish builders (vv. 24-27 ). Craig Blomberg notes: “Jesus makes plain that there are ultimately only two categories of people in the world, despite the endless gradations we might otherwise perceive.” The contrast that Christ presents to His hearers seems at first to be a commonsense decision. Not many people would willingly choose to be foolish. However, in the explanation of the final contrast, Jesus gives a clear picture of why some might be foolish and others wise. Those who are true and wise are those who listen to and obey His words (v. 26).