Deception Can Kill

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Monday (Holy Week) April 10, 2017

Topic: Deception Can Kill 

Text: Mark 11:12 – 14              

Some of the gospels recorded that Jesus drove away merchants from the temple on His arrival during triumphal entry into Jerusalem but Mark recorded it as an event that took place a day after the triumphal entry. The temple which ought to be a place of prayer had been turn into a place of merchandise thus deceiving people who sees it from outside.

Our bible passage for today is a related incident to the clearing of the Temple. Jesus had to curse the fig tree because of its deceptive posture. The Temple was supposed to be a place of worship, but true worship had disappeared. The fig tree showed promise of fruit, but it produced none.

In these two acts of cursing the fig tree and clearing of the temple, Jesus was showing His anger at religious life without substance. He denounced a confession that does not correspond with profession. God expects us to live out what we confess. If you claim to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the barren fig tree.

The deceptive posture of the fig tree led to the curse. This shows that when we have a form of godliness but denying the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5; Titus 1:16), we are invariably procuring God’s anger upon ourselves. Do you have a deceptive look where people see you as a Christian but inwardly you are not? God hates deception. Repent of your deception and hypocrisy now before your sins will find you out.

Food for Thought: Do you have a deceptive look which doesn’t correspond with what you are inside? Beware because deception kills.

Memory verse: Mark 11 verse 14

Prayer: Lord God, remove any form of deception me and help me to live the life expected of me as a Christian.