Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.

It’s funny because when I write these devos, I always have ten billion stories of child-induced peril or heartfelt application swirling in my head, and picking just the right one for God to use can be harder than writing the material itself. As if I have a golden platter of quality material that I have broken down into perfect ratios of humor and exegesis, and simply present them to God and say, “Go ahead and pick one. Might I suggest the third option, where I tell the story of my daughter destroying our couch? Whichever you choose, God, they’re all bangers.” 

The reality is, I choose to read the scripture and write with an open mind and heart. Sometimes I feel a peace about the words on the first try, or it can be like tonight, as I write this, where all I have to do is submit the completed devo, but something happens that stirs me to erase every last word and start over with a new perspective. I would like to share that experience.

As previously mentioned, I completed a heartfelt story about my childhood and tied it to some of the themes of Chapter 9 when my son, Lincoln, who is 6, walks into my bedroom and sits next to me. It’s bedtime, so usually this is a ploy to leverage a few extra minutes of “awake” time before it’s time to go to sleep. 

Tonight was different. He entered the room and asked, “What are you doing, Daddy?” to which I replied, “Daddy is writing a devotional.” Lincoln asks, “Is that like where you talk about God and stuff?” I said, “Yes, I read scripture in the Bible and then relate it to stories in my life, usually related to you and your siblings terrorizing your mama and me.” Lincoln asks, “Is the scripture about Jesus dying on the cross?” 

This opens the door to a long discussion about the Gospel message. I told him, “Imagine Daddy had a giant bag of candy, and you asked me for a piece. I tell you that you may have a piece, and if anyone else you know wants a piece, you tell them to come see your dad, and they can get one, too. You would go tell the neighbors, and your cousins, and your friends at school, and anyone you know who loves candy, and they would all come to get a piece of candy. The Gospel is kind of like that candy. You have something good and tasty, and you want to share it with everyone you know so they can have a piece, too. People will know about the candy when you tell them about it, but they may also know you had something sweet because of your lips and your tongue being blue from the candy. You see, the Gospel is shared with our words, just like how you TELL people about the candy, you TELL them about the Gospel message, but evidence of its goodness can also be SEEN in other ways, like the way people can SEE you have had candy by the blue lips and tongue. People can SEE you know the Gospel message by how you treat them and how you act.”

Lincoln then tells me about a boy in his class that he shares his little view of Jesus with, and obviously, at this point, I am trying to fight the tears off. I tell my oldest son the beautiful story of the Gospel and then hear details about it being relayed to a classmate through my 6-year-old's best efforts. So simple and pure, yet so effective just as God intended.

In Matthew 9:9, we see Jesus telling a tax collector to follow Him, and the man got up and followed Him. His name was Matthew with two t’s (all the greats spell it that way). We then see Jesus dining and hanging out with tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees, naturally, object to this behavior, to which Jesus replies, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” So simple, yet so profound. I have never gone to the doctor’s office, waited in the waiting room, paid my copay, gotten my blood pressure and temperature from the nurse, and have the doctor come in the room and say, “What seems to be the problem today, Mr. Tucker?”, to which I reply, “I just had a couple extra hours in my day and wanted to make sure you knew that I feel fantastic!” Obviously, you go because you know something is “off” and you need a professional to diagnose the problem and treat you. We see Jesus and his mobile clinic throughout the gospels set up shop and treat the “sick” time and time again.

Matthew 9:35-38 says, “Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.'”

If you read these devos early in the morning and have made it this far, congratulations. Lunch break is nearly upon us. No matter the color, occupation, socioeconomic status, age, or location, Jesus went and said, “Follow me." Whether it’s a conversation with your 6-year-old an hour and a half past bedtime in your underwear or it’s at the grocery store with the worker at the register, there are people out there who need to see the doctor. They need to hear what He can do for them. They need to hear what He has done for you. My time is sacred, and sometimes I can rush a bedtime routine so I can watch the Stranger Things finale before the spoilers find me, but when we slow down, we can encounter a conversation that is better than any decade-long, 80s-themed television series. Be intentional. Slow Down. Remember when you tasted the goodness of God for the first time, and help others experience their first taste.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Take a few moments to reflect on your salvation story. When did you first hear the Gospel story? What did it spark in you?
• Who do you know that has never heard the Gospel? When will you tell them the good news?
• Invite a tax collector to your House Church.
• Listen to Sammy Davis Jr.’s “The Candy Man”
• Prayer: God help us to be bold with your gospel. Give us courage to breakdown walls and share the good news with everyone we encounter. Open the doors of opportunity for conversation with those we interact with daily. We love you.