How is your accent? - Daily Devotional July 25th, 2009

Daily Bible Reading Plan - 2 Samuel 11, Jeremiah 15, Matthew 26

How is your accent? (Matthew 26:69-75)

Although my dad was born in another country and lived there until he was about 27 I did not know he had an accent until I was about 13. I still remember the day I found out. There were some people spending the night at our house and they had some boys my age. We were up late talking in my room one night and one of them asked me, "where is your dad's accent from?" I assured them that my dad did not have an accent but they kept insisting that he did. The next morning I went out to my mom and dad and said, "do you have an accent?" They both smiled and assured me that yes my dad indeed had an accent.

I had been around my dad all my life so because of that I could never hear his accent. Accents are a funny thing. You can immediately spot a foreigner by the way they talk and you can even tell where they are from by there accent. My dad had discovered that after some time not only did he have a Dutch accent when he would speak English here in the states but he would also have a bit of an English accent when he spoke Dutch back in Holland. One thing is for sure, there is no hiding your accent as it truly sets you apart and lets people know where you are from.

Here in Matthew 26:69-75 Peter is immediately recognized by his accent. Jesus has been arrested and the Bible says that Peter is following at a distance to try and discover what is going to happen to Jesus. He does not want to follow too close as he does not want to be discovered as one of Jesus' disciples. Unfortunately, what Jesus told Peter would happen takes place, he gets recognized and denies Jesus 3 times. Upon the last time of trying to deny Jesus one of the bystanders says, "Certainly you too are one of them for your accent betrays you". No matter how much Peter did not want to be recognized as belonging to Jesus his accent gave him away.

Although you and I might not have natural accents, we are called out by God to live different than the rest of the world. So my question to you today is, how is your accent? Are you spending enough time with Jesus that you talk different than the rest of the world? When you are at the office or out with friends can they immediately tell you apart because of your accent? In those moments when you are trying to fit in at the club, the party or in that sinful state does your accent betray you and give you away so that you cannot effectively deny Jesus? How is your accent?

Acts 4:13 says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized they had been with Jesus." Because these two men spent time with Jesus there was something different about them that gave them away. It is just like being from another country, when you travel your accent gives you away. It is time that we spend more time with Jesus in the word and in prayer so that we have an accent that sets us apart from the world. It is time that people recognize that we have been with Jesus because our accent gives us away.

How is your accent?

Thanks for listening

Tomorrows Bible Reading - 2 Samuel 12, Jeremiah 16, Matthew 27

Dream Big
Ben