 Today’s Reading: Luke 19
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:40 As we get closer and closer to the end of Luke, we come to the end of Jesus’ life on earth. In this chapter, we read of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey: The Triumphal Entry. The people gather in a large crowd to watch him enter, they call him king, and praise his name loudly. Of course, the Pharisees have an issue with this and they tell Jesus to make it stop. But, I love Jesus’ reply. Even if the people stopped, creation would not stop praising the true king! Even the rocks would cry out in praise! It’s hard to wrap our brains around the fact that these people would praise his name so loudly and boldly, but soon they would turn on him and allow him to be crucified. Luke says that they worshiped loudly because of all the miracles they witnessed. What would have happened if Jesus performed a miracle and freed himself from the Roman soldiers and certain death? Would the people have resumed their praise? We don’t know, but it seems like their worship was temporary and dependent on circumstances. It’s easier to praise when things are going wel,l and God is healing. It’s more difficult to praise when the future looks uncertain. But, no matter what, we should join with creation and praise. The earth never stops praising the Lord! With every wind gust and flower bloom comes praise to the Creator of life. This should be a challenge to us. If inanimate objects praise the Lord, how much more should we? Spend some time in praise today! Join with creation. Watch the sun glow in worship. Watch the intricate snowflakes or rain fall in honor of their Maker. Don’t stop praising!
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 Today’s Reading: Luke 18
“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17 Have you ever watched a movie with kids or watched their face when they see a new toy, their family, or almost anything? They can’t contain their joy! They are instantly amazed at things that we take for granted. They laugh at silly and simple jokes. And when it comes to the kingdom of God, they learn and sing with no hesitation. I’ve led worship at churches and I’ve led at camps, and let me tell you, the kids blow the roof off with their singing within the first couple words. They can’t help but sing with excitement and volume! My simple challenge to you today is to receive the kingdom of God like a little child. Worship the Lord with excitement and a childlike faith and come before him in wonder of knowing that God sent his Son as a little baby to eventually die for us. Take some time to pray and just soak in the wonder of the Gospel. Continually ask God to help you be amazed and not take his love for granted.  Today’s Reading: Luke 17
“Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.” Luke 17:1 Self-evaluation time. The perfect world didn’t last long. Adam and Eve sinned almost immediately, and the consequence of sin has gone through every generation. Everywhere you turn, there is a temptation or trial around the corner waiting to try to entice you. We live amongst other sinful people who also try to tempt us or maybe their sinful nature just gets on our last nerve. Jesus lived on earth so he knows every single sinful possibility that exists. He doesn’t condone the sin around us, he just says it is bound to come. His ultimate caution causes us to evaluate ourselves. He says, “woe to anyone through whom they (things that cause people to stumble) come.” Instead of looking at others who you interact with, ask yourself if you are the cause of stumbling for them. Life can be stressful. How do we act around others with this stress? Do you find yourself with a shorter fuse and snapping at people when you’re stressed, which then causes them to snap and have a short fuse too? We need to make sure we are not causing others to stumble. As Christians, we should be pouring out the love and hope of Jesus rather than getting caught up on the things that stress us out. Spend some time in prayer asking God to help you prioritize, have peace, and check yourself so you are not causing others to stumble.  Today’s Reading: Luke 16
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:13 Money, money, money. You need it to live, yet you cannot focus all of your attention on it. Money itself is not bad. God created us to work, and our work earns us money, which we can then pay to have a roof over our heads, clothes on our back, and food on our table. But, if all we are doing is working to earn money, especially an excess of money to get whatever we want in this life, that is where money can lead us astray. Verse 16 says that we cannot serve both God and money. We need to have our priorities in the correct order. When we focus on serving God, yes, we are probably still working to provide for ourselves, but it’s seen as a necessary part of life and second to God. We know that he is the one who has given us gifts and talents to work to earn the money, and he will provide for us even if our gifts or talents fail. Spend time in prayer asking God to help you focus on what is most important this holiday season: Him.  Today’s Reading: Luke 15
“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7 In this chapter, Luke gives three different parables of Jesus talking about the lost who are found. These parables are pretty common and preached often, but let’s take a closer look at who the lost really are, because sometimes, as Christians, we tend to skew the meaning to fit what we want. I’ve heard many people use these parables to illustrate the lost as someone who got their feelings hurt and needs to be chased down or someone who got mad about something and is waiting for someone to come find them to be reconciled. But, Jesus says that the lost are sinners who have repented. Once they were lost for eternity, and now they are found! This is different from someone who has been found already; a righteous person who has already been saved for eternity and doesn’t need to repent. Yes, they need to daily ask for forgiveness for their sins since they aren’t perfect, but their eternal fate is sealed. I think that knowing the difference between these two should challenge us in a few ways. We should think more carefully about who deserves the time to be “chased down” and helped to be found. Maybe you have a coworker or family member who isn’t a believer. Be brave and invite them to church! Maybe you have other people in your life who are constantly wanting you to chase them down, but are already believers. They take up a lot of your time and energy even though you know they have a relationship with Jesus and tools like the Bible and prayer right in front of them. You shouldn’t cut them out of your life, but ask yourself if chasing them down is taking away time from your ability to help the truly lost. Spend time in prayer asking God to give you a heart and eyes for the truly lost in this world. Also ask him to give you courage and spread the good news to them so they can be found forever! |
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