 Today’s Reading: Luke 6
“And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.” Luke 6:33 I love how Jesus often answers Pharisees before they can even speak their thoughts. Their mind is trying to come up with ways to trap him, yet he stops them before they can even open up their mouths. In this chapter, we see the theme of doing good. When confronted about healing on the Sabbath, Jesus answers that it’s okay to do good on the Sabbath and heal. To not heal would be wrong. Later, he spends a lot of time focusing on loving others and not judging. One of the most convicting passages of Scripture is this Love for Enemies portion in Chapter 6. Jesus commands us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and do good to everyone without expecting repayment. This is easier said than done! Even when people are completely awful to us, we’re expected to love and forgive them. That doesn’t mean we need to fully trust them again or pretend nothing happened, but we do need to love them with God’s love. He admits this is difficult. It’s so much easier to love the kind people in our lives. But, even sinners love the kind people in their lives, and as Christians, we can strive to do what Jesus would do. Spend some time in prayer and ask God to help you love your enemies. Surrender any hard feelings or anger and ask Jesus to work in them.
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 Today’s Reading: Luke 5
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 Once again, Luke provides a lot of information in a single chapter! He shares how Jesus calls his first disciples, begins his healing ministry, and sets the precedent for spending time with sinners. When reading this chapter, I get the impression that Jesus was very busy. He was healing, serving, and interacting with people as well as standing up to the Pharisees when needed. He was doing so much once his ministry started, but another thing I observed is that he still found time to go off alone, be still, and pray. The Savior of the World, the Creator, the Perfect Healer needed time alone and he made it a priority. The holiday season always brings busyness to our lives, but let’s be real; we’re always busy! It’s really easy to put everything else as a priority: work, family, running errands, etc. But, are we willing to make time to be alone a priority? Are we willing to make prayer a priority? It’s easier to learn about and talk about prayer rather than actually doing it. We can buy a stack of devotionals, journals, and subscribe to a hundred podcasts with good intentions, but that’s still a form of being busy. It’s more difficult to be still and sit in lonely solitude. Spend time in prayer right now. Don’t hesitate! Even if you only have a couple minutes. Ask God to help you prioritize the lonely times and the times of just being with Him. Setting this time aside may not be easy, but keep persevering!  Today’s Reading: Luke 4
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” Luke 4:8 Luke Chapter 4 begins with Jesus in the wilderness for forty days. During this time, the devil took the opportunity to attempt to test and tempt him. Jesus was alone and without food the entire time, yet he had an answer for every single thing the devil threw at him. And not just some smart quick-witted answer, but he had a Bible verse, a Word from the Lord, to combat every single temptation and test. Have you ever gone without food and become “hangry”? Angry mostly because you’re hungry? Sometimes I feel like that after only a few hours! When you’re hangry, it’s hard to control your tongue or your reactions. Someone might do or say something to you and your reaction does not match their insult. You go over the top and call them out. Hopefully, you instantly regret this afterward and ask for forgiveness. Jesus was filled with the Word. After all, he was and is very God of very God. He wasn't stumbling around trying to find the Scripture that would fit the temptation. He answered immediately. He was calm and collected and standing firm against the devil’s schemes. Are you prepared for the temptations of the devil? When someone says something to you or does something to you, do you act out hastily, or calmly evaluate the situation? We must be rooted in the Word of God. It will help us in any and every situation. If Jesus did it, so should we! Spend some time in prayer asking for God’s help in hiding his Word in your heart.  Today’s Reading: Luke 3
“And the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Luke 3:22 Just as Gabriel foretold in Chapter 1, John grew to be a man of God, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and exhorting or urging people to turn away from their sins. He encouraged people to change and stop living the way they had always lived. Anyone from tax collectors to soldiers came to him to be baptized and gain wisdom on how they could live differently. In addition to the countless people who came to be baptized, Jesus came as well. Why? He had never sinned. He had no need to repent or be forgiven. Jesus was baptized to set an example for us all. His baptism was like no other with the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove and the heavens opening with a voice coming forth proclaiming he was the Son of God. I am sure everyone around stopped what they were doing and focused on him and the beautiful scene! Have you been baptized yet? As I said, Jesus didn’t need to be baptized, but he did to set an example for all believers. I know it can be a scary event having to be in front of people, but it’s really not that bad! If you have been waiting to be baptized, pray that God would give you the strength and courage and know that you will be surrounded by other believers who will support you and cheer you on in your decision!  Today’s Reading: Luke 2
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 Even though we tend to stretch out the Christmas account, Luke condenses Jesus’ birth and childhood into one single chapter. He touches on this so that he can later focus more on Jesus’ adult life, miracles, death, and resurrection. Once again, we see the presence of angels. And, not just one angel only, but a heavenly host joins in! They proclaim that Jesus has been born! The Messiah! The Savior is here! One of the most beautiful parts of this account is that the angels first appeared and shared the good news to shepherds. Lowly, dirty, working out in the fields, shepherds. The angels didn’t appear first to the elite, the rich, or even to those in the temple. They appeared to some of the most humble people to confirm that this good news was for everyone! And what was the shepherds’ response? They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and Jesus. They didn’t hesitate to stop what they were doing and follow the angel’s instructions. Then, they spread the good news to all! I love the shepherds’ faith and obedience. I am certain their hastily herding the sheep to find Jesus was quite the spectacle. They didn’t have much so they could quickly pack up and get going. Don’t you think their lack of worldly possessions is what allowed them to hastily get on the move and find the Messiah? What if the angels came to the rich as they were sitting in their cushy homes feasting and relaxing for the evening? Would they have packed up as quickly? Or would they have gone at all? What if God told you to spread the good news of his birth? And, let’s be honest, he is telling you to spread the good news. Are you willing to “pack up” or simply do what needs to be done or are you too comfortable? Spend some time in prayer asking God to give you the strength you need to spread the good news. Also, ask him if there is anything that is holding you back from fully obeying all he asks of you. |
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