Luke 1
Luke 1:53
Poor Rich People - Martin
Luther once observed, "Riches are the least worthy gifts which God can
give a man. What are they to God's Word, to bodily gifts: such as beauty
and health; or to the gifts of the mind, such as understanding, skill, and
wisdom? Or what are they compared to spiritual treasures? Yet men toil for
wealth day and night, and take no rest. Therefore God commonly gives
riches to foolish people, to whom He gives nothing else!"
The children of a certain family, during a period of prosperity, were
constantly left in the nursery in the care of servants. At length a
depression came, the servants had to be discharged, and the parents once
again cared for their little ones. One evening when the father returned
home after a day filled with business worries, his little girl climbed up
on his lap and, twining her soft, childish arms around his neck, said,
"Papa, don't get rich again. You didn't come into the nursery when you
were rich; but now we can be around you and get on your knee and kiss you.
Please, please, don't get rich again, Papa!" The father suddenly realized
how empty his life had been when he was busy making money but neglecting
his family. He saw how he had actually been squandering his God-given time
which should have been devoted to higher goals, and abiding values.
Some years ago in Bogota, Colombia, a tame pigeon swallowed a diamond and
several emeralds worth $40,000 and flew away. The news item stated that
the children of a millionaire had been playing with the stones when the
bird snatched them. What a parable on wealth that is amassed at the
expense of spiritual, moral, and personal values. Such riches soon "take
wings and fly away." Jesus says that few rich men reach the kingdom.
Completely occupied with the affairs of this world, neglecting the things
of the soul, they are "sent empty away" when their time to leave this
earth arrives. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Carve your name high
above shifting sands,
On rocks that defy decay;
All that you'll hold in your poor, dead hand
Is that which you've given away! —Anon.
The real measure of our wealth is
how much we would be worth if we lost our money!
Don’t Pray for a Life of Convenience - Thanking God for the good
things He has given us comes pretty easy. But thanking Him for an enduring
“inconvenience” can be difficult.
Moira MacLachlan (a pen name) experienced a shattering, life-altering
event when she was raped and became pregnant. Because of her decision to
raise the child, there would be a daily reminder of this violent
disruption of life.
Moira cautiously likens her situation to Mary’s unexpected pregnancy. She
writes, “This world considers any disruption of its thoroughly detailed
preparation for a life of convenience a rational excuse for unbridled
anguish and rebellion. To [the world], the thankful prayer I raise to God
for the radical explosion that took place in my life is akin to insanity.
The disruptions in the plans of Mary and me served to bring us both to the
same conclusion: Sometimes God’s purpose in shattering the peace in our
lives is to remind us that He has a purpose for everything.” Moira thanks
God for her beautiful child, and concludes, “Don’t pray for a life of
convenience, you might get it—and wouldn’t that be too bad? (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 2
Luke 2:20
In a delightful sermon titled, "When the Angels Were Gone," G. L. Chappell
emphasizes that when the angels announced the good news to the shepherds
the men took action. They went to Bethlehem to see the Christ-child for
themselves.
Chappell then sets up a hypothetical situation in which the shepherds
respond quite differently They simply sit around discussing the brightness
of the angelic appearance and the wonder of the message.
Some 40 years later, one of the shepherds tells his small grandson about
that eventful night. The youngster asks,
"But Granddaddy, was what the angels said really true?"
The shepherd continues telling him what he has heard about Jesus, even the
reports of His resurrection. But when the lad keeps asking, all the
elderly shepherd can do is shake his head and say,
"I don't really know. I never went to see."
Many people are like that shepherd. They have heard about Jesus but they
have never come to Him. —H. V Lugt (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
WHEN YOU LOOK TO THE LIGHT YOU RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE
Luke 2:25-35
THE LONGING - Look at the people around you: the shoppers walking
the malls hunting for last-minute Christmas gifts, the enthusiastic fans
at football and basketball games, fellow employees in the workplace. Do
you think they've found happiness?
As people rush through life -- hurrying from paycheck to payment and from
job to home and then doing it all over again -- many of them feel empty
inside. They long for something to make their existence more meaningful
and fulfilling.
Unlike Simeon, whom we read about in Luke, chapter 2, many people don't
know what will bring happiness. The Holy Spirit had told Simeon that he
would not die until he had seen the promised Messiah. When that
extraordinary day came and Simeon came to the temple to meet Jesus, peace
and contentment were guaranteed.
All around us are people who could have that same peace and contentment if
they could just meet Jesus. As we see the crowds each day, we should be
reminded to pray that the Holy Spirit will touch their hearts and make
them want to see Jesus. They may be rushing around, but in their hearts
they have a void waiting to be filled by the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. -J D Branon
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Now none but Christ
can satisfy,
None other name for me;
There's love and life and lasting joy,
Lord Jesus, found in Thee. - McGranahan
There is a longing in every heart
that only Jesus can satisfy.
Luke 2:40-50
SIR Isaac Newton, a seventeenth-century scientist, is renowned for having
discovered the law of gravity. What some people don't know is that he was
a dedicated Christian. In fact, while at the height of his career in
physics and mathematics, he decided to turn his attention toward studying
God's Word. When a colleague tried to lure him back to the field of
science, Newton replied, "I do not want to be trifling away my time, when
I should be about the King's business." Although he retained his interest
in science, he made theological pursuits his top priority.
Newton's response challenges every Christian. How dedicated are we to
doing the King's business?
No matter what we do for a living, we must be dedicated to serving God in
and through our daily occupation.
The compelling motive of the Lord Jesus, even as a boy, was to do God's
will—to be about His Father's business.
Imagine if that were true of every believer. Even if our employment or
profession is considered secular, we can make the King's business our
chief commitment. —P R V (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 3
Luke 3:3, 7-8
And [John] went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism
of repentance for the remission of sins. . . . Then he said to the
multitudes . . . "Bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:3, 7-8).
Repentance - Thomas Russell
Ybarra defined a Christian as a person who does "repentance on a Sunday
for what he did on Saturday and is going to do on Monday."
True biblical repentance is never that short lived; it is a complete
about-face. John challenged the Jews to prepare themselves for the coming
Messiah by turning from their sins to holiness. This meant changing their
minds and actions.
The sorry truth is that repentance has very little to do with crying our
eyes out. Repentant people may be tearful, but tearful people are not
always repentant. Repentance means turning around. It is a compass test;
does a person know how to go south after he or she has been going north?
God is sometimes described as repenting of His plans, such as with Nineveh
(Jonah 3:10), but this may be humanity's limited attempt to explain the
actions of an all-knowing God. What is significant, even if from a human
standpoint, is that God in His repentance makes a complete U-turn, and
this is a perfect model for us to follow.
Never-on-Sunday sinning is not what the Changemaker had in mind. Change of
heart means a change of life every day.
Luke 3:1-16
Bad roads were getting worse in a Detroit suburb. Commuters and homeowners
let their local government officials know they wanted action, not more
talk about who was responsible—the city or the borough—for the repairs.
They wanted the road fixed and the pot-holes filled. They didn't want to
risk losing a tailpipe or a tire every time they ventured onto Lakeshore
Drive. Though one of the most scenic drives in the city, it had become
what one Detroiter called a "kidney-crunching, teeth-chattering,
tire-popping experience that even bus drivers dreaded."
Luke 3 tells of another kind of rough road—"the way of the Lord"—that
needed repair, not talk. In John the Baptist's day this "road" was in bad
shape, for the moral and spiritual condition of the nation of Israel had
deteriorated. John made it clear that if the people were going to be ready
for the Messiah they had to "prepare the way" by getting rid of the road
hazards of selfishness, greed, and violence. He also made it plain that
they had to do more than just talk about changing their ways. He
challenged His hearers to prove their faith by turning from their sins in
genuine repentance.
Although John's message was directed to Israel, every Christian can profit
from it. Unconfessed sins are the potholes of the Christian journey. To
repair the road, we need only repent. —M. R. De Haan II (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Repentance not only regrets sin, but also renounces it.
Luke 4
Luke 4:1-13
Before I was old enough to get a driver's license, I had a haunting fear
of getting behind the wheel of a car. When I thought about driving with an
open stretch of road before me, I was afraid I'd be overwhelmed by an
obsession to go as fast as the car would go. I couldn't imagine having the
self-control to drive no faster than road conditions and the speed limit
would allow. When I turned sixteen, though, I learned that I could control
the accelerator instead of being controlled by it. Just because I was able
to press the pedal to the floor didn't mean I had to do so.
Many times I've heard people try to justify sin by claiming that a sudden,
unusual, and irresistible temptation had confronted them. And sometimes we
reason that a certain questionable action might actually be all right
because the opportunity came along at just the right time and provided
just what we thought we needed.
One of the lessons we learn from the temptation of Jesus is that God will
always provide a way of escape from temptation or He will give us the
strength to resist it. He expects us to be discerning and to be conscious
of the meaning of temptation. Beyond that, He wants us to know that we can
rely on His Spirit and His Word, the way Jesus did, and to resist
temptation rather than be ruined by it. —M. R. De Haan II (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Every temptation is an opportunity to get nearer to God
Luke 5
Luke 5:12-16
In a letter to friends, hymn writer Wendell P. Loveless told about a
visitor to the United States who wanted to make a telephone call. He
entered a phone booth, but found it to be different from those in his own
country. It was beginning to get dark, so he had difficulty finding the
number in the directory. He noticed a light on the ceiling, but he didn't
know how to turn it on. As he tried again to find the number in the fading
twilight, a passerby noted his plight and said, "If you want to turn the
light on, you have to shut the door." To the visitor's amazement and
satisfaction, when he closed the door, the booth was filled with light. He
soon located the number and completed the call.
When we draw aside in a quiet place to pray, we must block out our busy
world and open our hearts to the Father. He then will illuminate our
darkened world of disappointments and trials. We will enter into communion
with God, sense His presence, and be assured of His provision for us. Our
Lord often went to be alone with the heavenly Father. Sometimes it was
after a busy day of preaching and healing, as in Luke 5. At other times,
it was before making a major decision (Luke 6:12).
We too can have the confidence that "if we ask anything according to His
will, He hears us" (1 John 5:14). But we must remember that to "turn on
the light," we must first "shut the door" by getting alone with God. —R. W. De
Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
One of the great secrets of prayer is prayer in secret
Luke 5:17-26
WHENEVER I read the story of the paralyzed man who was healed by Jesus, I
think about his friends. They cared enough about him to take him to Jesus.
Kelly, a college student, shattered her arm in the first varsity
volleyball game of the season. This meant she couldn't work at her
part-time job. Then her car stopped running. To top it all off, the young
man she had been dating stopped calling. Kelly felt so low that she began
spending hours alone in her room crying.
Laura, a Christian friend on the volleyball team, became concerned about
Kelly and decided to help her. So she called some friends and they planned
a party. They collected some money, and a couple of fellows got her car
running again. They found a temporary job she could do using just one
hand. And they got her tickets to see her basketball hero, Isiah Thomas,
when the Detroit Pistons came to town. Before long, Kelly was herself
again. Then, when she asked why they did all this for her, Laura was able
to tell her about the love of Jesus.
Having a friend in need is an opportunity to show the love of Christ in
deeds and then in words. We never know what mighty things God can do with
a small act of kindness. —D C Egner
Luke 5:17-32
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than
for him (Proverbs 26:12).
In 1984, the House of Representatives disciplined two United States
congressmen for immoral behavior. The first, a conservative known for his
stand against abortion-on-demand and pornography, tearfully confessed his
wrongdoing and voted with his colleagues for his own censure. Many
newspeople, however, continued to criticize him. They focused on his prior
hypocrisy, refusing to commend him for repenting and turning from his
immorality. The second politician, a liberal who openly favored abortion
and pornography, defiantly maintained he had done nothing wrong and
admitted he was a homosexual. Many newspeople who condemned the first man
were far less critical of the second. Apparently they were more
comfortable with an open, cal-loused attitude toward immorality than an
open and genuine sorrow for sin.
This incident points out our greatest sin—the refusal to acknowledge our
transgressions. The Lord Jesus reached down to the most despised people of
His day—publicans and harlots—and forgave them when they repented. But He
condemned self-righteous people and resisted all who didn't face up to
their sin. Refusing to acknowledge sin is a sure ticket to hell!
Insisting we don't need His forgiveness is life's greatest sin. God can
forgive us no matter what we do, but we must repent and turn to Jesus. —H. V .Lugt
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Forgiveness flourishes in the soil of confession
Luke 6
Luke 6:6-11
THE religious leaders in Jesus' day were supposed to go to synagogue to
hear the Word of God, to worship, and to serve. Instead they went to find
out something about Jesus to criticize. Their primary purpose was to
discredit Christ.
People in churches today aren't much different. Too many Christians go to
church to find fault, to gossip, and to criticize. In his book Angry
People, Warren Wiersbe wrote: "Joseph Parker, the great British preacher .
. . was preaching at the City Temple in London. After the service one of
the listeners came up to him and said,
`Dr. Parker, you made a grammatical error in your sermon.'
He then proceeded to point out the error to the pastor. Joseph Parker
looked at the man and said,
"And what else did you get out of the message?"
What a fitting rebuke!"
No one in the church is perfect—not the pastor, the organist, the song
leader, or the ushers. We all make mistakes. A faultfinding spirit can
produce only discouragement and strife. And people who always look for
mistakes miss out on the instruction, correction, and blessings the Lord
has for them. We all need to ask ourselves this question: Why do I go to
church? —D C Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 6:30-36
IT started as small talk at an estate sale. When Patsy Wassenaar asked
Russell about his family, tears filled his eyes. "Both my parents died,
and I'm alone," he replied. Touched, Patsy knew in her heart that God
wanted her to show mercy to this man. So she and her husband invited
Russell to stay with them. That was thirteen years ago. He's lived with
the Wassenaars ever since.
Russell had slipped through the cracks of society. He had lived with his
parents until they died, avoiding people and accumulating old discarded
items he hoped to repair and sell. His house was stuffed with things
nobody wanted. And Russell figured he fit right in—nobody seemed to want
him either.
But now he has a "family," a comfortable place to live, and work to do
each day. He still goes to estate sales, but he's no longer ignored and
alone.
Becoming involved in someone's life may require sacrifice, but each of us
needs to be willing to do good to those who need it the most. When one of
God's unwanted people crosses our path, God is giving us an opportunity to
practice godliness by showing His mercy and love.--D Branon (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Our Daily Bread
Luke 6:37
HOW CAN I FORGIVE? - A
seminary student earned his way through school driving a bus on Chicago's
south side. One day a gang of young thugs boarded the bus and refused to
pay the fare. The young man spotted a policeman, stopped the bus, and
reported them. The officer made them pay, but then left. After the bus
rounded a corner, the thugs beat the driver severely.
The gang members were rounded up, brought to trial, and found guilty. As
soon as their sentences were announced, however, the student asked the
judge if he could serve their jail terms for them. The judge and gang
members were astounded. "It's because I forgive you," he explained. The
request was denied, but in the months that followed, the student visited
the young men in jail and led several of them to faith in Jesus Christ.
When Joseph's brother stood before him in Egypt asking for food, Joseph
faced a great test. Years before, these men had planned to kill him, but
they changed their minds and sold him into slavery. Now Joseph was in a
position of power and could take revenge, but because he trusted God's
sovereignty he offered them forgiveness.
Have you been wronged? Just as you trusted Christ to forgive you, ask Him
for grace to forgive others. - H W Robinson (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Lord help me be kind
and forgiving --
So oft Your forgiveness I've known
For sins I have daily committed;
Lord, grant me a love like Your own. --Anon.
Forgiveness is Christianity in
action
Luke 6:37-42
The seventeenth-century French churchman Fenelon said, "It is often our
own imperfection which makes us reprove the imperfection of others; a
sharp-sighted self-love of our own which cannot pardon the self-love of
others."
Sometimes our own faults and imperfections make us see faults in others
that don't even exist. A woman complained that her neighbor's windows were
always dirty. One day, after complaining about them to a friend, the
visitor encouraged her to wash her own windows. She followed the advice.
The next time her friend visited, she exclaimed, "I can't believe it. As
soon as I washed my windows, my neighbor must have cleaned hers too. Look
at them shine."
Criticism also blinds us to the good that others accomplish. A man who
built a large drinking fountain in a public square drew derogatory
comments from an art critic about its design. Though somewhat hurt, the
builder asked, "Is anyone drinking from it?" The builder was happy to
learn that the fountain, even though the critic didn't like its design,
was doing its job—and doing it well.
Instead of calling attention to others' imperfections, we should
examine ourselves. What we don't like in someone else might be the same
thing that's wrong with us. And instead of judging others, we should look
for the good in them and love them in spite of their faults. —R W De Haan
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
When criticizing, don't forget: God is listening.
Luke 6:41
John was driving home late one night when he picked up a hitchhiker. As
they rode along, he began to be suspicious of his passenger. John checked
to see if his wallet was safe in the pocket of his coat that was on the
seat between them, but it wasn't there! So he slammed on the brakes,
ordered the hitchhiker out, and said,
"Hand over the wallet immediately!"
The frightened hitchhiker handed over a billfold, and John drove off. When
he arrived home, he started to tell his wife about the experience, but she
interrupted him, saying,
"Before I forget, John, do you know that you left your wallet at home this
morning?"
Let's be careful not to form our opinions about others until we have all
the facts. Instead, we should first take an honest look at ourselves. Many
unkind words have been spoken and many relationships have been hurt
because someone was too quick to judge another person. How important it is
not to jump to conclusions! —H. G. Bosch (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
PEOPLE WHO JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS OFTEN LAND ON A LIE.
Luke 7
Luke 7:11-18
At times, the world seems to be an uncaring, unsympathetic place. People
are often cruel and indifferent, not giving a second thought to the plight
of their suffering neighbors. Wrapped up in their own interests, they
don't seem to notice the anguish and despair that is at their doorstep.
This could not be said of the Lord Jesus. Time after time He met the needs
of suffering people. Luke 7 tells about Christ's compassion when He saw
the widow stricken with grief over the death of her son. Jesus had
compassion on her and healed the boy. Earlier, when He saw a man with
leprosy—who was despised, ostracized, and no doubt terribly disfigured—He
made him well (Luke 5:12-15). Still today, Jesus looks upon human need
with compassion.
A little girl whose mother had been taken to the hospital was spending
the night alone with her father for the first time. Soon after her father
turned out the lights, the girl asked quietly, "Daddy, are you there?"
"Yes," he assured her. A moment later she asked, "Daddy, are you looking
at me?" When he said yes, she fell asleep.
Likewise, every child of God can depend on the Savior's look of love. No
matter how painful the problem or how deep the sorrow, we know He has His
eyes fixed on us. And knowing that our Savior's compassionate gaze always
watches over us should make us loving, caring people. Although the world
may turn its eyes from suffering, the Christian, following the example of
our Savior, should be alert to sorrow and quick to respond. —D. C. Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
God loves every one of us as if there were but one of us to love.
Luke 7:36-50
MAN returned to his wife whom he had left years before for a life of sin.
He came to Christ in a rescue mission while living as a derelict on skid
row. Now when he talks about God's mercy, he is overwhelmed with emotion.
People may say, "That man's wife could never love the Lord as much as he
does, because she was forgiven far less than he." But they are wrong.
Because she views herself as hopelessly lost apart from Christ, she can
love as much as he.
Our Lord's statement to Simon that the sinful woman loved much because she
had been forgiven much is often misunderstood. Jesus wasn't saying that
some people need less forgiveness and are therefore not able to love as
much as others. Rather, He was saying that the more we realize the depth
of our sinfulness and the extent of God's forgiveness, the greater will be
our love. Simon had shown no evidence of love for Christ. His
self-righteousness was just as evil as that woman's immorality, and if he
would turn to Jesus, his love for Him could be just as great.
Even those who were converted as children and never sank deep into sin can
appreciate the Lord's mercy. When we ponder our own unworthiness and
reflect on God's forgiveness, our love for Christ will grow.—H V Lugt (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 9
Luke 9:18-26
BRAHMS, the famous German composer, had a weight problem, so his doctor
put him on a diet. One day the doctor saw Brahms in a restaurant with all
the wrong kinds of food spread out before him. "So this is what you think
of my advice," he said to his patient. "Oh," Brahms responded, "I've
decided that it isn't worth starving myself to death just to live a few
more years."
We may smile at Brahm's reply, but some of us are as foolish in the
spiritual realm. Jesus said that we all need to die to our selfish desires
in order to live. "Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for My sake will save it," He said (Luke 9:24). But
some Christians would rather "live" in the now. Christians who insist on
catering to their own selfish desires and ambitions lose out on the
satisfaction of doing the will of God, which is life at its best.
On the other hand, believers in
Christ who deny themselves and follow Him do lose their lives in the sense
that they live for Him rather than for themselves. But in so doing they
actually save their lives. They find real purpose and joy. And one day
they will be amply rewarded.—R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 9:46
Hudson Taylor - The accuracy of Jesus’ statement about Mary of Bethany
is proven every time we talk about her act of devotion. What she did is
still “spoken of, for a memorial of her.” Her outpouring of love for
Jesus, which was demonstrated when she anointed Him with oil, has been
remembered down through the centuries to this very day.
In Yorkshire, England, during the early 1800s, two sons were born to a
family named Taylor. The older one set out to make a name for himself by
entering Parliament and gaining public prestige. But the younger son chose
to give his life to Christ. He later recalled, “Well do I remember, as in
unreserved consecration I put myself, my life, my friends, my all, upon
the altar. I felt I was in the presence of God, entering into covenant
with the Almighty.” With that commitment, Hudson Taylor turned his face
toward China and obscurity. As a result, he is known and honored on every
continent as a faithful missionary and the founder of the China Inland
Mission (now known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship). for the other son,
however, there is no lasting monument. He became known simply as “the
brother of Hudson Taylor.” - PRV (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 9:57-62
When Deborah, Israel's fourth judge, sang her song in celebration of
Israel's victory over the Canaanites (Judges 5:2-31) , she mentioned the
people of the tribe of Reuben. They had "great resolves of heart," she
said; but, she noted with dismay, they were content to sit "among the
sheepfolds." They had not turned their plans into action.
The tribe of Reuben was like the boy who sat at his mother's desk,
carefully drawing a picture. Soon he laid down his pen and proudly showed
his mother his sketch of the family dog. She commented on the fine
likeness, then noticed that something was missing. "Where is Rover's
tail?" she asked. "It's still in the bottle," the boy explained.
Many important things in the Christian life are left undone because we
don't put our plans into action. We decide to devote more time to the
reading and studying of the Word of God, then get sidetracked by other
activities. We resolve to be more faithful in praying for others. And for
a while we do just that. Then, gradually, other things take priority.
No matter how noble our plans, no matter how good our intentions, they
can't glorify God if they are "still in the bottle." —P.R.V. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
We may be on the right track, but we won't get anywhere if we just sit
there.
Luke 9:62
In the Bottle - In a small art studio I observed the works of an
artist who portrays western scenes and people. An unfinished sketch on his
easel reminded me of the story of a boy who sat at his mother’s desk,
drawing a picture. Using a fountain pen and a bottle black ink, he
exhibited considerable talent in sketching a picture of a dog. But he
stopped drawing before giving the dog a tail. When his mother noticed the
picture, she asked, “Where is the tail?”
Looking up, he explained, “It’s
still in the bottle.”
Luke 10
LUKE 10:20
At one time Frederick the Great held a banquet at which Voltaire, the
French philosopher and skeptic, was present. When dinner was served, the
noted unbeliever began to ridicule the Christians who were there. Finally
he said,
"Why, I would sell my seat in heaven for a Prussian dollar!"
There was a pause. Then one of the guests quietly rose from his chair and
said,
"Sir, you are in Prussia, where we have a law which requires that one who
wishes to sell anything must first prove ownership. Are you prepared to
establish the fact that you have a seat in heaven?"
Surprised and embarrassed, Voltaire, the normally quick-witted scoffer,
had nothing more to say for the rest of the evening.
How different with those of us who have been joined to Christ through
faith! We are sure of a place in heaven. —H. G. Bosch (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
WHEN WE RECEIVE CHRIST, WE BECOME STOCKHOLDERS IN HEAVEN.
Luke 10:25-37
WHILE D. L. Moody was attending a convention in Indianapolis on mass
evangelism, he asked his song leader, Ira Sankey, to meet him at six
o'clock one evening at a certain street corner.
When Sankey arrived, Mr. Moody asked him to stand on a box and sing. Once
a crowd had gathered, Moody spoke briefly and then invited the people to
follow him to the nearby convention hall. Soon the auditorium was filled
with spiritually hungry people, and the great evangelist preached the
Gospel to them. Then the convention delegates began to arrive. Moody
stopped preaching and said,
"Now we must close, as the brethren of the convention wish to come and
discuss the topic, `How to reach the masses.'
Moody's action that day illustrated the difference between talking about
doing something and going out and doing it.
One of the lessons of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that the person
who puts belief into practice is the one who pleases God.
We can get sidetracked so easily in committee meetings and brainstorming
sessions, important as they are, while people are dying by the wayside.
But there comes a time when talking about how to witness effectively or
how best to help others must stop. At some point, we have to go out and do
it! —D C Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 10:25-37
SOME seminary students were asked to preach a sermon on the parable of the
Good Samaritan, and Phyllis Le Peau tells an interesting story about what
happened on the day they were scheduled to preach:
When the hour arrived for their sermon, each one was deliberately delayed
en route to class. As the students raced across campus, they encountered a
person who pretended to be in need. Ironically, not one of the students
stopped to help. (Kindness: Reaching Out to Others)
Le Peau commented, "After all, they had an important sermon to preach."
Christians preach the most powerful sermons when they live what they say
they believe—when they demonstrate God's kindness to others, not just
talk about it.
Every time we meet someone in need, we choose whether to behave like the
religious Pharisees or the Good Samaritan. We can either take the time to
get involved or be like the religious leaders who passed by and offered no
help.—D C Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan in Jesus' parable set a worthy example. He stopped to
help a Jewish man, even though he knew that Jews despised Samaritans and
that most of his fellow Samaritans hated Jews. He acted sacrificially—his
deed cost him time and money. And he took a risk by stopping on that
Jericho road—he too could have been at-tacked by a band of robbers.
A friend recently came upon a dangerous situation along the free-way. He
saw a truck swerve to miss a reckless driver and then crash into a
guardrail. As he approached the scene, he noticed gas leaking from the
truck's fuel tank. Fearing an explosion, he screeched to a stop, jumped
out of his vehicle, and pulled the dazed driver out of his cab. He was a
modern-day Good Samaritan. He too took a risk to help a "neighbor."
If we take seriously Jesus' teaching in Luke 10:25-37, we will sacrifice
our time and money to help all kinds of people. We may not have the
opportunity to do something dramatic, as my friend did, but we can offer
kindness to a discouraged divorcee, a person dying with AIDS, or a
misunderstood teenager. Showing mercy to others is a way to express our
gratitude to God for His salvation. When we reach out to others, we show
our desire to obey Jesus' command to love God above all and our neighbors
as ourselves. Getting involved, even when it means taking a risk, is a
good risk. —H V Lugt (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
How much we are willing to sacrifice is the measure of our love.
Monday
Luke 10:36-37
Mercy - As Wordsworth put it,
"The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless,
unremembered acts of kindness and of love."
To a wily, Jewish lawyer Jesus
unfolded a three-act play about a good man. In a surprise ending, the
story revealed an unexpected white knight—not a priest or Levite but a
hated Samaritan. Knowing that Jesus had trapped him, the legal expert
admitted that the expected villain had become a hero because he showed
mercy, not because he followed the letter of the law.
The priest and the Levite who passed by the injured man were not really
the muscle men of God's Word; they were spiritual weaklings. They had
somehow missed all the Old Testament verses about God's great mercy; they
had skipped Micah's claim that good people love mercy (6:8).
Like the two religious men of Jesus' parable, we sometimes for-get that
pure religion is looking after those who can never repay us, such as
orphans and widows (James 1:27). Our obtuseness comes from not
appreciating the great mercy God showed in loving us.
Paul argued that those who understand God's mercy overcome the evil of
this world with good (Romans 12:1-21). Our nameless acts of compassion do
not go unremembered by Him.
Luke 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan in Jesus' parable set a worthy example. He stopped to
help a Jewish man, even though he knew that Jews despised Samaritans and
that most of his fellow Samaritans hated Jews. He acted sacrificially—his
deed cost him time and money. And he took a risk by stopping on that
Jericho road—he too could have been at-tacked by a band of robbers.
A friend recently came upon a dangerous situation along the free-way. He
saw a truck swerve to miss a reckless driver and then crash into a
guardrail. As he approached the scene, he noticed gas leaking from the
truck's fuel tank. Fearing an explosion, he screeched to a stop, jumped
out of his vehicle, and pulled the dazed driver out of his cab. He was a
modern-day Good Samaritan. He too took a risk to help a "neighbor."
If we take seriously Jesus' teaching in Luke 10:25-37, we will sacrifice
our time and money to help all kinds of people. We may not have the
opportunity to do something dramatic, as my friend did, but we can offer
kindness to a discouraged divorcee, a person dying with AIDS, or a
misunderstood teenager. Showing mercy to others is a way to express our
gratitude to God for His salvation. When we reach out to others, we show
our desire to obey Jesus' command to love God above all and our neighbors
as ourselves. Getting involved, even when it means taking a risk, is a
good risk. —H V Lugt (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
How much we are willing to sacrifice is the measure of our love.
Luke 10:38-42
The Good Part - Martha was gently rebuked by Jesus, not because she
worked hard to prepare His dinner but because she neglected a more
important concern. She had been so busy making a perfect meal that she
failed to nourish her soul with the spiritual food Mary was receiving
through fellowship with Him. The fact that Martha was anxious about her
work indicates that her priorities had gotten out of line. Mary, however,
had “chosen that good part,” which would not be taken away from her (v.
42).
An unknown author has captured the lesson of Luke 10 in these poetic
words:
Martha in
the kitchen, serving with her hands,
Occupied for Jesus with her pots and pans.
Loving Him, yet fevered, burdened to the brim,
Careful, troubled Martha, occupied for Him.
Mary on the footstool, eyes upon her Lord,
Occupied with Jesus, drinking in His word.
This one thing was needful, all else strangely dim;
Loving, resting Mary, occupied with Him.
So may we, like Mary, choose the better part:
Resting in His presence, hands and feet and heart;
Drinking in His wisdom, strengthened by His grace;
Waiting for the summons, eyes upon His face.
When it comes, we’re ready, spirit, will, and nerve;
Mary’s heart to worship, Martha’s hand to serve;
This the rightful order, as our lamps we trim:
Occupied WITH Jesus, then occupied FOR Him!”
Our Daily Bread
Luke 11
Luke 11:1
SAYING PRAYERS - For two and
one-half years I served as student-pastor in a little church on the
outskirts of a small town. None of the businessmen of the village
attended, for most of them were members of another very large denomination
which claimed the majority of the people in that community. They were
friendly to me, however, and gave our church a sizable discount each time
we made a purchase. Usually the businessman would say, "I want to give
this item to you at my cost; I only ask that you say a prayer for me." I
believe they said this sincerely because they truly thought it would help
if I would do this for them. I told them frankly that I didn't "say
prayers" in the routine, perfunctory way they sup-posed, but that I would
remember them when we brought our petitions before the Lord.
No, prayer is not just repeating some memorized phrases de-signed to
produce magical results. Prayer is talking to God! If I am really to
communicate with Him who is perfect in holiness, I must search my soul,
examine my motives, and confess my sins. In fact, God often permits
afflictions and crushing disappointments to enter the lives of His
children in order that they might be driven to real intercession! By
nature we are spiritually lazy; consequently, a life of ease and
prosperity has a tendency to draw us away from God so that we begin
"saying prayers" rather than really praying.
"Saying prayers" will accomplish very little; but heartfelt petitions
will keep you close to the Lord, make your life glow with spiritual
splendor, and draw your mind away from all that is wicked and carnal. In
fact, you cannot be an effective Christian without real prayer, for God
has chosen to do His work in this way. Let us ask the Lord every day to
keep us from "saying prayers." With the disciples of old, we must approach
Him re-questing, "Lord, teach us to pray!" It will probably cost us
some-thing, but it will be worth it! (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
O Thou by whom we
come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way,
The path of prayer Thyself host trod;
Lord, teach us how to pray! —J. Montgomery
Praying is to the soul what
breathing is to the body!
Luke 11:1
UNDERSTANDING PRAYER - What a
privilege it would be to talk privately with the president of the United
States! Yet believers can choose at any time to enjoy an infinitely
greater privilege -- fellowship with the King of kings.
Prayer is not simply a matter of rushing into God's presence with our
requests. Supplication is a valid element of prayer, to be sure, but
fellowship and communion are far more important elements. Prayer includes
adoration, praise, thanksgiving, and intercession for others, as well as
asking for the supply of our own needs and legitimate desires. Prayer is
not only talking to God; it is also listening to Him as He reminds us from
His Word what He wants us to do.
In Alexander Solzhenitsyn's `A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich,' Ivan
endures all the horrors of a Soviet prison camp. One day he is praying
with his eyes closed when a fellow prisoner notices him and says with
ridicule, "Prayers won't help you get out of here any faster." Opening his
eyes, Ivan answers, "I do not pray to get out of prison but to do the will
of God."
Prayer is not manipulating God to get what we want but discovering what He
wants us to do, and then asking the Holy Spirit to enable us to do His
will. - V C Grounds (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Praise His blessed
name forever!
There is naught that can compare
To the glories of a contact
With the Mighty God through prayer. -Anon.
Prayer is not a way to get what we
want but the way to become what God wants.
Luke 11:1-13
"When you pray, say: `Our Father'" (Luke 11:2).
Dr. Robert A. Cook, president of The King's College, told an audience at
Moody Bible Institute that he had talked with Vice President George Bush
the previous day. Two hours after that, he spoke briefly with President
Ronald Reagan. Then, smiling broadly, Cook told us, "But that's nothing.
Today I talked with God."
Prayer takes on new power and fervency when we become conscious of God's
greatness and glory. When saints of past ages caught a glimpse of the
Almighty, they were awestruck. Job, who had complained bitterly about his
misfortune and had made some self-righteous statements, finally met the
Lord and cried out, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but
now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and
ashes" (Job 42:5-6). Isaiah saw a vision of God and exclaimed, "Woe is me,
for I am undone!" (Isa. 6:5). Ezekiel observed the glory of the Lord and
declared, "So when I saw it, I fell on my face" (Ezek. 1:28). The apostle
John, after seeing a vision of the glorified Son of God, said, "I fell at
His feet as dead" (Rev. 1:17).
To all of these men, the vision of God's greatness and glory brought an
overwhelming sense of their weakness and depravity. Yet God invites us to
talk to Him, and He wants us to address Him as "Our Father." —H V Lugt
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Our highest privilege is to talk to God.
Luke 11:2
The Privilege of Prayer - A comment by Robert A. Cook, president of
The King’s College in New York, renewed my appreciation for the privilege
of prayer. Speaking at the Moody Bible Institute, Cook said that the day
before, he had been at a gathering in Washington and had talked with Vice
President George Bush. Two hours later he spoke briefly with President
Ronald Reagan. Then smiling broadly, Cook told us, “But that’s nothing!
Today I talked with God!”
Luke 11:3
Long Stretches Tire Us - These two Scripture verses prompted someone
to write, “One secret of a happy Christian life is living by the day. It’s
the long stretches that tire us. But really, there are no long stretches.
Life does not come to us all at once. Tomorrow is not ours; but when it
does come, God will supply both daily bread and daily strength.”
As Pastor Philip Doddridge was walking along the street one day, he was
feeling depressed and desolate, for something had happened to burden his
heart. Passing a small cottage, he heard through the open door the voice
of a child reading the words found in Deuteronomy 33:25, “.as your days,
so shall your strength be.” The Holy Spirit used that truth to bolster his
sinking morale. He was encouraged not to look too far ahead, but just to
go on living for the Lord from moment to moment in the consciousness that
God would care for him.
Apparently D.L. Moody also learned that secret, for he said, “A man can no
more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough today
to last him for the next 6 months, nor can he inhale sufficient air into
his lungs with one breath to sustain life for a week to come. We are
permitted to draw upon God’s store of grace from day to day as we need
it!”
God never gives His strength in advance, so let’s stop crossing bridges
before we come to them. The Heavenly Father will graciously supply our
every need - one day at a time!
Don’t try to bear tomorrow’s burdens with today’s grace.
Luke 12
Luke 12:13-34
A Terrible Deathbed - I once read of a man who bought a luxurious
house and filled it with expensive and spectacular furnishings. After
taking a friend on a tour through its many spacious rooms, the owner of
the mansion asked proudly, “Well, what do you think of it?” He expected to
hear lavish praise, so he was stunned when his quest responded, “It is
gorgeous; but to be perfectly frank, things like this make a deathbed
terrible.”
Luke 12:13-34
All Mine - George W. Truett,
a well-known pastor, was invited to dinner in the home of a very wealthy
man in Texas. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could
get a good view of the surrounding area.
Pointing to the oil wells punctuating the landscape, he boasted,
“Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all
mine.” Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain,
he said, “That’s all mine.” Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he
bragged, “They’re all mine.” Then pointing to the west and a beautiful
forest, he exclaimed, “That too is all mine.”
He paused, expecting Dr. Truett to compliment him on his great success.
Truett, however, placing one hand on the man’s shoulder and pointing
heavenward with the other, simply said, “How much do you have in that
direction?” The man hung his head and confessed, “I never thought of
that.” (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 12:15
Philip Parham tells the story of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to
find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat.
“Why aren’t you out there fishing?” he
asked.
“Because I’ve caught enough fish for today,” said the fisherman.
“Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?’ the rich man asked.
“What would I do with them?”
“You could earn more money,” came the impatient reply, “and buy a better
boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon
nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you’d have a fleet
of boats and be rich like me.”
The fisherman asked, “Then what would I do?”
“You could sit down and enjoy life,” said the industrialist.
“What do you think I’m doing now?” the fisherman replied as he looked
placidly out to sea. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 12:29
WATCH THE "OIL"! - The editor of the
Arkansas Baptist, Erwin L. McDonald, went to school during the twenties
when most people did not drive an automobile. He lived eight miles from
the high school, and did not even own a bicycle. However, one of his
former school teachers had a Model-T Ford and a daughter who also wanted
an education. The father told the young man he could have his
transportation free if he would consent to drive the car. The young man
carefully deliberated for half a second and said he would do it.
It turned out to be a very good arrangement for Erwin Mc-Donald. He not
only obtained his education, but ended up marrying an older sister of the
girl he drove to school. In addition to this he received some excellent
advice from his future father-in-law. The day he turned over the key to
the lad he said, "Erwin, watch the oil. It won't run without gas, but you
can be driving down the road thinking all is well, and you can be burning
out the motor for lack of lubrication."
Mr. McDonald later saw this as a parable on life. As a car will not run
without gasoline, so we cannot function without food, clothing, rest, and
some of the material things in life. However, it is possible to eke out an
existence without giving thought to spiritual realities. It is a tragedy
that a person can go day after day with his heart set on the things of
earth, not realizing that his life is being destroyed because he is
running without "spiritual oil." All the comforts and conveniences this
earth can afford will never satisfy the deepest needs of the soul.
Christian, you may have a lovely home, a new automobile, and a color TV,
but — are you watching the "oil"? Be wise, put the things of God first!
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
O for a life by God
controlled,
A heart to do His will;
With Him put first, no lack we'll know,
Our needs His love will fill! —GW
Christians are either Bibles or
libels
Luke 14
Luke 14:11
They Took God’s Glory - What did King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient
Babylon and Nikolai Ceausescu of present-day Romania have in common? Both
were ruthless dictators who fell after boldly exalting themselves.
Nebuchadnezzar brazenly declared that he had built the great city of
Babylon by his own power and for the honor of his majesty (Dan. 4:30). God
humbled him by driving him into the wilderness with a mental illness.
Ceausescu, after years of cruelly persecuting Christians and killing all
potential threats to his power, instructed the National Opera to produce a
song in his honor that included these words: “Ceausescu is good,
righteous, and holy.” He wanted this song to be sung on his 72nd birthday
on January 26, 1990, but on December 25, 1989, he and his wife were
executed. Although his overthrow was part of the anticommunist revolution
that swept through eastern Europe, many Christians see his sudden downfall
as an act of God. One Romanian, Peter Dugulescu, said that it was “because
he took for himself the glory of God.” (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 14:15-24
"Many churches today remind me of a
laboring crew trying to gather a harvest while they sit in the tool shed.
They go to the tool shed every Sunday and they study bigger and better
methods of agriculture, sharpen their hoes, grease their tractors, and
then get up and go home. Then they come back that night, study bigger and
better methods of agriculture, sharpen their hoes, grease their tractors,
and get up and go home. They do this week in and week out, year in and
year out, and nobody ever goes out into the fields to gather in the
harvest" (Paul W. Powell, The Complete Disciple).
The final command of Christ to His disciples was to tell everyone about
His saving power. Just before He ascended to heaven, He said to His
followers, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"
(Mark 16:15). Today, that great commission is still the responsibility of
believers. But many church members, even though they have much Bible
knowledge and have been Christians for years, never enter the harvest
field.
I must confess my own guilt in this regard. I promote missions. I support
missionary endeavors regularly. Some of my best friends are missionaries.
But I haven't been out in the realm of the lost as I should be. It's time
for all of us to confess our shortcomings and to get into the fields. —D C Egner
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
There is only one thing we can't do for missions—get rid of our
responsibility.
Luke 14:25-33
THE name Mickey Thompson used to be one of the most recognized in auto
racing. His team built the fastest cars on the track. But not one of those
cars ever brought Thompson a checkered flag. Although his cars took the
lead in the first twenty-nine races they entered, they never won a race.
Why? Because they did not finish.
Thompson could make the fastest cars, but he couldn't build them to last.
They all broke down during the race. Engines blew. Gearboxes broke.
Carburetors failed. His cars were good starters and fast runners, but they
were not good finishers.
As we run the race of the Christian life, we need to end well. The apostle
Paul is an example of a good finisher. He received Christ on the Damascus
road. He attended "seminary" in the Arabian desert (Galatians 1:17-18). He
served Christ in spite of hardship and persecution. He opened Europe to
the Gospel. And at the close of his life, he could say with confidence, "I
have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7).
What about us? What stalls our spiritual engines? What causes us to break
down? When we find ourselves out of the running, we need to diagnose the
problem, make the necessary repairs, and get back into the race. God needs
people He can count on to cross the finish line.—D C Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 15
Luke 15:10
History was unfolding before our eyes. There on our TV screens were
pictures of East Germans dancing on top of the Berlin Wall. We didn't know
these people personally. We were separated by miles, culture, and
language. Yet we rejoiced with them as they felt the invigorating breeze
of freedom blow across their land.
A people had been given a new measure of liberty, and we shared their
thrilling moment. The wall was coming down, an era of tyranny was ending,
and free people everywhere celebrated with those jubilant East Germans.
This reminded me of another vicarious celebration—the joy that the angels
in heaven experience when a sinner breathes his first breath of freedom
from the tyranny of sin. Because the insurmountable wall that separates
man from God has been torn down by Christ on the cross, we can now be free
from the oppressive weight of sin's guilt. This burden, which makes it
impossible to enjoy life, is lifted when a person receives Christ as his
or her Savior. And how the angels rejoice! J. D. Branon (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
ANGELS REJOICE WHEN SINNERS REPENT
Luke 15:11
The Tramp - Evangelist J.
Wilbur Chapman recounted a testimony given by a man in one of his
meetings. The man said,
“I got off at the train depot one day
as a tramp. For a year I had begged on the streets. Badly in need of food,
I touched a man on the shoulder and said, ‘Mister, please give me a dime.’
As soon as I saw his face, I
recognized my aging father.
“Don’t you know me?’ I asked.
Throwing his arms around me, he
cried,
‘Oh, my son, I have found you at last!
All I have is yours!’
Think of it—I was a tramp who begged
for 10 cents from a man I didn’t know was my father, when for 18 years he
had been looking for me to give me all he possessed!”
Luke 15:11-24
A twelve-year-old boy killed one of the family geese by throwing a stone
and hitting it squarely on the head. Figuring his parents wouldn't notice
that one of the twenty-four birds was missing, he buried it. But that
evening his sister called him aside and said, "I saw what you did. If you
don't offer to do the dishes tonight, I'll tell Mother." The next morning
she gave him the same warning. All that day and the next the frightened
boy felt bound to do the dishes. The following morning, however, he
surprised his sister by telling her it was her turn. When she reminded him
of what she would do, he replied, "I've already told Mother, and she has
forgiven me. Now you do the dishes. I'm free again."
Luke tells us that the prodigal son, concerned about his meeting with his
father, decided to begin the conversation by confessing his sin. Then he
planned to offer himself as a slave. But he never had to make that
proposal. He had hardly begun his confession when his father forgave him
and restored him to his status as a son. For that young man, as for the
little boy, confession opened the door to freedom.
David discovered the same liberation after his sin. In Psalm 32 he
declared that when he kept silent, mental depression and bodily distress
kept him bound. But as soon as he confessed what he had done, he was
forgiven. His spiritual joy and physical vitality returned. Repentance
brings release from bondage. —H V Lugt (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
We can't put our sins behind us until we are ready to face them.
Luke 15:11-24
An artist searching for a man to model as the prodigal son saw a beggar in
the street and asked him to come to his studio and pose for him, promising
to pay him. At the appointed time the man appeared, neatly shaven and all
dressed up. "Who are you?" asked the artist. "I am the beggar," answered
the man. "I thought I'd get cleaned up before I got painted." "I can't use
you as you are now," said the artist, and dismissed him.
All who come to Jesus for salvation must come just as they are. Simple
trust in Christ—with no claim of their own merits—that's what God is
looking for. This attitude is also a key to growth in grace and a life of
useful service. After we are saved, we may begin to think that we must
clean ourselves up in order to prove ourselves worthy. Although we must
"work out" our own salvation, pride and conceit blind us to the truth that
it is God who works in us "both to will and to do for His good pleasure"
(Phil. 2:12-13).
Paul put it like this: "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD" (1 Cor.
1:31). Our part is to yield to His working in us.
Continued spiritual progress requires that we honestly recognize our
continual spiritual poverty. Although we are saved once and for all, we
must maintain that basic sense of need that prompted our initial response
to Jesus in order for God's Spirit to remain in control. God can use only
those who rely on Him and maintain a prodigal posture throughout all of
life. —D J De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
To be rich in God is better than to be rich in goods.
Luke
16
Luke 16:1-12
Polite Salesman - Faithfulness in duties we think are of minimal
importance proves our readiness for larger tasks. Charles M. Schwab told
of a prosperous man who started out in his youth as a poorly paid helper
in a department store.
One rainy day when business was slow, the employees gathered in a corner
to discuss the current baseball situation. When a woman came in, wet and
bedraggled from the weather, they all continued talking except this young
fellow. Quickly he walked over to the customer and asked courteously,
“What can I show you, madam?” He promptly got the merchandise she
requested and explained its features in a pleasant manner.
A short time later, the firm received a letter from this lady ordering
complete furnishings for a large estate overseas. “I want to be assisted
by the polite clerk who waited on me a few weeks ago,” she wrote. The head
of the company responded by saying that the one she asked for was young
and inexperienced, so the manager would be sent instead.
But when her reply came, it stated that she wanted the person she had
designated and no other. So the courteous employee was sent to advise in
furnishing a famous Scottish palace, for the customer had been none other
than Mrs. Andrew Carnegie!
Luke 16:13
Duke of Willington - Godfrey Davis, who wrote a biography about the
Duke of Willington, said,
“I found an old account ledger that
showed how the Duke spent his money. It was a far better clue to what he
thought was really important than the reading of his letters or speeches.”
How we handle money reveals much
about the depth of our commitment to Christ. That’s why Jesus often talked
about money. One-sixth of the gospels, including one out of every three
parables, touches on stewardship. Jesus wasn’t a fundraiser. He dealt with
money matters because money matters. For some of us, though, it matters
too much.
Luke 16:19-31
A CHURCH that needed a pastor invited several candidates to come and
preach. One minister spoke on Psalm 9:17, "The wicked shall be turned into
hell." The chairman of the board was not in favor of him. A few weeks
later, another preacher came and used the same verse for his sermon. This
time the man said, "He's good! Let's call him."
The other board members were surprised. "Why did you like him?" one of
them asked. "He used the same text as the other minister."
"True," replied the chairman, "but when the first preacher said that the
lost would be turned into hell, he seemed to gloat over it. When the
second said it, he had tears in his eyes and concern in his voice."
When Jesus warned of the terrible reality of hell, His words must have
sounded frightening. But they were motivated by love for the lost. The
Bible says that God takes "no pleasure in the death of the wicked"
(Ezekiel 33:11) and "desires all men to be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4). Every
time Jesus spoke of hell, therefore, He did so out of loving concern.
A terrible fate awaits those who reject God's gracious salvation. If we
love them as Christ does, we will show it by lovingly yet urgently
speaking to them of their need to receive Christ.—H G Bosch (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 18
Luke 18:9-14
WHEN a member of a church board fell into sin, the pastor called together
the other board members. With love and compassion he told them the sad
story. Then he asked this question: "If you had been tempted as our
brother was, what would you have done?" The first man, confident of his
ability to with-stand temptation, said, "I would never have given in to
that sin." Several others made the same statement.
Finally, the minister addressed the question to the last member of the
board, a man the others respected for his spiritual maturity. "Pastor," he
answered, "I feel in my heart that if I had been tempted and tested as he
was, I would probably have fallen even lower." There was silence. Then the
pastor said, "You are the only one who can go with me to talk with our
erring brother and try to restore him to fellowship."
We must never take a superior attitude toward believers who fall. Instead,
we are to lift them up from a position of humility that comes from knowing
ourselves. Only those who realize their own vulnerability and tendency to
sin have the humility necessary to help restore a wayward believer.—H G Bosch
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Luke 18:13
I’m Guilty - The story is told that one day Frederick the Great, King
of Prussia, visited a prison and talked with each of the inmates. There
were endless tales of innocence, of misunderstood motives, and of
exploitation. Finally the king stopped at the cell of a convict who
remained silent. “Well,” remarked Frederick, “I suppose you are an
innocent victim too?” “No, sir, I’m not,” replied the man. “I’m guilty and
deserve my punishment.” Turning to the warden, the king said, “Here,
release this rascal before he corrupts all these
