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Ravens and wildflowers…. (devo reflection)

Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Today’s chapter brought up a point I had not really considered before. When I read this section of Luke 12, I think: if God takes care of things as small and inconsequential as birds and flowers, or course He’ll take care of me.

Luke 12:27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Enns points out that birds and flowers are incapable of worry, that Jesus is saying we should consider them, regard them, be like them in that our trust in Him makes us incapable of worry. Trust in Jesus—in His love, His goodness, His sovereignty, His mercy—to the point that that trust is such a concrete part of our being that worry is impossible.

Luke 12:29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.

Lord, I’ve got a long way to go to be incapable of worry, but I want my trust in You to be so solid, so complete, so profound that I am incapable of worrying. I’ve made progress over the years, Lord, but I still have a long way to go. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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Focusing solely on Jesus…. (devo reflection)

Acts 5:1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.

Commentary helped to clear up a lot of confusion around Ananias and Sapphira for me. I didn’t understand that they were in control of how much they gave and that the crucial issue here was not how much they gave but that they claimed to give all the proceeds (so they could be perceived as incredibly generous) while in reality, they only gave a portion of the proceeds.

Acts 5:2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

So many modern themes, so many issues I wrestle with personally, are at work in this ancient text: pride, greed, deception, preoccupation with appearances. The story of Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus, soaking up His word, and Martha, scurrying around, cleaning like mad, also comes to mind. So often in life we lose sight of the goal—glorifying God as we do His will—and choose the wrong thing.

Acts 5:3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?

Lord, I am “worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one” (Luke 10:41-42). Help me to put aside my pride, my desire for accolades and recognition, and to focus solely on You—Your will, Your work, Your love, grace, and compassion. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Acts 5:4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Have a blessed day.

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Give me strength…. (devo reflection)

John 18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

Jesus knew Simon Peter would deny Him three times. He *knew* it, and yet, He not only still loved Peter, He encouraged Him long before His denial. In Luke 22:32 He says, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

John 18:17 “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter. He replied, “I am not.”

I understand Peter’s cowardice when he wanted to be brave. I understand Peter’s denial when he was scared. It is harder for me to understand Jesus’s love and encouragement even in the face of Peter’s actions, but that’s a lesson I need to take to heart.

John 18:25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.”

Lord, I am like Peter in so many ways—I want to be brave, but I am often afraid. Give me strength. Help me to stand strong in my faith, to stand strong for You always. And help me to love others as You love Simon Peter, as You love me. Amen.

John 18:26-27 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Have a blessed day.

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In the mundane ordinary of life…. (devo reflection)

Luke 24:30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 
These two unnamed disciples were standing in the presence of Jesus, but they didn’t realize it. Scripture says they were kept from recognizing Him (verse 16), but how many times have I been so wrapped up in my own mess that I missed Jesus in my midst? There is a lesson for me here.
Luke 24:31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 
Interestingly, it was during the breaking of bread, a mundane daily necessity, when their eyes were opened to the Savior in their presence. Again, there is a lesson for me here.
Luke 24:32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Lord, Thank You for whispering to my heart. Thank You for the reminder to seek You always, in my sorrows and pain, in my joys and celebrations, in the mundane ordinary of life. Open the eyes of my heart. Help me to seek You always and in all things. Amen.
Luke 24:35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Have a blessed day.
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Community, not mob mentality…. (devo reflection)

Luke 23:13-14 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.
This should have been the end of it. Pilate examined Jesus and found no fault. He sent Him to Herod who also found no fault in Him. However, he was still going to punish Him (habit? Placating?) before releasing Him. But the people wouldn’t have it, and Pilate eventually gave in.
Luke 23:15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.
I’ve said before that we all want to feel seen and accepted. There is a lot of power in that. But mob mentality is also very real and typically very destructive. We can’t just get caught up in the frenzied crowd, yelling for the blood of an innocent Man. Jesus, help us.
Luke 23:16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”
Lord, Thank You for whispering these truths to my heart. You made us for community but not for mob mentality. Help us to seek godly communities that glorify You and not angry mobs out for blood. Help us to use our voices and presence to glorify You and comfort Your people. Amen.
Luke 23:18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”
Have a blessed day.
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My prideful attitude…. (devo reflection)

Luke 22:3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 
There is much speculation about what was going on in Judas’s mind around this time. Some speculate that he was trying to force Jesus’s hand so that Jesus’s political power and glory could finally be seen. Maybe he finally realized that Jesus wasn’t the political power he thought he would be and he felt betrayed by his allegiance. I’m willing to bet pride played a role in some—probably large—capacity, regardless.
Luke 22:4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 
Humans are ridiculously prideful creatures. My own pride is often cloaked in bitterness and anger—I thought I was more important than that. I thought I was more respected than that. I thought I was more loved than that. How could I be treated this way?!?—But Jesus knows even this about us and says in verse 32, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Luke 22:5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 
Precious Savior, Forgive me for my prideful attitude, which often lashes out as anger and bitterness. Help me in this struggle. I want to lay my wounded, exhausted pride at Your feet and leave it there, divorced entirely from myself. Help me, and allow me to “strengthen my brothers” along this journey as well. Amen.
Luke 22:6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
Have a blessed day.
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A shift in perspective…. (devo reflection)

Luke 21:34a “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life…

What strikes me about this section is the fact that Jesus doesn’t want me to be weighed down by the anxieties of life because He does not want me to be caught unaware when He returns. It’s not about a failing in me—my inability to fully trust Him— it is about His desire for my relationship with Him. He wants me to be with me so He doesn’t want me to be caught unaware.

Luke 21:34b “…and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.

The shift in focus is at once both tiny and huge. My anxiety is not about me and my inability to trust. My anxiety is about things that come between me and my Savior, that cause me to take my eyes and my focus off of Him.

Luke 21:35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth.

Lord, Thank You for this shift in perspective, which at its heart is a lesson in humility. My anxiety—and this life—are not about me, my failings, my shortcomings, but about removing things from my life that take my focus off of You. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Luke 21:36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Have a blessed day.

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The right of ownership…. (devo reflection)

Luke 20:9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.

Everything I have is God’s. It was given to me by God. It is not mine but His. Sadly, this right of ownership is as easy for me to forget as it was for the farmers in this parable. You metaphorically work the land long enough, and you begin to feel like you earned the rewards, like you deserve them. That’s pride.

Luke 20:10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

Because all that I have is from God, belongs to God, I should be giving back to Him every chance I get—time, talent, and resources. But, again, it’s easy to forget that the foundation of everything is from Him, of Him. It’s easy to get indignant that “after all my hard work,” He wants His share, deserves His share freely and without complaint, that in reality, it’s ALL His anyway. Forgive me, Jesus.

Luke 20:13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’

Precious Savior, Thank You for continuing to work on my heart in the area of pride. Thank You for the illustration of The Parable of the Tenants. Thank You for the reminder that all that I am and all that I have is Yours. Forgive me. Help me. Amen.

Luke 20:14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

Have a blessed day.

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Lessons from Zacchaeus…. (devo reflection)

Luke 19:3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.

Typically when I read this section, my focus is on Jesus and His reaction to Zacchaeus, but much can be learned by studying Zacchaeus in this passage. 1. He was short but determined. He couldn’t see over the road so he climbed a tree. 2. He wasn’t concerned with what others thought. If he were, he probably wouldn’t have climbed the tree, wouldn’t have met Jesus, wouldn’t have changed.

Luke 19:4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

3. He was actively seeking Jesus. His curiosity wasn’t just hypothetical. He put his searching into action. 4. He responded to Jesus’s invitation. He could have said, “I’m good. I was just curious.” Instead, he acted and acted differently than he had in the past. 5. He made amends. Zacchaeus knew what he had done, knew what he needed to do to follow Christ. He made a commitment to follow Him and make amends.

Luke 19:8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Lord, Thank You for seeing Zacchaeus and all those who actively seek You. Help me to be active and determined yet humble as I seek You daily. Help me respond daily to Your invitation of faith. Help me to make amends when I do not treat others as I should. Renew my heart, Lord. Draw me closer. Amen.

Luke 19:9-10 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Have a blessed day.

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The key to balance…. (devo reflection)

Luke 18:13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

Commentary says about this chapter, “It is impossible for us to give more to God than He gives back to us.” Perhaps this idea is the key to balance. There is a lot of kingdom work to be done. It is easy to get discouraged, weary, to long for recognition for all my efforts. But no matter how much I give, I can’t out give God.

Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But out giving God is not the point. Earning the blessings He’s lavished upon us is impossible. For me, it’s about keeping focus on Him so I can avoid the worldly traps of discouragement, weariness, and desire for recognition.

Luke 18:27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Lord, Thank You for helping me wrestle with these issues that plague my heart. Help me to stay focused on You, centered on You, renewed in You. Help me to be still and know that You are God. Help me turn fully from this world and rest in You alone. Amen.

Luke 18:40-42 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

Have a blessed day.