Devotionals

Intro: Rumors are everywhere; talk and opinions widely disseminated with no discernible source of truth. A rumor is basically gossip and the Bible warns against engaging in it (Pro 18:6-7). And, those who even listen knowing information is gossip then turn to pass it on are described as low in character (Pro 17:4).

Words can build up a person or tear him or her down; life and death is in the power of the tongue (Pro 18:21). Therefore, rumors are not harmless; a simple “oops,” “I’ll retract it later,” or “I’m sorry” doesn’t change the damage that has been done. Strangely our sinful nature likes sharing info that gets us a level of attention, but believers have the responsibility to speak wisdom and truth if we are going to open our mouths.

In our passage today, rumors have been circulating about the true identity of Jesus. Jesus listens to the disinformation and rumors, but spends no time responding to any of it. Instead, he turns to his disciples and asks a much more important question, “But, who do you say I am?”

This is the same question Jesus places before every human who hears about him; we will be judged by our answer. We actually answer Jesus’ question by how we live our lives every day. Do we honor and love God wholeheartedly? Do we look for the power to love our neighbors…even the difficult ones? If we really believe Jesus is the Anointed One, we will be confident in his ability and love to bring redemption, refreshment, resources, and restoration to everyone who wants to know the heart of God and live for his purpose. We will not doubt his sovereignty, authority, or power, because he has promised to be what we lack. Believers will declare Jesus is the Savior and the ruler of heaven and earth. Jesus is the Anointed One—he has the power to accomplish every task; therefore, we must stay connected to him. Peter declares the truth about Jesus. What do you say?

Luke 9:18-20 (NLT) Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

19 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”
20 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter replied, “You are the Messiah [the Anointed One] sent from God!”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the anointing of your Spirit who empowers believers to know you, receive your revelation for life, so we can speak the Truth in love to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

May 30, 2022

These daily devotionals are a time to grow deeper in relationship with the One who died for our freedom from sin. On this Memorial Day, may we take time to reflect on the lives of those men and women who have died while serving in the United States armed forces to insure our freedom. May the Lord bless their families and bless those men and women who continue to protect our American freedom. Thank you, to all military personnel for your selfless call to serve and to protect.

Before we just jump into today’s passage let’s take a moment and gain some context. So, earlier in Acts 16 we see that the Apostle Paul is out ministering with Silas. They reach Philippi, a major city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. There a demon possessed slave girl began to follow and taunt Paul day after day shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” (v. 17) This was true, but you could imagine how well it was going over coming from what others saw as a sort of fortune-teller, and that was not the type of support that Paul and Silas needed. Finally, Paul says to the demon, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her” (v.18) and the demon instantly left the slave girl. This also did not go over very well, as the girl’s owner demanded the arrest of these missionaries. The magistrates (officers or judges of the religious law) did not like troublemakers, and so they had these men beaten and put in jail. Around midnight, Paul and Silas began to pray and sing in jail. God responded by shaking the prison with an earthquake that opened the doors and freed the prisoners. (v.25-26) Only, not one of the prisoners walked out, but the jailer did not know that and so as he was about to commit suicide because of the mess at the jail, Paul stopped him and led him to Christ. The jailer took Paul and Silas home with him for a meal, and there he cared for their wounds from the beatings. Later, the men baptized the jailer’s entire household and they all believed in God (v.31-34).

This brings us to today’s passage, where we see that the next morning the city officials sent word to the jailer to let Paul and Silas go. However, Paul was not willing to sneak out of town because he did not want the new church to be left under a cloud of suspicion. He told them that he was a Roman citizen, and he demanded a public apology for their unlawful acts. According to Roman law, Roman citizens, as both Paul and Silas were, could not be beaten and put in prison without a fair trial. We don’t know why Paul waited until this moment to mention this fact, but God certainly knew, and He used it.

The magistrates respectfully came to Paul and Silas, and although they did not do a public apology, they did escort them out of prison, and politely asked them to leave town. This satisfied Paul, as he was not looking for revenge, rather he wanted protection and respect for the church.

What Paul did is such an important lesson for us. Paul did not campaign for societal change in an unbelieving world. Rather, he worked hard to change the hearts of the people that Jesus brought within his path. Notice that not “all” of the people’s hearts were changed (like the magistrates), and Paul and Silas knew that was the case, and rather than organize a public demonstration (to prove their point), they quietly left. You and I have the opportunity each and everyday to share the Good News about the saving love of Jesus Christ. We must not focus on all of the darkness of this world because the enemy is busy. Rather, we need to be focused on how we are going to allow the Lord to work in and through us to change one heart at a time. Never underestimate where, when, and with whom God will use you. Do you think Paul and Silas thought God would use them to change the hearts of a demon possessed slave girl and a jailer? Probably not, but the connection between the two hearts is rather divinely placed when you stop and think about it. When one is saved it causes the men to be moved to another situation where they are then given an opportunity to present Christ to the other and he too is saved. We have to be willing and open to allow the work of the Holy Spirit to operate in and through our lives at all times to bring more hearts to the Kingdom.

Acts 16:35-40 NLT

35 The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” 36 So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.”

37 But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!”

38 When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. 40 When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for saving each of us. Thank You for the men and women who serve to protect our American freedom. We lift up the families who have lost loved ones in service to our country. Please bless them, Lord. We ask You to help us to allow the Spirit to move freely within us so that we can bring more people to You. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: According to Scripture, the “heart” is defined as the core of one’s life; one’s entire emotional nature and understanding. The “heart” is the center of spiritual activity, but it is also at the core of operations in human life. Because of sin, broken and estranged is the human state of the “heart” apart from the restorative work of Jesus the Christ [Savior]. The “heart” is deceitful, desperately wicked, and [without God] is beyond cure [Jer 17:9]. That is why we must repent from evil and turn to obey, apply, and hide the Word of God in our “hearts” [Ps 119:11]. The Word helps us guard our “hearts,” because everything we do flows from it [Prov 4:23].

As a nation, we mourn the loss of 21 human beings killed on Tuesday in Uvalde, Texas. What caused this young man to rob, kill, and destroy these lives? According to Scripture, the underlying truth is deception and evil hiding in the “heart.” Sure, there may be more details about this mass killing that will be uncovered, but the fundamental issue that motivated this act is found in the godless state of the human “heart.”

In our passage today, the angel of the Lord speaks to the Apostle John who is reminding us the Lord will return suddenly and unexpectedly for his Church. For the people of God, we are to have no other gods but the Most High (Ex 20:3-5). We are to be loving God with all our hearts, soul [personality], and minds (Mat 22:37). May believers worldwide stay focused on obeying the Word and worshiping Yahweh as we proclaim now is the time to find salvation in Christ. We are beginning to experience a harvest of the “hearts.” If you have never done so, please invite Jesus into your heart…

Revelation 22:6-9 NLT
6 Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon [suddenly].”

Jesus Is Coming
7 “Look, I am coming soon [suddenly]! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book [scroll].”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. 9 But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”

Prayer of Salvation: Lord, I confess my sin against the authority of your Word and ask for you to forgive me. Please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Holy Spirit take control of my life and walk with me each day. I want to taste your goodness and see the salvation of my mind, will, and emotions. Take the broken places and heal me with your perfect love. Help me to tell others about your gift of salvation in Christ. I worship you Almighty God; there is none like you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Before we dig into our passage for today, we need to remember after Jesus’ resurrection he spent 40 days [revealing the spiritual truth of his living presence] with his disciples as he traveled around Galilee and back to Jerusalem. During this time, Jesus continues to manifest his supernatural power by revealing himself to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus [Lu 24:13-32], suddenly appearing in rooms behind locked doors to more disciples [Jo 20:19], providing proof to Thomas a doubting disciple [Jo 20:27-28], initiating a miraculous catch of fish to seven disciples [Jo 21:6], restoring the disciple Peter from broken fellowship [Jo 21:15-17], and appearing to some 500 people to share about God’s forgiveness of sin by his sacrifice [1 Co 15:6]. Everything Jesus said and did, during this time, has been to assure all of his disciples that he is the fulfillment of the Old Testament [Tanakh] sacrificial system and the messianic prophecies—the manifested Truth.

In our passage today, before his ascension, Jesus opens the minds of his disciples so they can understand Scripture and the purpose of his life; to bring forgiveness of sins for all who repent” (Lu 24:47]. Before he leaves them, he wants them to have the wisdom to understand the steadfast love and faithfulness of God for salvation. Jesus wants them to be aware that evil and sin is what destroys life with God. Lastly, Jesus wants his disciples to anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit who will bring the power to share this Good News. Jesus prepares and equips his disciples. He prepares and equips us to do likewise. God wants the world to hear and know the salvation he offers. Will you share in God’s faithfulness to tell those around you?

Luke 24:44-53 NLT
44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, [all people] beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.

49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

The Ascension
50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for preparing all believers and equipping us with the Holy Spirit and power. May we take your commission to share the Good News to heart and look each day for the opportunities that are provided. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In our passage today from the gospel of Luke, the newborn Jesus is taken to the temple and presented or consecrated to the Lord. This obedient act of Joseph and Mary fulfills the ceremonial law and is a public announcement that this baby belongs to God (Lev. 12:2-3). Jesus is approximately one month old at this time.

While the holy family is at the temple, first we meet Simeon—an elder and prophetic man of God. Simeon’s arrival to the temple is ordained and orchestrated by God who is planning a miraculous blessing for this righteous man. Simeon has been waiting a long time to witness the consolation of Israel—the coming of the Messiah to remove Israel’s sorrow and comfort the nation.

Can you imagine Simeon’s exuberant joy to the revelation that he is holding the Messiah? The One for whom he had waited years to arrive—the One who will set God’s people free from sin, evil, and error—rests in his old and weary arms. As Simeon holds his Savior, the peace of God fills his soul. He is overwhelmed by this honor.

Simeon bubbles over with a prophetic message for Joseph and Mary. I am sure the message is bittersweet to their hearing and understanding. Simeon shares a promise, as well as a warning. He prophesies that Jesus will have a different affect on the heart of people—he will be accepted by some and rejected by others. Jesus will be the target of evil, because he brings the message of life with God.

Next at the temple, we meet the widow Anna—a prophetess—who speaks the Word of God and proclaims the truth. Like Simeon, Anna hangs onto her hope to see the Messiah. God has arranged for Anna to be there, because she will now share the Good News and truth with others that the Redeemer has indeed arrived. The glorious Hope of the world has come to the rescue!

I find it inspiring these two elderly saints never loose their hope in the promises of God. If you have invited Christ into your heart and life, you have the Living Savior as your Friend and the Holy Spirit as your Companion. So, whatever is going on in your life, never forget the Savior now holds you in his mighty arms and he has promised to deliver you into his eternal goodness. He has come to rescue you from sin, evil, and error, as well as give you eternal hope!

Luke 2:25-38 NLT The Prophecy of Simeon
25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 
“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
    as you have promised.
30 
I have seen your salvation,
31 
    which you have prepared for all people.
32 
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
    and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

The Prophecy of Anna
36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

Prayer: Lord, I know I hold you in my heart, but a greater reality is that you hold me in your righteous arms and actually invite me to dwell in your holy heart. Thank you for loving me and giving me the right to use your name, Jesus! Amen.

Intro: Scripture often speaks to the eternal majesty or glory of God. All glory is of God and is manifest through his perfect character and attributes. God created all things for his glory (Is. 43:7). As I look out the window by my desk this morning, I notice the beautiful sun rising, the gentle breeze blowing, the palm trees swaying rhythmically to the wind, the birds singing, and the sounds of created life stirring around me. These things are not God, but all things find their source in him; in his glory. How precious is the love of God for us to allow his creation to experience his glorious attributes in tangible ways such as these?

According to Psalm 8:5, human beings were made in the image of God and crowned with his glory. Sin robbed the glory, but Jesus came to restore our connection to God, so we may once again behold the glory of God. Despite the many ways humanity may disappoint or reject God, he is still concerned for all of his creation; all of it belongs to God. He remains faithful even when we are not. If you struggle to understand your worth to God, I want you to think about the divine glory made available to you today in Christ. The glory of the sovereign Lord is restored to whosoever will by faith receive salvation in Jesus the Christ. As a redeemed son or daughter you have new life in the glory of God. So, our challenge is to move beyond our flesh and live revealing and releasing the glory of God’s presence in us.

What is the believers daily response to God’s glory? According to Scripture, the answer is confession, worship, and praise. When we confess our sin, we are recognizing the righteousness and justice of God to whom all creation is accountable. When we worship God with our lives, we are revealing the importance we place on our relationship with God by demonstrating honor and obedience to him. And, when we praise we are giving weight to the faith we have in God’s glorious goodness to perfectly care for his own.

My friends, if we are honest, we have all sinned by exchanging the glory of the eternal God for the favor of temporal human beings. This world, our nation, and communities have the invitation to connect in the glory of God. We make the choice based on our faith in who God has revealed himself to be in the Word. What God proclaims as sin, is simply the truth because he is holy and knows what aligns with his glory. What God proclaims as righteous is what we must embrace, because he has become our first Love. God is the eternal King ruling over his kingdom. So do not take the glory of God for granted. Humanity is but a vapor. We are here and have human life for a little while and then we vanish; but God is the Sovereign [supreme ruler] and nothing and no one is more powerful (James 4:14).

Psalm 93
1 
The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty.
    Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.
The world stands firm
    and cannot be shaken.
2 
Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial.
    You yourself are from the everlasting past.
3 
The floods have risen up, O Lord.
    The floods have roared like thunder;
    the floods have lifted their pounding waves.
4 
But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,
    mightier than the breakers on the shore—
    the Lord above is mightier than these!
5 
Your royal laws cannot be changed.
    Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for inviting me into your glorious presence. With your help, I will walk with unshakeable faith knowing you reign over all things and your promises are true. I confess my need for your forgiveness and I reach for your righteousness and strength in order to live for you. I worship and honor your position in my life; be exalted. I praise you for your faithful love extended to me. Throughout your creation, may your glory be manifest in your sons and daughters, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

May 23, 2022

You may wonder how the passages are chosen each day for the devotionals, and the answer is that we follow the Lectionary. If you aren’t familiar with the Lectionary, it’s a guide (or layout) of scripture that can be used by Christians to understand the whole counsel of God, or the entire Word of God, and typically the guide is over a three-year cycle. Essentially, if you follow its selections, within three years, you will have gone through pretty much the entire Bible. Each day we are provided with an Old Testament passage, a passage from the prophets, and a New Testament passage and that is how we come to share with all of you.

So, as I share yet another passage from the Book of Revelation, I realize that this is becoming a common bi-weekly occurrence for me. If I am being completely honest, several months ago, if I had the choice, I would not have gravitated towards writing from Revelation. However, with each passing week, and as God has guided me to spend more and more time within this part of His Truth, I am growing closer to understanding His eternal love for all of creation.

In the Book of Revelation, we know that God is revealing to John what is to come; and just prior to today’s passage sin and evil will have been defeated, Satan will have been banished to hell, and everyone who sided with him, and rejected Christ, will also have gone straight to hell with him. Following the great judgement of chapter 20, God says to John, “Look, I am making everything new!” and He also tells him that “It is finished!” Some theologians believe this means that all of creation will be destroyed and re-created, while others believe that God will renew (or re-condition) existing creation.

Regardless of how God chooses to conclude this sinful earth, I see today’s passage as a clear roadmap for you and me that we need to be following right now. See, verses 6 and 7 tell us who will be filling up heaven, and verse 8 tells us who will be filling up hell. So, if you’ve ever asked yourself the question, “who will be in heaven and who will be going to hell”, God clearly tells us in today’s passage. Every single one of us has either thought or talked about “what happens when we die.” Well, my friends, God tells us what happens when we die in verses 6 through 8, and so we must be thirsty to return to our Creator, God, in heaven. God is very clear that we must NOT be fearful (cowardly), lack in faith (have unbelief), dishonest (or corrupt), sinful against others (by murdering with our thoughts, words, actions, or unforgiveness), immoral, follow the wicked ways of the world, idolize anything other than God (like people, things, places, emotions, etc.), or be a liar.

Revelation 21:5-8 NLT

5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Prayer: Father, thank You for leaving a roadmap for us so we know what we need to do in order to be able to return Home to You. Please help us, Father, to do, say, and act in ways that are pleasing to You. Strengthen us to steer away from sin. We want to keep growing closer to You. We ask this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: How are true believers identified in a sinful world? Our passage today is a continuation of the passage from yesterday and it reminds us true believers are covenant keepers; those who faithfully agree and cling to the eternal promises given by the Lord Yahweh. To agree to the covenant means to submit to the rule of God by binding oneself to His commands which lead to a common goal of redemption—the action [prompted by God] of being saved from sin, error, and evil. Although believers are still tempted by sin and struggle to live according to the commands of God, in Christ we are “the forgiven” and that makes all the difference in the world. In Christ, we never stop asking for forgiveness, mercy, and help/grace; we just keep persevering in faith as God works to reveal himself in and through our lives.

A covenant keeper seeks to know the heart of Creator God and learn His ways by studying His Word. If we need further understanding as we read the written Word, we can always pray, ask for the Spirit’s help, and study the life of Jesus because He is the Living Word. After all, Jesus is the Christ [the anointed Savior], as well as the perfect example of a covenant keeper. “God created everything through the Word; nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created and his life brought light [holiness/goodness] to everyone” (John 1:3-4).

A covenant keeper loves Father God and obeys His righteous guidelines for human life. God created us, so it is wisdom for us to invite him into our lives to help us live true to who we were created to be for his glory. Only a covenant keeper can receive the wisdom from God; the world sees God’s Word as nonsense, but for believers we know it is through the covenant that we are saved, as well as enjoy and experience God’s beautiful presence and protection.

Proverbs 2:6-8 NLT

6 
For the Lord grants wisdom!
    From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 
He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
    He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
8 
He guards the paths of the just
    and protects those who are faithful to him.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for granting wisdom to Your covenant children. Help all believers walk in integrity and wholeness with you, today. You are our treasure! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: What resource for healthy living do you treasure the most? People want a sense of well-being—the vital state or condition that we are benefiting from good things in life. As believers, we all want to experience the activity of God’s goodness in our lives.
Sometimes people would rather believe in a fantasy rather than the reality of God’s goodness, but today I am praying our passage from God’s Word spiritually slaps each one of us upside the head. We need to understand how godly wisdom connects us with the goodness of God. Solomon wants his readers to understand the true value wisdom brings to a person’s life WHEN godly wisdom is what a person values the most. When we treasure godly wisdom, it opens our ears to hear truth and it renews our minds with the right understanding of God’s goodness—a goodness that involves righteousness in action or doing what is right.

If you want to experience a right sense of well-being, enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ who has been made godly wisdom for us and taste the goodness [beneficial quality] of God. Christ values every person who comes to him for salvation. When Christ comes to live in human hearts, he becomes the godly wisdom we so desperately need (1 Cor 1:30). If we tune our ear to hear wisdom and obey it, we will live more wisely. In Christ, we get to know the goodness of God from whom all blessings flow…

Proverbs 2:1-5 NLT The Benefits of Wisdom
1 
My child, listen to what I say,    and treasure my commands.
2 
Tune your ears to wisdom,    and concentrate on understanding.
3 
Cry out for insight,    and ask for understanding.
4 
Search for them as you would for silver;    seek them like hidden treasures.
5 
Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,    and you will gain knowledge of God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the benefits of wisdom found in Christ the Savior. Help me to live in your goodness and reflect your righteousness in word and action. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: What do you think of when you hear the word “expert?” Most people have an image of someone who not only has extensive knowledge in an area, but also has the skill to apply and perform it in excellence. An expert is someone you would call if you needed assistance in their field of study or occupation. There are plenty of people who may proclaim to be experts in certain areas, but as my mother would say, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating!” In other words, the truth is revealed in firsthand experience.

In our passage today, Jesus is approached by an “expert” in the law who wants to know how to make sure he has eternal life. This expert sums up the law verbatim as Jesus did on a previous occasion. Therefore, we witness the expert has proper knowledge. So, Jesus stretches the faith of this expert by inviting him into a performance application of his understanding; “…do this!” The proof of our loving God, neighbor, and self according to the law—the proof of our pudding—is revealed through our attitudes, words, and actions. Would we want to eat that pudding? Since we all fail to perform as experts before God, may we seek the mercy of God and ask for the Spirit’s help in making us more like Jesus—the TRUE EXPERT!

Luke 10:25-28 NLT
25  An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to have eternal life?”
26 Jesus answered, “What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?”
27  The man replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.’ They also say, ‘Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.’ ”
28  Jesus said, “You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life.”

Prayer: Lord, let my life be more than just giving someone a right answer. May my life reveal the truth of my heart to love You, my neighbor, and myself in a righteous way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.