Friday, October 25, 2013

Luke 11-13

Scripture connections: Matthew 5-6,10,12-13,16, 23, Mark  11-13

Luke 11-13 begins with Jesus teaching us to pray.  Jesus also encourages us again and again to draw closer to God.  He reminds us how much God loves us and cares for all our needs.  Jesus calls us to have servant hearts for God in all that we do, and He explains many times what that looks like in the world.   He also tells us a few stories to make us examine our ways of thinking, doing, and living.  His goal is clear.  He is trying to save us from ourselves.  

I was thinking about the parable of the Rich Fool today (Luke 12:13-21) and our longing in this life to "eat, drink, and be merry."  That certainly sounds good to me at first glance.
 I look around, and I realize so many of us work so hard to accumulate all we think we need so we can play hard and relax later in this life.  But you know what?  Jesus tells us it's different with God.  God is what we really need.  He tells us not to worry about tomorrow, but to put Him first each today so He can bless us beyond measure.  Instead of focusing on saving up as much as possible for a future we hope to create for ourselves, we are called to be ready and willing to serve.


35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him...

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

As Christians, we don't just work our jobs towards a nice, happy retirement.  Our jobs never end.  We work for God to serve others.  He's our real boss.  And the Good News is, it's not because we have to earn our way to our reward.  It's because God's love is so extraordinary and His grace so great that our purpose in this life is much bigger than the jobs that give us our paychecks and form our savings accounts.  Serving God is the best investment we can ever make.  Who wants to just "eat, drink, and be merry" when we can have the joy of the Lord with us both now and for eternity?  Follow God, and you can expect His many blessings.  The more He blesses us, the more we realize how much we owe HIm.  That is true success for this life and the next!

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank you for shaping me and transforming my life with Your Holy Word.  Thank you for securing my future in Heaven with You through the blood of Your Son, Jesus.  What an amazing gift!  You bless me again and again in so many ways.  I know that all I have comes from You.  As you bless me, I pray you will show me how, when, and where to bless others in Your Name.  I want to serve You, first, Lord.

In the name of Jesus I pray,
Amen

Love of Christ,







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