Luke 2 Revisited “Let’s Go over to Bethlehem”

S = Luke 2:15b-19 ““Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

O = The shepherds had this one awesome encounter with the message of God—it was not normal for them, who because of the profession could not even worship at the temple—and how did they respond? They decided to go, and then they “went with haste” and after it was fulfilled they naturally told others what had been said about Jesus. It got a lot of people thinking, wondering, pondering, praising!

A = How do I respond when I know God is speaking to me, or calling/inviting me to do something? Do I “hem and haw”, or decide to go—and do I go right away or procrastinate? Do I naturally speak of it to others?

P = O Lord, I need to respond like both the shepherds and Mary—go and see and tell, as well as treasuring and pondering it all in my heart. Lord, let me not forget your presence in my life. Remind me of all you do so that I may praise you for it!

Merry Christmas!

We are moving away from our study in Luke for the Christmas season. We will be studying Ephesians begining in January and will complete our study in Luke in the weeks leading up to Easter...The Passion of Jesus for Everyone!

During the Christmas season, you might like to revisit the very first few posts that cover the Christmas story.

Stay tuned for further updates!

Luke 21-B "For your Nake's Sake"

S = 21:6b, 9b, 12-13 “^6b…the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down… ^9b…but the end will not be at once…¹² But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. ¹³ This will be your opportunity to bear witness.

 

O = While the great ornamental stones of the temple, the image of stability and place of God’s name in Israel would be completely destroyed, with huge stones cast down to the street below, a possibility the disciples couldn’t imagine, Jesus’ concern was to prepare his followers for how they would be persecuted. This would be their opportunity to witness—martyrs in the full sense of the word. They were to be completely trusting God for the message in the moment, and also to endure to the end (for the end was not the end!). In v. 18 Jesus said that “Not a hair of your head would perish” though their temple surely would. What I get from this phrase is that nothing about me will be lost or destroyed. There would be no further use for the temple…but for you, that is another story—for you are the image of God and the place of his name in their midst.

A = Do I look at difficulties and even persecution as something to be avoided or embraced because there is the opportunity to witness inside the brittle shell of those circumstances waiting to get out? Will I allow my life to be co-opted so that I can witness to the glory of Christ? Tertullian, an early church leader from around 200 ad suggested that we should never run from persecution…for “the blood of Christians is seed.” It seems that if we do, then we miss our opportunity to be different from the temple made with hands.

P = O Lord, encourage me today to endure rather than escape, to love rather than leave, to witness rather than worry. I need to live in the permanence of your plan. Thank you for the grace to be part of it so that nothing about me will be lost. Amen.

Luke 21-A “Greater Condemnation, or Greater Honor”

S = 20:46-21:3 ““Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.”

 

O = Scribes were very concerned about righteous appearances and social status. Everything they did was to promote their own standing in the eyes of their peers. Yet, as laboriously as they studied the OT scriptures they missed the heart of God. God had made it very clear that he was not impressed with outward appearances if there was pride involved or in any acts of public religious righteousness if there was a lack of justice and compassion for the oppressed (That really bothers Jesus!). Here the scribes were taking advantage of widows for personal gain. So in Jesus’ eyes, their offering meant nothing (1 Cor. 13:3). They should have known better and thus theirs will be the greater condemnation. At the same time there happened to be a poor widow at the temple who gave the smallest amount it was legal to give, yet it was all the money she had. This meant she was fasting that day. What we don’t see, that we might expect, is Jesus calling her out and rewarding her for her giving. He knows that her reward is in heaven and will not take that from her.

 

A = Is there an area in my life where I seek honor at the expense of others? I know that a couple of weeks ago I landed a teasing remark for laughs that while not meant in a mean-spirited way was for the benefit of my own wit and thus crossed the line. Do I live my life in a way to incur greater condemnation for my hypocrisy and oppressions of others, or do I live a life of such trust and humility as to receive greater honor at the hands of Christ? I know which one I would prefer! I need to follow the example of Jesus, ^“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)

 

P = O Lord, I ask your forgiveness for those times I have advanced myself at another’s expense. You became poor for me that I might be spiritually rich in you. May I have the same attitude towards people and towards giving! May my gratitude towards you find expression in giving in the days ahead. Amen.

Luke 20-B “Broken, not Crushed”

S = 20:16-18 “When they heard this, they said, "Surely not!" But he looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written:

"'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."

 

O = After hearing Jesus’ parable the people have a strong negative reaction to something he has said…but what is it? Perhaps there is more than one group listening and the reason for the answer may depend on which group you ask. The disciples might say, “Surely not!” to the idea that the vineyard owner’s honor should be so violated and that his son should be killed. Peter had reacted this way once before (Matthew 16:22; Mark 8:32) and would once again (22:33). However, the priests and others of the people probably were reacting to the idea of the vineyard being given to “others.” They knew the vineyard was Israel. The vine was the national symbol of Israel, like the eagle was the symbol of Rome (and America). In fact there was a huge golden vine on the front of the temple. They were in essence answering, “How could this land be given to others? Are you saying we are like those idolatrous people of old? No way!”

 

Jesus’ quote from the prophetic prayer of Psalm 118:22 takes this parable and superimposes it over the triumphal entry and the coming passion of Christ in a way that identifies himself as the stone rejected. Then alluding to the stone in Daniel chapter 2 (God’s kingdom) he gives them a choice of the brokenness of repentance and humble reception of God’s kingdom authority or of the complete destruction of prideful rebellion. Most Americans have heard the old 007 line, “shaken not stirred” referring to the spy’s drink preference, but in the context of this passage my preference is “broken not crushed!” Repentance always involves a brokenness, but humbling myself is always a better option than being humbled by God’s just judgments.

 

A = Jesus has made his plan clear and it is better than anything that I could come up with so I will do my best to understand and embrace it. His “giving of the vineyard to others” was to my advantage since I am one of the others he spoke of. However, I must take Paul’s teaching in Romans to heart and not grow prideful in my inclusion, my vineyard lease, for granted. I am only included by grace! How might I be quick to pay my rent of gratitude and faithfulness this week? He has done everything for me…so in love how should I respond this week?

 

P = O Lord, may I not reject you message or your plan today , this week, and for the future saying “Surely not!” but rather may I join with you in your patient call to the world, “Come!” (Rev. 22:7). May I be quick to put my “Amen!” to what your Word says and to what you are doing today.   . Amen.

Luke 20-A “Surely not!”

S = 20:13-16 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!””

O = This parable is a close parallel to Isaiah 5:1-6 and would have been a parable that Jesus’ listener would have been very familiar with. They would have understood right from the beginning that the vineyard was a symbol that represented Israel and that the ending of the story in Jesus’ telling boded badly for them. The key is not the wicked tenants as most editorial comments title this section but on the character and claim of the Noble Vineyard owner. Especially in light of Isaiah 5 where God asks the people to judge between him and his vineyard and asks the question, “What more could I have done?” Well in light of the NT our answer to the question in Isaiah 5 would be that God could have sent his son. We see here in Jesus’ expansion of the Song of the vineyard he has the noble owner of the vineyard not only sending servants (can we see the OT prophets?) repeatedly demonstrating great patience with his renters, but he sends his Son. But after his rejection and death, the renters will be destroyed and the vineyard given to others. The reaction from those listening was emphatically opposed to such an ending. Were they denying that they would kill the Son, or rejecting the idea that Israel could pass to others? Sadly, like Peter’s denial of Jesus’ mission to go to the cross, those that denied this message’s fulfillment would see it come to pass not 40 years later.

A = How do I respond to God’s claim on my life for good fruit? He has done so much for me, bringing me out of the Egypt of my former sinful life and has planted me in the land where I can rejoice and benefit from being in the presence of God. How can I produce violent greedy wild (sour/bitter) grapes? How do I respond to God’s patient, tender, and just promptings to yield my life to his Lordship, his authority? What do I do when I am convicted in my conscience? Do I lash out in anger and even violent defensiveness, or do I feel it and rush to self-medicate instead of repenting? This week I am choosing to confess when convicted and to yield up what is due to the owner of the vineyard…for I am merely a renter.

P = O Lord, please don’t stop speaking to my heart. Don’t stop asking me to yield to you. I pray that you would keep my heart soft to respond to your patient love with joy and faithfulness, not separation and selfishness. May I not hold anything back from worshipping you this week with all that is in my hands, and all that in in my soul. Lord, let me not forget that your song of the vineyard is a love song. Your motives in dealing with me and all that concerns me is love. May you receive back that which you are looking for, that which is yours by right of your faithful authority over me, good fruit. Amen.

Luke 19-B "No King in Gondor!"

S = 19:12-14 “He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’”

 

O = In the context of correcting their kingdom suppositions from immediacy to a time of delay Jesus told this parable. Much could be said about the historical allusion to Herod and Archelaus’ trips to Rome, but what strikes me is the attitude of the citizens who rejected the man as king. It reminds me of the scene in Lord of the Rings where Boromir (the son of the Steward of Gondor) rejects the ranger Aragorn (the true heir to the throne) as king, saying, “Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king.” But later, having learned better, Boromir lies mortally wounded in a heroic effort to obey Aragon’s command, asks for forgiveness and proclaims Aragorn as “my lord and my king” with his dying breath. It is gripping cinema. But it hits a little too close to home.

 

A = How often have I done the same thing? Too often in willfulness and pride I have as much as said that I don’t want the Lord to rule over me…I would rather do my own thing—but it always ends badly. God has an absolute claim on the kingship in my life and my rejection of the Lordship only causes pain to me and those I love. I would much rather be one of the ten servants that were given a place, an opportunity to play a part in the king’s plan. What he is looking for from me is faithfulness. What is Jesus asking me to do this week? Will I respond obediently: immediately, thoroughly, completely, and cheerfully and hear his commendation, “Well done, good servant”? Or will I be like those “enemies” who refuse to participate in the kingdom? The goal is living a daily surrendered life rather than a daily selfish life.

 

P = O Lord, I repent once again of my self-rule and willful independence. May I by your grace be considered a servant that can be trusted until the return of the king. Thank you that you have included me in your kingdom and judge me not by my success, but in faithfulness. May I not forget that you exist and that you are a rewarder of those that seek you (Heb. 11:6)!

Luke 19-A “Receiving & Responding”

S = 19:8-9 “And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” ⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

O = Such a familiar story, especially for those who have grown up in the church and can picture a Sunday school teacher putting Zacchaeus up in the old flannel-graph tree. Yet as I read this story afresh I see that it is also filled with a high degree of allusion to events from the Old Testament and even the New Testament. While these events didn’t usually make it to the flannel graph…they add great depth to the story. Simple observation often opens the door to greater understanding and appreciation.

1. Where does this narrative take place? Jericho reminds me of the story of Achan in Joshua 7. He took what had been devoted to God for himself. Here Zacchaeus gives half of what he has to the poor and promises to repay any he has defrauded fourfold.
2. This fourfold restitution reminds me of  David’s reaction to Nathan upon hearing his story of the rich man who stole the poor man’s lamb (2 Sam. 12:5-6), when he cries out that the man who did this should die after making fourfold restitution (Ex. 22:1-5).
3. To make a New Testament connection, I compare Zacchaeus the ruler of the tax collectors to the rich young ruler of the previous chapter (18:18-30) who went away sad when Jesus asked him to give his goods to the poor. Here the despised tax collector after being in the presence of Jesus gives the majority of his wealth to the poor and mistreated unasked! Salvation indeed had come to his house…and it was received and responded to!
4. Finally, Zacchaeus’ response is one of full repentance in keeping with the message that John the Baptist had preached along the Jordan River probably not too far from Jericho. In fact, it’s possible that Zacchaeus heard it from John directly (See Luke 3:7-14)!

A = Do I allow Jesus, who by the Holy Spirit, indwells me to make changes in my life? Am I teachable and open to correction by the Holy Spirit? Do I need to be smacked in the ego with the 2x4 of affliction or can I quickly catch a clue as the Holy Spirit gently brings conviction? I want to be sensitive to such conviction this week. I want to answer the call to repent wholeheartedly like Zacchaeus did!

 

P = O Lord, do your work in me so that those who watch my life and grumble may instead be prompted to praise you! May I listen to the Spirit who exposes my blind spots so that you don’t need to take more drastic measures with me (like you did with Achan and even David). May I joyfully welcome you to stay at my house anytime! Amen.

Luke 18-C “Looking Up”

S = 18:35-43 “As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶ And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” ³⁸ And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹ And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁰ And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” ⁴² And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” ⁴³ And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.”

O = The blind man, Bartimaeus (we learn his name in Mark), hears a crowd and inquires as to the reason. Hearing that it is Jesus passing by he cries out for mercy. His cry for mercy is the standard beggar’s plea, though maybe louder. What is different is the One to whom he calls. He calls out to Jesus, the Son of David, a title loaded with meaning. This cry seems to suggest a Messianic realization on the part of blind man who ironically saw what few others did. His request was to recover his sight, in Greek the word is “anablepō”, which literally means “to look up” (ana=up; blepō=to see) and is used to refer to recovery of sight. Jesus grants his request and heals him. The man immediately followed Jesus and glorified God—he looked up!

A = How desperate am I for Jesus to work in my life? This would have been Bartimaeus’ last chance as Jesus was headed to Jerusalem—he was not going to miss out on this opportunity for grace. How badly do I want to have the way I see the world, myself, and God changed? Do I really want to “look up” to give God glory for everything? Am I willing to live into that gift by changing the way I live? Bartimaeus could beg no longer, but cast aside the cloak of the old blind beggar to follow in faith and gratitude? How do I testify to Jesus’ gracious work on my behalf?

P = O Lord, this week may I testify to your healing, liberating, sustaining work on my behalf! May I be forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what is ahead in the upward calling of God! You are faithful and true! You are loving and kind! You are powerful yet gentle in your dealings with me! Son of David, Son of man, thank you for your mercy that has made me a son of Abraham…and even more, a son of God! Amen.

Luke 18-B “Where Is Our Trust?”

S = 18:24-27 “Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

 

O = Wealth, in general, seems to be a hindrance rather than a blessing in regards to entering the kingdom of God. Why is this? I can think of three reasons off the top of my head:

1. Trust—we trust in our own resources that we can see rather than in God. To enter the kingdom, we need to have faith in the Lord’s effective work on our behalf.
2. Love—when we are wealthy we can come to love our possessions more than we love God. Jesus has already made it clear in Luke that we cannot serve to masters. Here we see the rich young ruler going away sad (v.23) but we don’t know what he will do. Will he part with his possessions and finally being set free from his inner covetousness will he follow Jesus? I hope so!
3. Burden—when we are wealthy we have to haul all our stuff with us and it encumbers us so that we can’t follow God easily or quickly. In Genesis 44-46 (the other reading in our SOAP journal with Luke 18) Pharaoh told Jacob’s family “to give no care to their goods” and yet they brought it all along anyway.

A = What am I trying to bring with me on the pilgrimage with Christ? Where is my trust as I sojourn in this land of woe? Where is my affection as I serve my King? Are the resources that I steward available to be used at the Lord’s command, or do I cling to them willing to fight all challengers like the seagulls in Finding Nemo, crying, “Mine! Mine! Mine!” Will the Lord be honored by my stewardship or will he have to use circumstances to do the impossible by stripping away what I have so that I can follow him? What would my checkbook or credit card statement reveal?

 

P = O Lord, you can do what I cannot. I put my love and trust in you. I pray along with Agur son of Jakeh, “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:8-9). Amen.

Luke 18-A “Praying by Himself”

S = 18:9-14 “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

O = Amazing blind arrogance to be able to be in the presence of Jesus and think that they could trust in themselves for righteousness (hardened resistance to the Holy Spirit) and yet it is so common. Shocking insensitivity, leprosy of the soul, that they could show contempt to others they considered more sinful than themselves, rather than praying for God’s atonement to deliver the “sinners” from their slavery to sin…yet this still happens all the time. Perplexing that the self-trusting, self-righteous man prays by himself because he thinks none worthy of joining him, whereas the tax collector prays for mercy/atonement because he feels he is not worthy of God or others. He is the one whom Jesus declared to be justified…because he was in the presence of the Lord of mercy!

A = Why do I compare myself horizontally against the straw man of societally rejected sinners? It is not the standard of God! I may win all the horizontal comparisons that I spin in my favor, but it is the vertical judgment that holds weight. Do I trust in myself or cast all that I am on the mercy of God, that He might provide atonement for me? Through the whole Bible God lifts up the humble and humbles the proud. His heart is one of compassion towards the humble. Why would I think I can be justified in thinking, feeling, and acting any differently? This week I am determined not to trust in my own righteousness, but depend fully on Christ’s mercy. I will not stand in the exclusive club of myself and deny others access, but will reach out to include those around me, caring for them not just myself. I must start by humbling myself before Christ’s holy love. I myself need forgiveness! I determine today that I will truly pray, and not just be “caught monologuing” about how good I am and how messed up everyone else is.

P = O Lord, when I come into your presence I know I don’t deserve your love, but I receive it gladly, by faith! I desperately want to “go down” differently than I came up to meet with you. I want to allow you to change my heart, my mind, my affections, and my focus for your glory this week. Amen.

Luke 17-C “This Sudden Moment…Don’t Turn Back!”

S = 17:28-33 “Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”

O = There will come a moment of decision when we must decide what is more important to us…the goods that are “in the house” or Jesus, our property and home or Jesus, even our life itself or Jesus. Jesus prepared his disciples, his committed followers, for the day of his departure and that day of his return. He warned that the ultimate day will come when the judgment takes place, but that before that day there would be another day in ad 70 when Roman armies would surround Jerusalem (see 21:20-24) and those that did not flee right away would never get out. This day is even more urgent than that. Perhaps, this moment of decision would come in each disciple’s life, even down to our day, as to whether we desire the deliverance that Jesus offers by faith (though we may face bitter persecution) or the goods, house and land, and life of this world over that of the next. Turning back from Christ in that moment will never bring life only a spiritual fossilization, tragic testimony to what could have been.

A = How will I do in that moment of crisis? Probably the way I do now…in all the little decisions I make each day. If I choose this life, these things, my own desires and worries over the will of Christ today then I am probably fooling myself to think that I would leave it all behind when facing its loss and even martyrdom for following Jesus. Yet if I, even now, take warning and follow Jesus then I will be eternally secure in Him. I remember Jesus said that I can only serve one master (Luke 16:13). So today, what does this mean for my life? Is there anything that turns my head and my heart back to Sodom—let it be cut off now that I may freely follow Christ my Great King!

P = O precious Lord, please set me free to follow you without bondage to my stuff and my home and even my own life. I long for your appearing. As the old song says, “may the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of your glory and grace!” May the old me be left behind like a pillar of salt as the new me runs out to meet you like a calf let loose from its stall (Mal. 4:2), rather than circling the dead things of my former false life like so many vultures.  Amen.

Luke 17-B “The Kingdom of God is Among You"

S = 17:20-21 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

O = Jesus was asked a “When?” question by the Pharisees and gives a “where-what?” answer. “When?” was not the best question to ask since Jesus had already made it clear that the kingdom was already there (à11:20) as evidenced by his casting out of demons and working other miracles as well. What had not arrived was the Pharisees’ concept of the kingdom—a literal Davidic kingdom victorious over all enemies. They failed to recognize that the Kingdom of God would not be localized any longer (John 4:20-24), for God’s plan and his kingdom are bigger than any one nation or people. True, there is a “not yet” element to the fullness of the kingdom for us, but even so, it is certainly not what the Pharisees were expecting. Their kingdom concept was exclusive, God’s kingdom was inclusive. The kingdom was “in the midst” of them or “among them,” not “within them” since they were unbelievers. Jesus Christ, standing there talking to them, was the kingdom itself! He was the true Israel, the second Adam. He was the place where God and mankind meet, the center of the kingdom, a Spiritual Temple, and he was also the King Himself—surprise! The kingdom is here now in a very real way though you don’t recognize it, nor do you reach out to embrace it.

A = I wonder how often I am within the grasp of the kingdom of God and don’t recognize it. I wonder if the kingdom can’t be seen coming, but can only be recognized retroactively—after going through some difficult circumstances to realize that Jesus was working as the king to make me more a citizen of the kingdom than I thought and that as a result, others are now entering this camouflaged kingdom of God. I also wonder how often I stumble over the ownership of the kingdom. It is God’s after all to rule over and direct, and not mine.

P = O Lord Jesus, May I have eyes of faith to see your kingdom at work in my circumstances and my heart. O King of heaven, May I have arms of love to respond to your presence and embrace it.  O Spirit of grace, May I have a heart of gratitude to be a part of your sovereign plan—and not harboring bitterness at seeing my plans come to naught…after all you are King and you are good! I have no room to complain!  Am

Luke 17-A “A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving”

S = 17:14-16 “When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.”

O = I am struck by Jesus’ response to their cry for mercy—“God and show yourselves to the priests”. This was required for them to re-enter society and the religious/economic life of Israel. A simple request, like that which had faced Naaman many years before. As they went they were healed. One man, realizing that he was now clean (healed) returned to praise God. To this man, offering the sacrifice of praise was more important than re-entering society…that could wait! His praising God loudly and thanking Jesus from a posture of worship is a powerful statement of the divine identity of Christ. And it was a Samaritan that got the message and responded out of a heart of gratitude. This was the faith that truly makes well, not just makes it the way it once was.

A = What is more important to me? Being clean in the eyes of others or being at the feet of Jesus? This miracle began with a confession of need and ended in loud praise and humble thanksgiving…so do I confess need and ask for God’s mercy on a daily basis? Do I follow his deliverance with loud praises and humble thanksgiving? I am but a sinful leprous Samaritan until I receive Jesus’ mercy on the road!

P = O Lord Jesus, you are our healer and more than that…you are God, the Lord of heaven and earth. You are our Great High Priest, the Lamb of God, and the Great King. It is to you that I bow today—not to the lesser priests and influencers. It is to you that I offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. May I have this faith always and prove to be a faithful person (v. 5). Amen.

Luke 16-B “Neither Will They Be Convinced”

S = 16:29-31 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

O = The rich man argued with Abraham in this story (pretty cheeky!) asking the Lazarus might be sent (still looks down on the man) to warn the brothers he yet had on earth so that they might avoid the torment of hell. The rich man was convinced that they would listen to a man resurrected from the dead. Abraham makes it clear that they won’t listen…why? Because they didn’t listen to Moses and the Prophets…which are filled with teaching about loving God with your whole being (because He shows steadfast love to you), and of repenting of our sin and seeking the Lord. But they, if they are like the rich man (and he seems to think they are), choose not to hear, not to see, not to repent.

A = Is there some sign I am holding out for… before I repent and change the way I think about God? What is my “if only” argument? Why would I miss his message? How have I heard Moses and the Prophets? If I don’t listen to God’s Word, if I choose to serve self rather than the Lord, then no miracle will change my trajectory. The need is not for more miracles to prove to me that I need to change, but a new master who will change my heart of stone before it drags me down to hell. This week I need to make sure that Jesus is the “one master” to which I am devoted!

P = O Lord, may I choose to hear your voice today (Heb. 3-4) and may I never harden my heart! O Jesus, great lover of my soul…

• may my community learn to listen to each other and show care for each other despite their differences (James 1:19);
• may my nation see the danger we face and act in repentance (Eze. 33:11);
• may my congregation have ears to hear and seek the Lord like we mean it (Psalm 105:3-5; Luke 14:34),; and finally
• may the Church universal love each other and unite around your kingdom mission (1 Cor. 12:14; 2 Cor. 1:7,22) until you come Lord! Amen.

Luke 16-A “Two Masters”

S = 16:13-15 “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”

O = This passage is like an object lesson of what he just said. The Pharisees loved money and ridiculed Jesus. They were devoted to themselves and despised God internally. They appealed to the court of men’s opinion when it is God who knows their hearts. Money is a false god engendering as profane a liturgy as Baal or Molech ever did—yet we are still able to justify ourselves before men. Interesting how this teaching on only being able to love one master leads to a condemnation of divorce. Only one love is acceptable—love God, serve God, be justified by God—put our trust in his goodness not our own selves.

A = Where are my divided loyalties? Where do I turn away from loving God to worship in the temple of self? Where do I despise the one true God to love money/world/ etc.? Is there a something or someone that I love more than God? It is a fact that I will serve that which I love...I will spend time doing what I love…I will give my life for what I love—so what is it? Is it possible to know the character of God and not and not respond to it in love? Yes it is (e.g., the dishonest steward, Pharisees), but I don’t want to be “that guy” ridiculing Jesus to be justified by men…if only temporarily.

P = O Lord, I want to serve you today…I want to love you today, and not ever walk away into an adultery of the heart to serve another master. Amen.

Luke 15-B "Cain & Abel Redux"

S = 15:28-32 “But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

O = The older son was not happy to see the prodigal return and refused to enter the celebration that the father had ordered. Thought the father come out to entreat him, the older son bitterly and unfairly scolds his father…perhaps in the hearing of others. His argument is flawed in at least two ways: (1) He is disobeying the father by not entering in, despite the special invitation; (2) The fatted calf is for him to enjoy as well, if he will only partake of it. The ending is a cliff-hanger that allows the Pharisees to write their own ending to the parable. The argument of the older son sounds very much like the envy that was present in Cain (Gen. 4) before he killed Abel. There God himself “comes out to entreat” Cain. It seems that the older son would rather have seen the younger son stay “dead!” Here the younger son lives…and it is Jesus who is killed in his place.

A = Do I think I deserve better than others? Am I envious of others when God blesses them? Do I tend to sit “outside” and sulk at my own selfish grievances? I need to enjoy what the Father enjoys, recognizing and remembering the two ever-present reasons for joy found in verse 31 (the Father is ever with me; and all that he has is mine) now supplemented by the return of the lost (v. 32). The “fatted calf” is for all who will share in the joy of the Father, for me as much as for anyone else!

P = O Lord, may I not be deceived to trust in my own worthiness or sense of entitlement, but may I enter in with your joy because you are my Father and I get to be with you! May many return to you and be embraced and celebrated by your family the church. May I never think that I am a better judge or more righteous than you God. Thank you for loving us and celebrating our return. Amen.

Luke 15-A “As Long as it Takes”

S = 15:4-5,8 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing… “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?”

 

O = We need to remember that they were told to the Pharisees and lawyers with the people looking on. These parables are very familiar, and yet as I read them again I notice two things in particular as the parables unfold. First, the man leaves the 99 sheep in “the open country” (i.e., a safe place without mountains, dangerous valleys, and wadis [i.e., dry riverbeds and gullies] where predators and thieves could hide or sheep could fall). Likely there would have been others to watch over the sheep with a flock of that size. Second, how long does the man search for the sheep? The text says, “…until he finds it”, similarly the woman seeks diligently for the lost coin…until she finds it. How long? As long as it takes! We see that God takes the initiative in seeking out and restoring the lost. He doesn’t give up as if he was merely looking for a lost golf ball. Actually, looking for a golf ball is an interesting comparison, for it takes more than a few moments it can become embarrassing to the golfer and he will quit looking and drop a new ball. In these parables we see God’s unwillingness to write-off that which was lost and his willingness to do what it takes to bring restoration—even at great cost to his honor and dignity. For example, the running of the Father (v.20) would have been considered undignified.

 

A = Am I like a golfer briefly searching for a lost ball or am I committed like the shepherd or the woman to seeking until what was lost is found? I guess it depends on how much I love what is lost. The Pharisees didn’t care about the “sinners” but Jesus did. Do I rejoice at the repentance of one sinner or do I respond apathetically? Who will I seek out in prayer in the days to come? Who will I go after and gently carry back to the flock with rejoicing?

 

P = O Lord, let me be more concerned about the restoration of the lost than about my own honor, my own rights, my own time. May I be quick to celebrate the victories of others—whether small or great. Lord, may your love be the song of my heart this week. Thank you for doing whatever it took to bring me back to you as well. Thanks for the gracious restoration you offer that we could never earn, and the robe, the ring, the shoes and the party! Amen.

Luke 14-B “…he cannot be my disciple.”

S = 14:26-27,33 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple... So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

 

O = The first thing I observe after the surprising use of “hate”, is the thrice repeated phrase, “…cannot be my disciple.” Jesus was talking not about a potential disciple’s willingness but their ability to do it. The key has to do with undivided love. This passage is certainly one of Jesus’ “hard words”, but Jesus is not telling his followers to be mean or unfeeling towards family, but merely using the strong language of a Semitic idiom for “to love less than.” It reminds me of the teenager who might say, “When I get home my parents are going to kill me!” In normal speech we understand that such a statement is not to be taken literally but is an idiom for being in a lot of trouble. However, Jesus’ words here are indeed a radical call to a mission—one that must be pursued even if opposed by one’s own family, even at the cost of one’s own life. Discipleship requires that a disciple have a cross-bearing attitude; an attitude that renounces all else as belonging to himself. Why? Because all of his person, every ounce of strength is focused on following Christ…just as Christ was focused on fulfilling the mission given him by his Father. My part in this mission cannot succeed if I am divided in my loyalties. My love for Christ should lead me to love my family more and more, but that result can only flow out of a single-minded love for Christ. If I just want to make my family “happy” then I won’t be carrying a cross or going on any one-way missions for the Lord’s kingdom. My life will end up as an unfinished tower—a testimony of good intentions without counting the cost. But…there is a cost of not being a disciple as well, and though its payment is deferred its cost is terrible.

 

A = Am I able to be Christ’s disciple this week? (It seems almost silly to speak of discipleship in such short terms, but I must start somewhere.)

1. Do I love Jesus more than my closest family, and even my own life?
2. Do I bear my cross, the implement of my temporal doom, and not let it slow me down as I follow Jesus?
3. Do I renounce anything and everything as belonging to me, “all in” for Jesus, or am I like the Seagulls in the old movie, Finding Nemo crying, “Mine! Mine! Mine!” over every potential scrap?

Discipleship is radically different from the status quo…but Jesus is the One who calls me to it. Yes it is costly, but it is worth it at any price.

 

P = O Lord, May I never be prevented from being your disciple by loving something or someone else more than I do you. All I have comes from you and is still yours…may I steward it wisely and complete the “tower” you call me to build in defense of your kingdom! May I surrender only to you in this mission! May you be glorified and may my family know your love in the process. Amen.

Luke 14-A “That My House May Be Filled”

S = Luke 14:17-18a, 21 “And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses… So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’”

 

O = The man who gives the banquet is more than a man…v. 24 tells us the banquet in question is Christ’s. But what I notice is that after a selection of culturally inappropriate and lame excuses in fact be carefully couched insults, the man gets angry. I am reminded through this that God is not a dispassionate personality! Yet what is it the master/God does in his anger? He extended radical grace to others who had not been a part of the original invitation! No attempt to sabotage the Messianic banquet will succeed.

 

A = I recognize that I am one of those found in the streets and lanes or the highways and hedges. I could never have dreamed to have been invited to the wedding supper of God’s Son…but now I am! If God’s anger released greater grace (Romans 5:10) then what must his delight in us produce? This week when I am invited to spend time with God in his Word and in prayer, and to table fellowship with him through his gathered people, let me not make lame excuses but come with eager anticipation!

 

P = O Lord, may I come quickly at your call and be a delight to you this week rather than insultingly self-centered and aloof. May I also be like the servant in the parable…diligent to seek out the lost so that your house may be filled. Amen.

Luke 13-E “My Narrow Door"

S = 13-23-25 “And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’”

O = Jesus didn’t answer their question, “Will those who are saved be few?” (v.23) directly. Instead, he encouraged them to actively respond to his invitation by entering through the narrow door. The context suggests that the invitation is not limited in scope (v.29), but only in the time allowed for response…before the master closes the door. Compared to the breadth of eternity, my few years on this earth are a narrow door indeed!

A = Do I see the kingdom of God as being for the few or the many? For the now or the later? As real or imaginary? As impersonal or highly relational? My answers to these questions will shape my response towards God and towards other people in my daily life. If the King and his kingdom are important to me, then I will not wait a minute longer to enter, nor take my access to Jesus for granted. My life is a narrow door limited by the time laid out for me in advance. If I choose to not respond then he will not open the door once it is closed. As the saying goes, “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades”…it is not enough to have attended functions where Jesus was present, or to have been in the same town. I must be known by Jesus if I am to enter. How will I choose to spend time with Jesus this week? Obviously Jesus knows everything and everyone, but in this sense Jesus is speaking of relationship not cognitive awareness.

P = O Lord, I thank you for your grace that opens the door to my salvation and your love that sets the table for your wedding banquet, and for your Spirit who sends your invitation to me and leads me, even compels me to respond today! How could I not? Amen.

Luke 13-D "Indignant at Dignity"

S = Luke 13:12-14, 17 “When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”… As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.”

O = Jesus saw a woman who was without social standing because of her disability…yet she was treated with dignity by Jesus. Ironically, while Jesus bestowed dignity on this surprised recipient, the rule of the synagogue lost his own dignity. Jesus called the woman to himself while the ruler would have sent her away. She was made straight while the ruler is seen to be a hypocrite—an actor—who is truly bent…she worships God as a result of her deliverance while the ruler is put to shame.

A = How will I react when Jesus works in ways that seem different than what I expect? Will I want him to undo it or start over again? Will I be a recipient of dignity or an indignant hypocrite? It depends on how I respond to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and his love for hurting people. This week I will choose to see people the way Jesus does, as sons and “daughters of Abraham” to whom he would call, touch, and heal.

P = O Lord, thank you that you see us in our most undignified state and yet you love us, call us, touch us, deliver us, and straighten us as we could never do for ourselves. To you I give glory! Amen.

Luke 13-C "Freed From a Disabling Spirit"

S = Luke 13:11-13 “And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, ‘Woman, you are freed from your disability.’ And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.”

O = While Jesus was teaching he was also observant as to the needs of the people there. This woman, though “a daughter of Abraham” (v.16), had been in this condition a very long time (18 years). She was bent over with her view only of earth, rather than heaven, she could not fully fix herself even temporarily straightening up. Jesus had to free her to stand up, to look up, and to give up glory to God. She was helpless to initiate any of this…yet she was able to respond to his call, receive his deliverance, and return glory to God.

A = I wonder how often I deceive myself in thinking that I can spiritually and morally straighten myself…to stand up on my own feet, to see all there is to see, to present myself as exemplary, when my self-reliance leaves me bent, bound and shuffling, unable to look up into the face of Christ? Yet when Jesus sees my need, he calls me over and sets me free with a word and a touch! The question is, will I come over when he calls or just shuffle away in my resigned self-effort?

P = O Lord, thank-you for calling me over, for lifting my eyes to behold your beauty, to experience life as one set free from disabling spirits of sins indulged and spirits of hurts and disappointments nurtured in bitterness. May I stand tall in praise of your grace this week. I praise you with all praise! Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah! Amen.

Luke 13-B “Why should it use up the ground?”

S = 13:7-9 “‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year…’”

O = The master comes seeking fruit for the third year. According to the Law, a landowner was not allowed to seek fruit for the first three years. In the fourth year, the fruit was dedicated to the Lord, then in the fifth year the own could harvest the fruit for his use. If this fruit being sought is for the Lord’s offering then this is the sixth year since planting. Three years of unfruitfulness is a pretty hard pattern to overcome…and in fact the tree cannot without help. Do we sometimes feel like this about ourselves…doubting that we could ever be fruitful? I know there have been times when I wondered why the Lord didn’t just “cut me out of the ground.” Perhaps there are relationships with a spouse, a child, a parent, a neighbor, that never seems to bear fruit and now we just want to get rid of it…to dig it out of our life’s garden. I know there have been times that I felt that way. But here we see the relational mercy of God in action. He is committed to digging around us (to remove the hindrances to growth) and piling on manure so we can have what is needed for fruitfulness. He doesn’t cast us off in frustration—but faithfully focuses us and feeds us so that we might finally offer something back to Him. This is a story that is not finished—a parabolic cliff-hanger. The ending is up to us to fill in and it hinges simply on our responding to his love with love.

A = I need to make sure that I respond to his love and mercy and allow the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in my life. This is spiritual maturity—not independence, but trust in God’s love and a desire to be all he wants me to be because I love him and he has chosen me. I need to show more mercy in my relationships, not tending to “cut them out of the ground” when my needs and expectations are not met.

P = O Lord, thank you for not giving up on me! Sometimes the digging hurts and the manure stinks but it is all guided by your patient love and mercy. May I not fight and struggle against the work you are doing in my this week. May your work also be received and responded to in those I love. Produce your fruit in me this week for I cannot of myself do so…but you can! Amen.

Luke 13-A “Do You Think They’re Worse Sinners?”

S = 13:1-2 “There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

O = The world-view of the Jews was prone to see direct cause and effect of the spiritual condition being played out in a person’s circumstances. In the common view, if you were blind it was because of your parents’ sin, if disaster struck it most likely would have been some personal sin that triggered it. Job is a wonderful example of God debunking this theology—but it seems to be in our nature to point the finger of blame when disaster happens. But this involves a wrong view of our own sin (that we are somehow less sinful than others) and a wrong view of God. As one of my professors, Dr. Paul Metzger, says, “God is not a Judge who loves when he can, but a Lover who judges when he has to.” The real question here is not, “What did they do?” but “What should I do?” The answer Jesus gives is, “Repent.”

A = Am I prone to thinking I am better or less deserving of judgment than others? That is self-deception. Do I see the mercy and love of God as holding us all back from judgment today (Luke 13:6-9)? I should. He doesn’t want any to perish, but all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He sent Jesus not to condemn the world, but that we might be saved. I recognize that we all, apart from the work of Christ, are on a trajectory of judgment. I need to repent of that trajectory and all its trappings and follow Jesus as he seeks and saves the lost. As He, in compassion enters into their suffering in order to bring healing and wholeness.

P = O Lord, let me not look at others judgmentally, but in compassion. May I live in repentance and manifest the mercy I have received to the hurting people around me. Amen.

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Luke 12-B “Nothing is Hidden... Forever”

S = 12:1b-3 “…he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.”

O = God sees what is going on inside. We can’t fool him. He wants us all to come to repentance so that we can be forgiven and healed. The only way for that to happen is through confession—so he tells us that it is pointless to keep secrets.

A = In Genesis 27 Jacob got a blessing by deceit and then he was himself the victim of deception at the hands of Laban his father-in-law. Secrets and lies will bite us in the end. Am I different in private than in public? Or am I sold out to God in my heart? Do I love myself more or God more? It cannot be hidden forever.

P = O Lord, I pray that I may be a person of integrity and not bring shame to you or to my family. Please help me to be sincere and upright this week. Amen.

Luke 11-12 “Scrub the Inside too!”

S = 11:39-41 “And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.”

O = They were astonished that Jesus didn’t wash his hands before eating. This was done to remove ceremonial uncleanness one might have picked up from contact with the Gentiles, etc. not for hygiene purposes. Jesus used this as an object lesson…they invested all their time keeping the outside ritually pure while the inside (their heart) was full of crud. It reminds me of washing the outside of a seldom used travel mug and filling it with coffee without cleaning out the crusty mold from last month’s mocha. If we regularly give out of the inside—love and justice to others—then there will be no greedy wicked build-up in our hearts. Much like a running stream compared to a stagnant pond.

A = Do I regularly expose my heart to the cleansing flow of God’s word and the scrubbing of the Holy Spirit? Do I share what god has given me with others or do I store it up until it spoils?

P = O Lord, wash my heart, show me what I need to confess to you…so it doesn’t have to go on the big screen of judgment for all to see. Let there be no hidden sin in me. I desire greatly to not displease you—because you love me and I want to live into that love! Amen.

Luke 12-A “What shall I do? …I will…”

S = 12:16-18 “And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.”

O = When I read this I am struck by the intense self-focus of the rich man. He was faced with the kind of problem many of us wish we faced. He had a huge surplus in crops from the land. He was drowning in profits. It would have been normal in that culture to discuss important decisions with close friends and advisors. But this man only speaks with himself. His whole train of thought is “I will…I will…I will…” and predictably enough his decision is a disaster. There was no consideration of God’s will when processing the decision, no consideration of the poor as a solution to the food surplus, and no thought to relationship at all.

A = When I am blessed do I think that it is for me to keep for myself or to share with others? As I face the decisions I have to make every day do I take time to ask God what I should do? Or do I live as though I know best? Am I about building bigger barns or giving more away? Do I desire a life of play, plenty, and party, or a life of meaning, sharing God’s blessings in relationship with others, and a part of God’s work in the world? I choose a life of meaning…now how should I put that plan in motion? I will start by recognizing that what I have comes from God and is still his and I will ask him for direction that I might be a better steward.

P = O Lord, I am so glad that I am not thinking to myself or talking to myself right now. I am thankful that not only are you real, you are near, and you are actively involved in my life. May I use your resources wisely and generously as you fill my barns, and may my trust in your ability to fill them overshadow my fear of emptying them. Lord, should my soul be required of me suddenly, may I not be ashamed of how I was spending the life you loaned me! May you be glorified in word and in deed this week! Amen.