PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN ( Luke 5:16 ): This verse convicted me this morning. You tell us in this verse that Jesus often withdrew to deserted places and prayed. I do not go into solitude very often, Father, to speak to You without any distractions around. Please forgive me for this, Father, as Jesus is our top example of how to live this life as faithful men and servants to You, yet I constantly do not follow His example in things. Help me to be better in this life, Father, at least in this respect by seeking You in prayer in a moment of solitude just as Jesus often did.
PROMISE ( Luke 5:31-32 ): Jesus told His disciples that the healthy don’t need a doctor, the sick do. He then followed it up with the promise that He was not here for the righteous, but to call the sinners to repentance of their sins. He didn’t come to lift those who claim to be righteous. Jesus came to become the savior of those who admit they are sinners and to lead them into repentance of those sins. Thank You for doing what You did and continue to do for me and all the other sinners in this crazy world, Jesus.
ATTITUDE ( Luke 5:36-39 ): I know I am a new, born-again Christian. With that means that I am a new creation in Jesus because I’ve accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. These verses, however, have convicted me that I’m still not only living in but embracing my past self with one foot in the past and one in the present. You tell us, through the parable, that one does not take what’s new to patch the old nor does one prefer the old over the new. Also, you use the wineskins to show that we do not put the new inside of the old because the old cannot handle the new. I need to do better at truly becoming, embracing and living in my new self through You instead of constantly trying to fit my new self into my old self just as the wineskins parable shows me. Help me to be better at this, Father. Help me to adjust my thinking and my heart so that I can truly embrace my new identity in You and let go of the identity the world gave me for most of my life.
COMMAND ( Luke 5:20 ): Jesus tells the paralyzed man that his sins are forgiven. I see this as a command today, because I am still clinging onto sins of my past without true repentance out of my own shame and guilt over them. Jesus said to this man that his sins were forgiven to release him from that bondage and give him true healing, yet here I am still allowing my guilt and shame to imprison me even though You sacrificed Yourself for ALL of my sins. I feel You commanding me to release my past today, Father, so I ask You to help me release this burden off my shoulders. Help me to truly know what it means to be Your son and Your servant. Help me to truly know what it means and feels like to be fully released from the sins of my past so that I can walk this life in freedom knowing that I have let go of the chains of bondage that have held me down for so long.
EXAMPLE ( Luke 5:22 ): Jesus provides such a great example of You knowing our hearts. He is nowhere near able to truly hear to audible words the Pharisees are saying to each other due to the crowd and them likely not screaming out what they’re saying. Verse 21 literally says they began to “think” those words. Jesus called out their heart’s intent on this, not their words or actions. This not only shows me that You always know exactly what’s in our heart, but how important our heart’s intent is to You as that was Jesus’ focus here.
*DAILY NOTE: I know I’m struggling a bit as of late, Father, but You are always faithful and always loving towards me. Thank You so much for this great quiet time in Luke today about my identity and releasing my past. One wouldn’t think that this chapter was about my identity and releasing the mistakes of my past, but that is how You spoke to me through this scripture. I always find it amazing the ways You speak to me through Your scripture. Thank You for everything, Father.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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