Luke 18:31-34

There are many times when I have misunderstood what Jesus is speaking to me. Yes, I have a daily walk with Jesus, but many times it is difficult to understand what He really means. Mostly, it is because my own voice is also speaking to my mind.

Here, I see Jesus speaking to His disciples about what was going to happen to Him:

the crucifixion and the resurrection. 

But it was difficult for them to grasp what He was saying.

Then how do I gain a clear understanding?

I think the more I tune my ears to His voice, the more I will be able to distinguish His voice from every other voice.

Speak, O Master, speak to me;

Speak, my soul doth thirst for Thee.

Lord, I want to be in the rapture

When the saints are gathered in.

 Luke 18:18-30

The rich young ruler was sincerely seeking God. He had followed most of God's commandments. He wanted to know what he should do to inherit the kingdom of God.

Then Jesus said, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and give it to the poor."

This made him very sad because he couldn't give up his treasures. His heart was on his wealth.

I may not have wealth, but what am I lacking?

Like the rich young ruler, I am following God. I am striving to keep His commandments, but there is so much more that God is asking me to do.

The most important thing I see here is the heart.

Where is my heart?

Is Jesus the center of my heart?

If He truly is, then there should be no room for jealousy, anger, frustration, envy, unforgiveness, or any other negative attitudes.

Lord, I come to you, you said in verse 27, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."

So I lay all these negative attitudes at your feet. Help me to walk closer to You.

Just a closer walk with Thee,

Grant it, Jesus, is my plea;

Daily walking close to Thee,

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

 Luke 18:15-17

Our hearts should be like a child's heart.

This is what I got out of this passage of Scripture.

Why?

Children are also born with sin. The Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Then what is the difference between a child and us?

Although they are born in sin, they have not yet faced many of life's challenges. Because of this, their hearts are still innocent.

They do not look at people with a judgmental mindset. They do not hold on to offenses or anger for long. They forgive easily. They trust their elders, and if they know God, they simply believe what they have been taught.

But as we grow older, we face many challenges. We are easily offended but find it difficult to forgive. We often look at people with a judgmental attitude. In other words, we become the opposite of a child.

If we want to follow Jesus, we have to become like a child.

How can we do this?

By letting go and letting God handle our lives.

In Christ alone, my hope is found;

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

 

I was thinking of something to share on Tuesday at our weekly meetings at work, and what God put in my heart is this; 

 

Matthew 11:28

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

This verse gives me hope. 

We all carry heavy burdens in life. 

They may be related to work, family, personal struggles, health, or other responsibilities. Regardless of their source, burdens can feel overwhelming and difficult to bear.

The comforting truth in this verse is that God never intended for us to carry these burdens alone. He invites us to come to Him and promises to give us rest. Even though we know His promise, we often hold on to our worries and try to manage everything in our own strength.

I especially think about this in the workplace. There are times when the workload seems endless, and the expectations feel greater than what I can handle. In those moments, stress and anxiety can easily take over. Yet Jesus reminds me that I do not have to carry every responsibility by myself. I can do my part faithfully and then trust God with the outcome.

Letting go does not mean giving up; it means surrendering control to God and allowing Him to work according to His will. When I place my burdens in His hands, I find peace, strength, and the rest that He has promised. True rest comes not from having fewer responsibilities, but from trusting that God is carrying the weight with me.

 Luke 16:1-18

What stands out to me most is this: we cannot serve two masters.

We have to make a decision about whom we will choose to serve.

Since I have chosen Jesus as my Master, what needs to happen in my life? In other words, how should I behave?

Jesus is very clear about our conduct.

We are to be faithful and obey Him at all times.

Are we like the world : quick to judge? Quick to find fault with others? Quick to talk behind someone's back? Quick to spend the money God has given us lavishly?

If we are, we need to change our ways because they contradict the Word of God.

 Today I reflected on how God sent Jesus into this world to bring back His children, the people He created in His own image. 

He rejoices over every person who accepts Him and returns to Him.

I can understand this, in a small way, from an earthly perspective. 

Today, after church, my family gathered at my home. We all attend the same church and heard the same message. When everyone arrived, my heart was full. It was such a blessing to be together.

I found myself asking, what more could I ask from the Lord? I am so thankful for the gift of family and for the joy of sharing faith together.

As I read Luke 15:8-32, I see God's heart and the way He rejoices when His children come back to Him. The joy I felt having my family together reminds me, in a small way, of the joy God feels when one of His children returns to Him.

While I thank God for my family being together, I also desire to draw closer to Jesus. I know I am walking with Him, but I ask myself: Am I making Him happy in every way? 

My prayer is that I would continue to grow in my relationship with Him and live in a way that brings Him joy and honor.

 Luke 15:1-7

The purpose of Jesus coming into the world was to bring sinners to repentance.

God created Adam and Eve to have a relationship with Him, but sin separated mankind from God.

So, in these scripture verses, when we see how Jesus draws tax collectors and sinners to Himself, we can see what He is doing.

Scripture also says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

So, I see why He called me to His side.

He spoke to me through a vision. In my vision, I heard a beautiful song.

Now, as I am reading these scripture verses, Jesus says that He rejoices when one sinner comes to repentance.

I think that what I saw in my vision was that: Him rejoicing in my salvation.

This hymn comes to my mind 

No one but you, Lord, can satisfy the longing in my heart.

Nothing I do, Lord, can take the place of drawing near to you

Only you can fill my deepest longing 

Only you can breath in me new life

Only you can fill my heart with laughter

Only you can answer my hearts cry