The Daily Dose

Reach out and touch Him

And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Luke 8:48

I can’t even imagine what this woman must have been going through.  She was sick!  Sick for twelve years.  The passage says she suffered through many “medical” treatments from many physicians.  In that day, you can be sure the “treatments” were barbaric.  Not only that, she had given everything she had for the chance to be made well and only grew worse in her condition.   After twelve years, it would seem that there was no hope for her to ever be well.  On top of everything, she was considered unclean, and the law prohibited her to live among healthy people.  She was considered contagious.  Just imagine the surge of hope that began in her when she heard about Jesus.  Maybe there was a chance she could be healed like others she had heard about.  However, she didn’t think “maybe”. The scripture says she believed it so much that she kept saying, “if I can get to Him and touch Him, I know I will be made well.”  She was convinced that touching just the hem of Jesus’ clothes would be all it took to make her clean again.  The reason was because she kept saying it until she believed it.  She repeated over and over, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

Take a look at the steps she took to get to Jesus.  First of all, she came up behind Him in a crowd of people, thinking she could just sneak her healing from Him, without Him even knowing. (Not very likely) She took her faith stand by believing and repeating to herself, “I only have to touch His clothes.”  She didn’t even want Him to know she was there.  However, as soon as she was close enough and actually did touch Him, He felt that healing power leave Him.  What?  This is unbelievable.  How could Jesus unintentionally heal someone? Then to make it even more unbelievable, there were many people touching Him at that exact moment.  The disciples said the crowd was thronging/pressing Him.  Why didn’t any of the others get that release of power?

The answer is in Jesus’ response to her, He said:  “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”  Jesus told her that she did it.   It was her faith that drew that healing power out of Jesus.  We know that faith comes by hearing and apparently, she heard about Jesus healing others, then she heard herself say, “I can just touch His clothes and be healed.”  Nobody else ever did that, at least not that were written about. 

Lastly, I want to consider how she was feeling.  We know she wasn’t feeling well.  She was sick and for sure she was weak and drained of energy because of her blood issue.  Yet she pushed through it all to get to where Jesus was.  She believed so much that if she could get to where Jesus was, she would be better.  Therefore, nothing could hold her back.  In all likelihood, she was crawling on the ground to get to Jesus.  How many of us today are willing to take that that kind of faith stance?  When we feel symptoms coming on where do we run? Is our first thought to press into Jesus for strength and healing or do we head to the medicine cabinet for a pill of relief? I completely understand this. When I am ill and in a weakened condition, I find it hard not to talk about how badly I am feeling instead of looking for a promise from God’s Word. It is just as easy for me to say: Psalms 103:3 says that He heals all my diseases, so Lord Jesus I ask you to heal the dis-ease in my body today, instead of saying: I feel miserable, my head is all messed up. My body hurts and I am in bad shape. The key is to remember Who your strength comes from.

Today I want to encourage you to press into God with faith in the area where you need an answer to prayer.  Say in your heart and out loud the promise that He has given you about that situation.  Keep saying that scripture or “word” you have from Him about your struggle and draw that answer from Him with the faith His Word has given you!  Reach out and touch Him with your faith filled prayer and thank Him for the release of power into your life as you receive all the strength, healing and deliverance that He has for you!

Today’s scripture reading: Luke 8:40-48

40 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. 

41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, 

42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. 

43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 

44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 

47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Great things He has done

^{“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. Luke 8:39}

God has done great things for me in my lifetime.  He has rescued me from many pits and plans of the enemy.  Some personal, some financial and some physical.  I have written about many of these in past Daily Doses.  I am so thankful that He has rescued me, and He continues to still today.  Even though He turned my life around years ago, I still depend on His deliverance each day from the traps that would be set for me.  Of course, I fall into less of them today, but I still sometime do fall.  The difference is that now I run back to Him immediately instead of holding on to pride by trying to get myself out.

In today’s reading, Jesus and His disciples are approached by a man full of demons.  He was not only oppressed, but this man was also possessed by many demonic spirits.  The spirits inside him begged Jesus not to torment them so He commanded them to get out of that man and sent them into a herd of pigs.  When the people who lived in that region came out to see what was going on, they found the man sitting at the feet of Jesus and in his right mind.  He was delivered!  The man wanted to leave that place with Jesus and join his ministry, but Jesus told Him to go back to his home and talk about the great thing that God had done for him. 

This is a word for us today.  We should live life at the feet of Jesus and telling what great things God has done for us. Wherever you have left “home” or the places God has led you to, return to that place and proclaim the great things He has done for you.  Wherever you have fallen away from His great love and peace, return and tell others what great things He has done for you.  It doesn’t have to be a hard thing, simply turn in His direction and ask for His help and salvation.  He will save you from what ever you have gotten into and He will help and empower you not to fall into these traps again.  The secret is to humble yourself and go to Him.  Admit that you messed up, forget and let go of the things that are leading you away from Him and quit those activities that cause you to live your life outside of His kingdom plan.

Today I want to encourage you to return to the Lord and talk about the great things He has done to rescue you.  Make a list of these things and begin to rehearse them day after day.  Thank Him for always being there and answering you when you call out to Him and let others know He wants to help them too.  Turn away from the evil that is luring you into the pits of poverty and despair and call out to your Savior today for help.  Even if He has already rescued you many times before, don’t let that stop you from letting Him do it again.  Then thank Him and tell the world around you what great things He has done.

Today’s scripture reading: Luke 8:26-39

26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. 

27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 

28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” 

29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

30 Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. 

31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.

32 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. 

33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.

34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 

35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 

36 They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. 

37 Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.

38 Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 

39 “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Where is your faith?

But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”  Luke 8:25

The account of Jesus calming the storm always amazes me.  Not because of the fact that Jesus spoke to the winds, and they obeyed.  He spoke to just about everything that got in His way.  The amazing part to me was that after He spoke to the circumstances, He asked the disciples: “Where is your faith?”  As if they could have done the same thing?  I haven’t seen, not even one time in the gospels where Jesus said: “Don’t try this at home, boys!  I’m the Son of God, that is why I can do these things.”  He never said: “I’m going to do a miracle now, but you can’t do these things so after I am gone, so are my wonders.”  No!  In fact, He was training them to do these things so that they could also go out and help people and bring them into the kingdom.

Jesus had told the disciples that they were all going to get into the boat and go to the other side of the lake.  He expected that they would believe His words no matter what problems or obstacles came up.  When He asked them where their faith was, there were two options for an answer.  Their faith was either placed in Jesus’ faith filled words that they would make it to the other side or in the storm that had come up to knock them off their course and mission. It doesn’t feel like the disciples got this message because their response to what He said was all about what He did, and they were afraid.  In stead of realizing that they had authority over the crisis, just like Jesus did, they became afraid of Him because of that power.  Later on, of course they began to understand that they had been given the power too, that is when they turned the world upside down.(See Acts17:6)

Now don’t laugh, but I consider if that is what Jesus did, I’m going to do that too, in His name.  So, I will admit to you that I have spoken to the winds and storms that come up in the atmosphere around me.  I tell them “Peace be still!”  Surprisingly, most times it works.  Is it coincidence?  Maybe, but I am willing to take the chance since I do not like to lose my power and have trees fall around me.  I know it sounds ridiculous, but I do it and I believe it works.  My problem is when storms come in my plans or the circumstances surrounding me.  I don’t remember to speak to them.  I know that I can use my faith filled words and calm the storms of life around me, but for some reason I don’t believe that as much as I believe I can affect the weather. Sounds ridiculous, right? So, I need a reminder.  I am going to begin to use the absence of peace in my heart to turn my attention and remember that I have authority over the problem and tell the circumstances to be peaceful and still.  Maybe it will work or maybe it won’t, but it for sure will not make matters worse.  The thing is, I usually will talk about the problems and even complain about them.  Why not start talking to them and put the pressure back on that stress instead of carrying it all myself.  Of course, I pray about it also, but I believe God wants me to take my authority in this world since Jesus delegated it to people when He ascended on high. (See Mark 16:17-18)

So today I will ask you: “Where is your faith?”  Is it in the circumstances and dilemmas that come up against you each day or is it in the Word’s of your heavenly Father that He will take you to the other side of those problems.  Trust Him today and ask Him for the words to speak to those storms when they rise up to oppose the progress you are making.  Then begin to believe that those words will actually make a difference in the conditions around you.  Walk out your days in this world in all the power that God has given you through His Spirit.  It doesn’t mean that troubles will not come, but it does mean that you will overcome!  He died to give you the victory in all areas of life.  Start living your life in that victory and stop being the victim of your circumstances.

Today’s scripture reading: Luke 8:22-25

22 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. 

23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. 

24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 

25 But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

God’s Family

But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.” Luke 8, 2022

God wanted a family.  It was in His heart before the worlds were formed.  He carefully planned it all out, and then He established a path for all that belonged to Him.  He gave us all an ability, and with that a place to use that gift to bring others to Him.  He made it plain and clear that Jesus is the only way, but Jesus gives us some insight into how we can identify where we stand with others.

In today’s reading, Jesus’ natural family comes to see Him.  He was teaching in a crowd of people, so they could not get to Him, but they got the message to Him that they were outside waiting for Him.  Then Jesus clearly spelled out who His mother and brothers were and still are today.  He said whoever listens to and does God’s Word is My brother and My mother.

This revelation is the guideline and standard for our lives.  Looking into the Word of God for your life’s direction and plans should be a daily activity for all of us?  Walking out the mission He created us for should be our goal? Do you live your life by the principles He established at the beginning of time the He clearly laid out in His Word?  This is not only where you learn how to receive His salvation, but it is also how you fit into His family, the body of Christ.  His plan for your life will be the place where you are contributing to His kingdom, not just the world’s kingdom.  Sure, we contribute to the good of our society by being a working-class, law-abiding citizen, but that it not who we really are, we are God’s family and as His family, we are empowered to humbly overcome this world through His Word and with His Spirit’s empowerment.

 Today I want to encourage you to take a look at how you are blessed in your life and how that blessing is there for you to reach the world around you.  Don’t consume it all on your own lusts and desires and don’t be distracted by the cares and attractions that the world has.  Surrender it over to the Lord for the use of His kingdom progress.  Complete the assignment He has for you today and for your life while you are here in this world.  Then you will live out the full number of your days and be known as His brother, sister or mother.

Today’s scripture reading: Luke 8:18-21

19 Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 

20 And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”

21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

Walk in revelation

Therefore, take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.” Luke 8:18

Have you ever been in a place in life where you suddenly had new understanding of a principle or promise in God’s Word?  Maybe it was something you had been asking God to reveal to you in a portion of scripture? Or maybe it was something you had never heard before but came on to it when reading the Word?  Or maybe it was something you were taught by your pastor or through a message you were listening to?  That has happened to me, and when it does, I am usually so impacted by it that I think I will never forget this because it is so important and new to me.  Yet as soon as I get back into my routines, I have often let that revelation slip away because I didn’t write it down at the time.  There have been many occasions that I have gotten a few hours away from that point and remembered that I had a new revelation but couldn’t remember what it was.  Those are the times that I ask the Holy Spirit to remind me about it and then when He does, I take a minute to write it down so that I can think about it or meditate on it in the coming days.

Today’s verse starts out by saying: Pay attention to what you hear and what is being revealed to you.  It says that when you begin to walk out those revelations in your everyday life that you will be given more understanding into the things of God and the spirit world.  In contrast it also says that if you give that wisdom little value or no value at all, that new understanding will slip away, and you will begin to walk away from other wisdom that has been revealed to you.  You will basically start giving less attention and time to the things of God because you do not value them.  It isn’t that He won’t continue to show you things, the focus is on your heart’s desire to know them.

Giving value to the Words of God in your life is imperative to your walk with Him.  I talked yesterday about how I knew to pray, but I did not have understanding of how important it was to spend time in God’s Word everyday and to ask Him to reveal the secret things that He had hidden for me in it.  As a result, I wasn’t growing in my understanding of His love for me or the goodness of it that He desired to pour over my life.  It wasn’t because He was punishing me for my bad decisions, it was simply because I was not giving importance to Him and His Word.  This is a spiritual law that cannot be broken.  No matter how much time you spend talking to or praying to God, you can never understand the depths of His love and plans for you without taking the time to grow in the revelation of His Word.  Even if you have scripture memorized, you must take time to meditate and read it to grow in the revelation that the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to you.

Today I want to encourage you to ask God for a new hunger in your heart for His Words.  Spend time meditating on scriptures that talk about His love for you and the good plans He has for your life.  It’s not about how many chapters and verses you read each day, it is more about taking one or two verses and planting them deep in your heart by writing, thinking about and speaking them into your life.  When new revelation comes, take the time to write it in a journal or someplace that you can look at it often to remember how the Holy Spirit opened up your understanding of the depth of that passage for you.  As you take time to do these things, you will begin to have more revelation and deeper wisdom into the things of God.  I like to pray this prayer before I begin to read God’s Word each day: Heavenly Father please open up my understanding as I read your Words this morning.  Reveal to me the things you want to speak to my heart for today and empower me to remember them and take the steps of faith that I need so that I can live by these revelations and grow in them more each day.  Our Father in heaven loves us all so much and He wants to give us a special message each day to live our lives by, but it is up to us to recognize the value in that and spend time getting that Word.

Today’s Scripture reading: Luke 8:16-18

16 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. 

17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 

18 Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”

The seed of God’s Word

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Luke 8:11

Many of you may know the parable of the Sower.  It a story Jesus told to explain how God’s Word works and grows in our lives.  He said it is like a seed planted in the ground and depending on the condition of the soil determined how the seed of His word grows.  He taught about 4 different types of soil which actually represented the condition of the heart in which His Word was planted.  He explained to the disciples that there was wayside ground in which the enemy was able to steal away the seed immediately.  There was rocky ground that could not grow the root system to sustain the Word when temptation came.  There was thorny ground that choked out the word because of cares and problems that inevitably come in life and the seed could not grow to maturity.  Then there was good ground that the seed could grow up in to produce fruit.

Since I am familiar with this passage and have heard many sermons and teaching about it, my perception has always been that the grounds Jesus talked about were in 4 different hearts in people. However, after talking about my past pitfalls yesterday, I now believe that these 4 grounds can be in one person.  It all depends on how you take care of your soil or the way you prepare your heart.

Because I grew up in the home of a pastor, God’s Word was put into my heart from the day I was born.  I memorized scripture all the way through the years that I lived there. When I got out on my own, I didn’t spend time in God’s Word, and I didn’t think of it very often either.  My heart had never been fully prepared to hold on to that word when temptations and troubles came, so I caved under pressure continuously.  I mentioned yesterday how I did call out to God in prayer when I was in trouble, and I thought that was where His power came from.  I thought prayer was the way to live successful in life, but even though I prayed, I did not find success.

I remember one day when I turned on the tv in the early morning hours and a Christian show was on.  I wasn’t really looking for that, but I paused to hear what they were saying.  They were talking about scriptures on healing and the goodness of God.  I remember thinking to myself, I know those verses.  My second thought was, why have I never believed what the scripture said.  That’s when I realized that the ground of my heart had been prepared with what I had been taught over what God’s Word actually says.  Oh, I was taught that the Word of God was true and inspired, breathed into men by the Holy Spirit, but then there seemed like there was excuses about scripture that no longer apply to today.  That is why I had no roots growing.  I knew God’s Words, I just didn’t know or believe that they were actually for me right now in this time.  God’s Word is true and He never changes or goes against His Word.  Immediately, the ground of my heart began to change and I started absorbing God’s Word.  That’s when it began to grow inside of me.

Through the years of wayside, rocky and thorny ground, I could not get headed in the right direction.  However, the moment I began to water the seeds of His word by reading, meditating and listen to more of that Word each day, then the seeds started to grow roots.  That is when my life turned around and headed in God’s direction for good.  Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing and hearing God’s Word.  Not by praying and praying my problems to God.  I knew enough to call out in trouble, but it wasn’t until I turned my attention to His Words that the ground of my heart changed.

Today I want to encourage you to dive deep into God’s Word.  Prepare the soil of your heart by watering it with His Words of life.  Reinforce those seeds by meditating on God’s Word day and night (Joshua 1:8).  That is when you will see real power transform your circumstances.  Hopefully, your heart’s ground is not as rocky and thorny as mine was, but you still need His Word to overcome when it really matters. Make time for putting God’s Words into your heart and life each day, then you will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water and whatever you do will prosper. (Psalms 1:2-3)

 Today’s scripture reading: Luke 8:4-15

4 And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: 

5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. 

6 Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. 

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. 

8 But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

9 Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”

10 And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’

11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 

12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 

13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. 

14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 

15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

Ministered to Him

and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others which ministered to Him of their substance.  Luke 8:3

If you have been following the Daily Dose for a while, you know a little about my back story. But if you are new to the dose, let me just tell you my life was a hot mess.  I have heard many testimonies in my lifetime about God rescuing people from past hurts and predicament, but many of them were because of what others had done to them and how they had been the victim of many evils.  That’s really not my story.  All the pits I fell into were self-inflicted.  Sure, I had some wrongs done to me, but that was because of the position I had put myself in and the bad decisions I was making time after time.  I have even read books about people that were forgiven or able to move on in life because it was someone else’s fault that they fell by the wayside.

My saga is one of running and leaving.  Most of my young life was spent running away from problems and leaving people who hurt me in my dust.  I looked like I was tough on the outside, but really, I just kept ending up alone and afraid.  Many times, I called out to God for help.  He did help me, but I didn’t change my direction or my decision-making process, so it wasn’t long before I hit another land mine.  Looking back now, I feel sad that I wasted many years of my life that I could have been making an impact for God’s kingdom, but I was too caught up in my selfish ways.  When I finally came to myself, my Father was there for me every step of the way.  He ministered His grace to me; He ministered His love and He filled me with His Spirit.  He never told me I had to go back and put back together all the broken pieces I had left behind.  Nope, He did all that. In fact, now He has a place for me.  A place where I can be a blessing to Him by blessing others. Now my life is all about what can I do to minister to Him my love and appreciation for all He has rescued me from.

In today’s reading, there is a list of women that ministered to Jesus through their gifts into His ministry.  I’m sure they gave food and material needs, but they also gave financially to His mission.  What a blessing they were to Him while He walked in this world.  We know their giving blessed the Father, too. So much that He made sure there was a record of it in His book.

This is how I want to live my life today.  Ministering to God.  Oh I know I cannot actually walk up to Him and give Him gifts.  Besides, what would He want with anything from this world?  But I can minister to Him by giving to others. By blessing ministries and even sick and hurting people, I am ministering my love to Him.  He is blessed when I bless His people and He is honored when I honor others by loving and caring for them in any capacity they may need.  I am so thankful for His salvation and for rescuing me from the miry clay that now I will spend all of my days praising Him and giving at every opportunity I have.

Today I want to encourage you too to minister to God from your substance.  Wherever you can be a blessing to others, you can be a blessing to your heavenly father.  You may not have been rescued from the drudges of society like I was, but you were still rescued from an eternity of suffering separated from the One who loves you.  Honor and worship Him today be reaching out to those in need.  Be on the watch for every opportunity to share His love with those lost ones around you.  Minister to your heavenly Father from all the He has blessed your life with. Who knows? Maybe He is keeping a recorded account of your giving too?

Today’s scripture reading: Luke 8:1-3

1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, 

2 and certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, 

3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

Your faith has saved you

Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you.  God in peace.”  Luke 7:50

Your faith has saved you.  That’s what Jesus said to the woman who came and washed His feet with her tears.  That’s right, right?  That is how we get saved today, too.  We call out to Him by faith and receive His great gift of Salvation and redemption. Through our faith we are saved.

But, there is more to it, right?  More than just saved from an eternity separated from our Father in Heaven.  There is much more.  The faith that we used to reach out for salvation is also the faith that we reach out to God for all our needs.  We have been saved by His grace through our faith filled prayer.  It is not only for after we are finished in this world, our salvation and our access to God through faith is for this world.  It is for our salvation, and it is for our personal relationship with God through Jesus blood.  He cleansed us from all unrighteousness, and He saved us from the curse that this world is under.  We are now part of His kingdom, right here and now.  We are citizens of heaven.  We operate and live by His ways that govern His kingdom and we do it in our day to day lives right here in this world while we are surrounded by the sin stains of the curse that it has fallen under.

This is something we should be rejoicing in every day.  In today’s reading, Jesus told a story about two people who were forgiven a debt.  One was little and one was great.  He said that the one who had been forgiven of much, loves Him more and is more thankful for His great salvation, but it doesn’t have to be that way.  You can love God with all your heart whether you have been forgiven for many or few sins, but the truth is we all have sinned a lot over our lifetime and so our heart’s desire should always be one of great gratitude and love for our Master and Maker.  The Lord Jesus Christ.

Today I want to encourage you to rejoice in your salvation.  Be glad that you were rescued from eternal punishment.  Tell your heavenly Father how much you love and appreciate the sacrifice He made to get you back.  But don’t stop there, go ahead and reach out in faith for the answer to the trouble you are in today, too.  He didn’t stop His salvation when you invited Him into your life.  That is just where it began.  He will continue to save you every day of your life in whatever you are facing.  Whether it is financial, health, family, friends or employment, nothing is to big for Him.  He doesn’t want you to suffer at all.  His heart’s desire is to bring you through every crisis to victory in Jesus!

Today’s scripture reading: Luke 7:36-50

36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 

37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 

38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 

39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 

42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” and He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 

44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 

45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 

46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 

47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Blessing or Offense

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”  Luke 7:23

These days, it is easy to get offended.  We live in a world that is saturated with it.  It is not one sided either.  In today’s society people are offended if you are not like them and others are offended if you are like them.  It has little to do with who you are or what you do, it is about who we perceive people to be.  In a room full of people, you can be sure you are probably offending half of them and you don’t even know it. The world is full of hurting people that have held on to their hurts for so long that they have turned those hurts into fear of being hurt again.  Offense is the way we have found to protect our hearts against future hurts.

We get offended by what people say and we get offended by what other’s don’t say.  We are offended by what people do and again by what others don’t do.  It just doesn’t matter how close to perfect a person can look, if you are looking for an offense, you can certainly find one.

On the other side of that offense is blessing.  If you begin to look for what is right or good about a person or situation, God’s blessing is what follows.  Taking authority over any offense that tries to come into your life and heart by looking for a positive angle, results in peace, joy, and contentment.

In today’s reading, Jesus said there is a blessing on those who are not offended.  That blessing includes His peace.  Offence comes because of jealousy, pride, and fear.  When you are able to live above these emotions with the Holy Spirit’s help, you have His peace, His joy and His contentment in abundance in your life.  Doesn’t that sound so much better than living in the stress and emotional torment that offense brings.  You can only control your own life, so take control by loving others instead of seeing their faults.

Today I want to encourage you to be on the lookout for the temptation to be offended.  Even if you think you do not get offended, be watching for that subtle deception.  If you have feelings of disdain or condemnation when others behave badly, don’t justify your responses by their bad behavior.  Instead recognize that we are all subject to doing the wrong things at times and turn your heart toward the love that God has for them and you.  Then be the light and love of God to those who may be the very people you used to get offended by.  The blessing of peace will fill up your life and all bitterness and justified rage that will destroy you from the inside out will be forced to leave.

Today’s scripture reading: Luke 7:18-35

18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. 

19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

20 When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ” 

21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.

22 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 

23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 

25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 

26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 

27 This is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’

28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 

30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

31 And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? 

32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not weep.’

33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 

34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 

35 But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

He has compassion

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:13

Everyday that we live in this world, we are going through something.  When we get up each morning, there isn’t many days at all that we don’t have cares and concerns we carry with us.  Sometimes they are big problems, but overall, most days are small ones.  This life is heavy and most people in the world are struggling through each day just trying to make it through to the next.  They may not look like it on the outside and many cover their trouble with a façade of a seemingly happy life on the outside, but inside they feel the pain of past hurts and current crisis continually.

If you are feeling the pressure of life today, be encouraged!  He has compassion for you.  Whatever you are going through, He has a plan to get you through to your place of peace and contentment.

In today’s reading, Jesus entered a town and ran right into a funeral procession.  He identified the person who had experienced the loss.  This is quite amazing, because the text says that there was a great crowd with her, yet Jesus goes right to the widow woman.  He saw her, but more importantly, He saw her pain and grief.  He immediately goes to her to console her and after speaking words of hope to her, He turns that sad day into a glorious one.

He will do that for you too.  In this text, He came to the woman, she didn’t even go to Him.  Yet, His heart was to turn her sorrow into joy.  That’s what He wants for all of us.  He doesn’t want us to live this life stressing, sorrowing and hurting, He wants us to live life to the fullness that God has planned for us.  So whatever you are going through today, talk to Him about it and watch as He turns the things that look bad today into something good for tomorrow.

Today I want to encourage you to spend time sitting with Jesus today.  You don’t even have to say anything, just close your eyes and lay your burdens down.  Give Him entrance to touch your life and change what the enemy is intending for evil and turn it for good.  Enjoy the life you have been given by walking out your days close to your loving and compassionate Savior and let Him carry the heavy loads that you were never created to carry.

Today’s scripture reading: Luke 7:11-17

11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 

12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 

13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 

14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 

15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” 

17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.