Category Archives: Luke

Day 105: David’s Heart

1 Samuel 15-17; Luke 14:25-35

Key Verses

1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Luke 14:27
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Saul… He had the audacity to use religious duty as an excuse to disobey God’s word – and we learn from vs. 15:30 that Saul’s first priority was to have honor in the people’s eyes. So, God sent Samuel to anoint a new king, and we read from today’s key verse the qualification most important to God – the condition of the heart.

We see the valor of David’s heart as he faces Goliath in Chapter 17, but more importantly, we see his trust in God! David was also equipped with the Spirit. We read in Chapter 16 (vs. 13-14) that after David was anointed by Samuel, God’s Spirit departed from Saul and rushed upon David. This Spirit was not associated with salvation (as in the New Testament) but rather the Spirit was an Equipper – helping God’s chosen leader to accomplish his kingly purpose.

We too have been given a royal purpose…

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2.9).

Jesus reminds us in today’s reading that discipleship requires whole-hearted commitment. But we have also been given the Equipper – the Holy Spirit – to help us accomplish this high calling.

So I ask… Are our hearts more like the self-serving Saul? Or more like the valiant David? I hope neither!!! I hope for my heart to be like Jesus! I think David would agree ;)

Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness (Psalm 26:2-3; of David).

Day 104: Saul’s Heart

1 Samuel 13-14; Luke 14:1-24

Many years have passed since Saul was anointed the king over Israel. Saul is now old enough to have a son, Jonathan, and Jonathan is old enough to command troops. We find Saul engaged in battle with the Philistines – and it is here in Chapter 13, that we first read of God rejecting Saul as king.

Key Verses

1 Samuel 13:13-14
And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

What did Saul do that was so bad that God would remove his kingship? On the surface, it seems as if the punishment doesn’t match the crime. Saul was pressed from all sides…  Samuel was late in arriving, and Saul wanted to inquire of the Lord, so he took on the priestly role and offered the sacrifices in Samuel’s place… What’s the big deal?

Saul’s heart. That’s the big deal. Saul did not obey God in the face of difficult circumstances. And when questioned by Samuel, Saul had the opportunity to repent, but instead, he made excuses. He justified his sin.

Jesus’ teaching in Luke 14 only reinforces the truth that God is concerned with the heart – not religious duty or outward appearances.

God looked into Saul’s heart and saw a presumptuous man who trusted more in himself than in God. He saw independence and vanity – foolishness and pride. Saul was not a man after God’s own heart.

I shudder at what God sees when He looks inside my heart. Apart from Christ, I am ruined! But thankfully, my Rescuer lives… and works on my behalf to mold me to be more like Himself. This is my hope, and I am grateful.

Day 103: Mysteries of the Kingdom

1 Samuel 10-12; Luke 13:22-35

Key Verses

1 Samuel 12:14-15
If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.

Luke 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.’”

These verses in Luke 13 are difficult for me. I’ve always been uncomfortable that there will be people left out of the Kingdom. Did God not choose them or did they not choose God? It’s one of the great mysteries of the faith…

There is a great tension between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. How can God be 100% sovereign AND man be 100% responsible for his choices? This is a great mystery.

1 Samuel 10 makes it very clear that God was sovereign over Saul and chose him to be king of Israel. Saul had nothing in himself to qualify him for king except God’s grace and anointing. But Saul failed to live a life worthy of his calling. Later, God removed the kingship from Saul because of his disobedience and failure to repent. Ultimately, Saul was held accountable for his decisions.

Did God make a mistake by choosing Saul? Absolutely not!  Then why did God choose Saul when He knew that Saul would disobey? When I can’t untangle the mysteries of God, I look to God’s character for insight… Who is God? He is Sovereign over all, All-Powerful and the final Judge of all mankind. But what else is God? He is compassionate and kind. He is Good.

Listen to the compassion in Jesus’ words…

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! (Luke 13:34)

He is sovereign AND we are given the freedom to choose. Somehow, God uses our sinful choices to bring about the good of his big plan. God uses Saul’s disobedience and pride to mold David into a godly leader. And God uses Israel’s rejection to open the door for Gentiles to enter His Kingdom.

When all is revealed at the end of the age – I believe we will see that all things were weaved together for GOOD!

Day 102: Repentance

1 Samuel 7:3-9:27; Luke 13:1-21

Key Verses

1 Samuel 9:15-16
Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”

Luke 13:5
“…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

God’s grace extends beyond our understanding. Despite the great sin that separates us from God, He is continually withholding judgment – waiting for one thing… repentance.

In Luke, we read of Jesus exhorting the people to repent… “Repent” is one of those words that loses its meaning due to overuse. First, true repentance can not be self-manufactured. Rather, it is a work of the Spirit. “Repentance” means: To take responsibility for sin, forsake the sin and turn humbly toward God. According to Jesus, we must repent in order to be saved!

The parable of the barren fig tree (Luke 13:6-9) illustrates God’s great patience for our repentance… Even after the tree is barren, he refuses to allow it to be cut down – rather, he asks to give the tree just one more year to bear fruit. In other words, He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish.

Switching over to 1 Samuel, today’s reading ends in a cliff-hanger of sorts. It is fascinating to read of God’s sovereign ways as God leads Israel’s future king to his prophet, Samuel, via a search for missing donkeys! The author’s introduction to Saul is flattering. He is both handsome and seemingly humble.

Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?” (1 Samuel 9:21).

But over the next few days – as we read Saul’s story – we will see his independent spirit lead him to rebel against God – and when given the opportunity to repent… Saul refuses. Saul’s presumption and pride will be his downfall.

We must not be like Saul! We must pray for the grace to repent!

Day 101: God’s divisive presence

1 Samuel 4:1-7:2; Luke 12:35-59

Key Verses

1 Samuel 6:20-21
Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”

Luke 12:51
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

We read today of Israel’s great defeat by the Philistines – not just once, but twice. After Israel’s first defeat, they bring the ark of the covenant from Shiloh as a desperate measure to aid them on the battlefield. But God was not with them, and the ark was captured. When Eli, the priest, heard that the ark had been captured by the Philistines, he fell over and died. Eli seemed more grieved by the loss of the ark than the death of his two sons in the battle.

But something interesting happened after the ark was captured… The ark – symbolizing the presence of God – brought great calamity upon the Philistines. So much so, that the Philistines kept moving the ark from city to city trying to get rid of it and ultimately sent the ark back to Israel!

This is a vivid picture of an important biblical principle. God’s presence can bring comfort and protection to the believer but is the terror of judgment to the non-believer.

This is also evident from Jesus’ teaching in today’s passage from Luke. Jesus speaks of his future return to the earth. These end-time parables seem to divide people into the “faithful” and the “unfaithful.”

For those outside the Kingdom, to be in God’s presence will be sheer terror – as there will be no Sacrifice to shield them from his wrath. But for God’s children, the Sacrifice makes it possible for us to draw near to the balm of His Presence and find peace and rest!

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).

Day 100: Hannah’s treasure

1 Samuel 1-3; Luke 12:1-34

Key Verses

1 Samuel 2:1-2
My heart exults in the Lord;
my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
“There is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.

Luke 12:34
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

1 Samuel opens similarly to Ruth… with the story of a faithful family that lived during the time of the Judges. We are introduced to Hannah, and similar to many of the Bible’s heroines, Hannah was barren. But God opened Hannah’s womb and gave her a son. Her son, Samuel, would grow up under the care of Eli, the priest, and would be used by God to usher in the time of the kings.

Samuel was a mighty prophet in God’s Kingdom – but he was born to a faithful, and broken, woman.

Where was Hannah’s treasure? On first glance, you might say her treasure was her son, Samuel – or maybe her other 5 children that God so graciously gave her. But no, Hannah’s treasure was the Lord himself. She put God before her son as she offered him for the Lord’s service – and God multiplied Hannah’s sacrifice into the abounding ministry of Samuel – who would later anoint both Saul and David as kings of Israel.

Where is our treasure? I pray, that like Hannah, my treasure is the Lord!

Day 99: Kinsman-Redeemer

Ruth 1-4; Luke 11:29-54

Key Verses

Ruth 4:14-15
Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

Ruth. It is good to read the whole book in one sitting. It’s a beautiful love story which is masterfully told. Considering it was set during the time of the Judges… well, it makes the main characters seem especially inspiring. It is one of the rare narratives in Scripture where the characteristics of the hero and heroine are all positive!

Kindness is a major theme of Ruth… Ruth is kind to Naomi. Boaz is kind to Ruth. And the kindness of God provides redemption for Naomi’s family.

Another major theme is God’s care and love for the foreigner. Boaz’ kindness to Ruth was probably influenced by the fact that his mother, Rahab, was also an outsider. And the fact that Ruth gives birth to Obed, the grandfather of King David, proves that God’s purposes and plans extend past Israel’s borders!

At the end of the book, we read of Boaz, Naomi’s kinsman-redeemer, redeeming Naomi’s land and daughter-in-law, Ruth. Boaz “buys back” what was taken away from Naomi through the death of her husband and sons. He endured great cost because he loved Naomi and Ruth!

Boaz points forward to our Redeemer..

Jesus “buys back” what we have lost through death. He “buys back” our righteousness – our very lives… He endured great cost!! Why? Because He loves us!

Day 98: The State of God’s Family

Judges 19-21; Luke 11:1-28

Key Verses

Luke 11:2-4
“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

What does God’s family look like in these last chapters of Judges? Rape, murder, callous indifference and finally, civil war.

The writer of Judges ends his book with the declaration: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did was right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

God would give the people a king – but the true King would not come until the time was ready for God’s Kingdom to be established on earth. Jesus comes and with Him comes the Kingdom!

What does God’s family look like today? Unfortunately, we don’t look very different than the people of the Judges. The church is called to show the world a glimpse of God’s Kingdom ways. May we strive to be a light in this dark world – as we humbly proclaim our desperate need of forgiveness and that we are rescued only by God’s saving grace!

Day 97: Proper worship

Judges 17-18; Luke 10:25-42

Key Verses

Judges 17:6
Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Luke 10:36-37
Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

As the time of the Judges comes to an end, somehow, God managed to preserve his people in spite of their apostasy. Yet, this nation was full of people who had no clue how to worship God according to the Mosaic law.

The rest of the book of Judges switches its focus from the threat of foreign invaders to its own inward chaos. The author is persuading the reader that Israel desperately needs the leadership of a godly king. The story recorded in Judges 17-18 is so preposterous that it seems cartoonish!

And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods…

And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest” (Judges 17:5; 12-13).

Since when did people start having their own personal priests?? And this priest doesn’t have an altar or a tabernacle, no, he has Micah’s shrine and carved images to facilitate proper worship. It’s ludicrous!

Fast forward to today’s reading in Luke. At this point in history, the Jews were so absorbed with proper worship – that they had added many extra laws which made the old laws seem permissive. This concern with observing the Mosaic law is obvious from the details in Jesus’ story of the good Samaritan. There was a distinction between the Priest and the Levite. Not just any Levite could be a Priest. Only a descendant of Aaron could be a Priest. I’m sure this detail was overlooked by Micah, our character from Judges ;)

But it is interesting that Jesus takes all of these religious regulations and turns them upside down. The story of the good Samaritan illustrates that it is not the “law-abiding” Priest and Levite that meet the standard of the Law – but rather it was the hated “half-breed” Samaritan who did what was acceptable – that is to sacrificially love his enemy.

Isn’t Jesus wonderful??!! He wants so much more for His people than mere religion!! The rules only teach us we’re not good enough! Then we can look to Jesus with a desperate need to be rescued. This is proper worship! Humble, reliance on the Savior.

Mary understood. She knew that nothing was as important as sitting at the feet of her Lord. All of life could wait – Jesus was in her house! What could be more important than that?!

Day 96: Strength from on High

Judges 15-16; Luke 10:1-24

Key Verses

Judges 16:28
Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.”

Luke 10:17-18
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

Samson brings the time of the Judges to a close. His life mirrors the moral condition of the people he judged…corrupt. We do see a glimmer of faith in Samson’s life – but only after he has been blinded and humiliated…

God stooped and granted Samson the strength to topple the house and kill 3,000 Philistines, and in so doing, he also killed himself. But even Samson’s sacrifice was tainted, as it seemed to be motivated by vengeance instead of concern for Israel.

Today’s passage from Luke highlights one of the fundamental differences between the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, God set apart a physical nation whose purpose was to reveal God’s character to the world. The New Testament begins with John the Baptist exhorting the Jews to repent “for the Kingdom of God is near.”

John was preparing the way for Jesus. And when Jesus came, he instituted a spiritual nation, which he called “The Kingdom of God.” Unlike the Israelites, the people of God’s Kingdom do not go to war against other nations – rather they engage in battle in the spiritual realm.

God empowered Samson with physical strength to defeat the Philistines, his physical enemies. In today’s passage from Luke, Jesus empowers the 72 with spiritual strength to overcome their spiritual enemies.

We, as believers in Christ, are part of God’s Kingdom and are commanded to enter the spiritual battle – proclaiming that “The Kingdom of God is near!” If God can empower and use the likes of Samson, He can surely use you and me!