Devotions from Luke

Passage Read: Luke 1-2 Meditation Verse: 1:15 John was filled with the Spirit from his mother's womb, so that when Mary came with Jesus in her womb, John leaped with joy within his mother. Yet we hear nothing more of John until he comes in…

Passage Read: Luke 3-4 Meditation Verse: 3:18 John preached the Gospel to the people. He preached repentance. He preached that those who came to him needed to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. He preached that repentance meant a change of behavior, including especially contentment.

Passage Read: Luke 5-6 Meditation Verse: 6:17 There are three kinds of people here, all eager to learn from Jesus. There is the Twelve, whom He just appointed apostles from the rest of His disciples. There is also the crowd of His disciples, those who…

Passage Read: Luke 7-8 Meditation Verses: 8:47-48 She knew that if she only touched the hem of His garment, she would be healed. And it was so. Jesus called her out and confirmed that her faith had made her well. Power went out from Him,…

Passage Read: Luke 9-10 Meditation Verses: 9:52-56 James and John wanted to call down fire on the Samaritans who didn't welcome Jesus. They were thinking of Elijah who called down fire on the soldiers sent to bring him to the king. Three times, he called…

Passage Read: Luke 11-12 Meditation Verses: 12:51-53 Jesus didn't come to destroy men's lives, but neither did He come to make everyone happy. His Gospel and His demands of righteousness will divide even families, how much more societies! He came to bring life, but men…

Passage Read: Luke 13-14 Meditation Verses: 14:25-26 It's like Jesus was trying to scare away those who followed Him. Great crowds followed Him and He warned them that only those who love Him more than family or life could be His disciple. How is that…

Passage Read: Luke 15-16 Meditation Verse: 15:1 The Scripture notes that tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to listen to Him, and the religious leaders remarked that Jesus received them and even ate with them. Jesus then spoke three illustrations to explain the…

Passage Read: Luke 17-18 Meditation Verse: 17:1 It is impossible to keep offenses from coming because the Lord has chosen to show mercy even on those who hate Him. He allowed the sinful to endure, because if not, no one would be saved. Some sinful…

Passage Read: Luke 19-20 Meditation Verse: 19:27 For now, Jesus puts up with those hostile to Him, who refuse to have Him reign over them. Christians are those who should accept His reign even now. We are supposed to be acknowledging Him as Lord and…

Passage Read: Luke 21-22 Meditation Verses: 22:31-32 Satan asked to sift Peter, and obviously received permission. But Jesus prayed for Him, yet not that he would be delivered from the sifting, but that his faith would survive it. And Jesus' petition was also granted, so…

Passage Read: Luke 23-24 Meditation Verse: 23:34 I am so easily angered when things don't go my way. I don't understand the eternal value of anything I suffer. Jesus had complete confidence in the Father's will for Him, to suffer and be crucified. He had…

Passage Read: Luke 1-2 Meditation Verses: 1:50-52 Thought God's mercy is for those who fear Him, not for those who don't. The arrogant, those who are proud in their thoughts, not necessarily in deed, He will scatter; they will be overthrown. But the humble, who…

Passage Read: Luke 3-4 Meditation Verse: 3:18 I need to adjust my gospel to make repentance a priority. Forgiveness is only for those who repent and change their ways, who walk in the Lord's ways. Anyone who claims to believe in Jesus but doesn't bother…

Passage Read: Luke 5-6 Meditation Verses: 6:27-31 This really makes me want to have very little, and have stuff I don't really care about. The poor man hears no threat; it's the rich man who cannot sleep for fear of being robbed. But whether rich…

Passage Read: Luke 7-8 Meditation Verses: 7:37-38 How many of us would do such a thing? Who wants to draw attention to themselves, especially if they had lived a sinful life, the kind that everyone knows about and everyone looks down on you for? Oh…

Passage Read: Luke 9-10 Meditation Verse: 9:26 If I acknowledge Jesus as Lord, then I don't have a choice in what teachings of His I'll accept. It's all or nothing. If I follow some teachings but not others, I clearly have little fear of Him.

Passage Read: Luke 11-12 Meditation Verses: 12:32-34 I want my heart fixed on heaven, on eternity with Jesus. I want to serve and love Him, which means doing good to others and helping them know and grow more devoted to Jesus. But a few verses…

Passage Read: Luke 13-14 Meditation Verse: 13:24-27 We don't get to enter Christ's kingdom on our terms, but on His. We don't get to live our lives in whatever way we want, then expect Him to let us in at the last because we spent…

Passage Read: Luke 15-16 Meditation Verse: 16:15 Justifying myself before men is meaningless. Men are not the gatekeepers to the kingdom of God. Living this life for the praise of men is meaningless if I spend eternity in Hell. God is the only one I…

Passage Read: Luke 17-18 Meditation Verse: 18:9 No matter how well I think I'm doing in following Jesus, I should never be too confident in my righteousness and I should never look down on people. Any love and longing to please Jesus comes from Him,…

Passage Read: Luke 19-20 Meditation Verse: 20:19 If called out by implication, I should be looking for ways to prove I'm not among the group called out! Especially when the consequences of remaining among those called out are dire! Do I want to prove myself…

Passage Read: Luke 21-22 Meditation Verses: 22:67-71 I need to always testify to the truth about Jesus and God's righteous requirements, even when I'm fully confident that no one will hear and believe. Their response to my faithful witness will be used against them at…

Passage Read: Luke 23-24 Meditation Verses: 24:46-47 It is not just forgiveness of sins that is to be preached in Jesus' name to the whole world, but repentance! Forgiveness is only for those who repent. Someone who "comes to Christ" without recognizing Jesus and turning…

Passage Read: Luke 1-2 Meditation Verses: 2:34-35 Gabriel didn't mention anything about Jesus needing to suffer, only that He would be given the throne of His father David and reign over Israel forever. So this is the first recording of someone telling her that trouble…

Passage Read: Luke 3-4 Meditation Verses: 4:43-44 Luke makes it clear that Jesus at least began His ministry by preaching in the local synagogues. Of course the other Gospels mention Jesus doing things in a few synagogues, but this statement by Luke suggests it wasn't…

Passage Read: Luke 5-6 Meditation Verses: 6:32-36 Sinners, unbelievers, love those who love them back. Sinners, unbelievers, do good to those who do good to them. Sinners, unbelievers, lend to those who pay them back. Believers in Jesus are supposed to go beyond that, to…

Passage Read: Luke 7-8 Meditation Verse: 8:18 Jesus speaks sometimes in parables and sometimes in clear teaching. The parables obscure the meaning of His teachings, so that people have to meditate and pray and seek out God for an explanation. But the clear teachings shouldn't…

Passage Read: Luke 9-10 Meditation Verses: 10:10-16 We are only messengers. Perhaps the Lord would allow us to do miracles, but the most important thing is the message. If people or a town or village or city does not listen to and receive the message…

Passage Read: Luke 11-12 Meditation Verses: 12:32-34 The Father has chosen gladly to give us the kingdom! There is a kingdom that is on offer, that is promised to those who believe and obey the Son. Because of that promise, we can live generously on…

Passage Read: Luke 13-14 Meditation Verses: 13:23-27 There is a contrast between "strive" and "seek" in Jesus' description here. He tells us to strive, which is stronger than seek, to enter the narrow gate. Many will seek to enter and fail. We must strive to…

Passage Read: Luke 15-16 Meditation Verses: 15:2-5 The Pharisees have nothing but contempt for Jesus. They look at the "rabble" that He welcomes and they condemn Him. They are disgusted that sinful people are seeking Jesus and finding mercy. They are disgusted because they're not…

Passage Read: Luke 17-18 Meditation Verses: 18:22-25 Jesus asked what seems impossible and unreasonable of this man, to go from being rich to selling everything, leaving everything behind to follow Him. And the man decided he couldn't do it. Why did Jesus require so much…

Passage Read: Luke 19-20 Meditation Verses: 19:14,27 Jesus tells this parable to those who expect the kingdom of God to be established at this visit to Jerusalem. It will not be set up at this time, not as a physical kingdom. But everything Jesus is…

Passage Read: Luke 21-22 Meditation Verse: 21:36 Jesus says this about the hard times that are coming against believers, that we need to pray for strength to endure, to survive, to escape all that is coming on the earth. This is the same thing He…

Passage Read: Luke 23-24 Meditation Verse: 24:47 "Repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations:" this is the Gospel. Not simply believe in Jesus for forgiveness of sins, but repentance for forgiveness, forgiveness which is only possible because…