While You Still Can
Have you found yourself chasing the treasures and pleasures of this world? Have you attempted to find peace and purpose outside of the One who created you? Have you discovered that your striving has done nothing but leave you anxious, empty, overwhelmed, and possibly numb?
God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, said this:
“Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.”
Isaiah 55:6-7 NLT
It’s not too late for you, and you are not too far from God.
So what can you do? Seek Him. Call on Him. Change your ways. Turn to Him. And what will He do? He will be near. He will offer His mercy. He will forgive even the worst of your decisions, mistakes, and sins.
God is good. God is also good at being God. He created you, He loves you, and He wants a relationship with you. And since He designed you, He knows how you were hardwired to thrive.
He knows that you need Him more than anything else in the world.
You can ignore His nudges and reject His love and continue to do things your way. Or, you can come boldly to the throne of grace, where you will receive mercy and grace when you need it most (Hebrews 4:16).
So while you still can … seek Him, call on Him, change your ways, and turn to Him. He is your loving Father and He is your merciful God.
Day 22 of the reading of the gospel of Luke
Luke 22
“Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my ...
Trusting God’s Story
Imagine Mary and Joseph getting ready to become parents. They probably asked a lot of the same questions expectant parents do today: Is the baby healthy? Are we prepared to care for this child? Do we have what we need? Where will we have the baby? Are we ready for the birth?
Near the end of Mary’s pregnancy, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that everyone within the Roman world return to their hometown for a census (Luke 2:1-4). This meant that Mary and Joseph had to leave their home in Nazareth to take the four-day journey to Bethlehem, the city of David, who was Joseph’s ancestor.
It could've been because of the census that Bethlehem’s inns were full of people making the journey home. It also could've been because of a misunderstood "scandal" surrounding Mary and Joseph. Regardless, when the time came, Mary gave birth to Jesus in the only place available to them: a stable. She placed him in a manger—a feeding trough—because that’s all there was. Surely this was ...