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Unable to Trap Him

Satan lays all kinds of traps for us, preying on our weaknesses and sinful natures.  Sometimes, he comes to us in what seems an impossible situation–like David found himself in facing Goliath!  But, the secret is to know who is the real giant!

I. Luke 20:1-19.  Satan talks big (Luke 4:5-7), but because of Jesus’ work on the cross, He’s the true one in authority (Matthew 28:18).  The Goliaths of Jesus’ day roared their challenges to Him, but His stones easily knocked them down.  Jesus knew that those who believed themselves in power were afraid of the people.

II. Luke 20:20-40.  Like a cat pouncing on a red laser dot, those who believed themselves in power tried futilely to trap Jesus.  They did not realize that He was the Word made flesh (John 1:1-14) or that the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom or weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength (1 Corinthians 1:25).  The result of this mismatched battle was that all fell silent and did not dare to challenge Him further.

III.  1 John 5:3-5.  Those who believed they were in power in Jesus’ day were like Goliath in David’s.  So today, the world, for all of its bluster and threats, is not really the true giant when it comes up against those who are in Christ Jesus and have overcome the world through our faith.  In Jesus, we stand before the intimidating champion of the Philistines armed with God’s wisdom and strength.

… if we could only realize it!

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Help Us Think

O God, the evil one will do us harm,
And yet we wander from your powerful arm!
Draw us near, and help us move with speed
Beneath your shadow, to live and always feed
Upon your Word, to drink that spiritual drink,
To thrive, in Christ, in his love and single work!
And when our faith is weak, help us think
That from the cross our Lord refused to shirk.

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Focus my energies

Lord God and Father of my soul,

  • Save me from the wiles of the evil one, especially when mind and body are sluggish.
  • Open my eyes to opportunity, my heart to love, my mind to understanding of your will.
  • Help my tongue to speak words of grace, patiently, lovingly, seasoned with salt.
  • Focus my energies on positive, redeeming activities that promote your kingdom.
  • Raise up new evangelists and teachers who will help others understand your will and motivate them to holiness and whole-hearted devotion.

Be glorified in me, O God.

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More Will Be Given

Most only know that Zacchaeus was a “wee little man” who climbed a tree to see Jesus as He passed by, but this account is about great grace given because of this chief tax collector’s realization of his great wickedness and his reaction of great repentance.

I. Luke 19:1-10.  Though short in height, Zacchaeus had risen in earthly stature through ill-gotten gain.  So, he naturally believed the way to see this great teacher that some perhaps were secretly murmuring was the Messiah was to climb a tree.  When he saw the true riches that Jesus offered, he realized that the way up with God was to fall to His knees and he repented (Ezekiel 18:21-24).

II. Luke 19:11-26.  The parable that Jesus tells next challenges us to examine our relationship with Him.  How we act with God’s blessings and gifts He’s entrusted to us reveals our true motivation.  We don’t want to be found as the wicked servant who hid what he was given lest it be taken away and given to those who are using their talents for God and His Kingdom.

III.  Matthew 6:19-21.  Where we store our treasure reveals where our heart truly is–whether in heaven or on earth.  Storing treasure in heaven is hard work and requires spiritual training (Hebrews 12:7-11).  It means giving to others how we want to receive from God (Luke 6:37-38) and a conscious understanding of what we are sowing to know what we will reap (Galatians 6:7-10).

Squirrels are often busy, well … squirreling away their treasure of acorns for the winter, but this is a selfish model of what we shouldn’t do.  They won’t share what they’ve been given with other squirrels in other trees.  This is how Zacchaeus was before he climbed down from the tree and hosted Jesus in his home.  What great grace could be yours with your great repentance?

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Thanks and praise

Father in heaven, thank you for grace that grows in me.

Praise to you for the family of faith.

Humble me that I might be like Jesus.

Let the Lord be our focus and organizing center.

Make my works serve your eternal purpose.

You are above all creation and deserve our worship.

God of all, we are grateful for peace and hope.