Daily Bread Luke 21

Daily Bread Luke 21

34"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Observation:

As we near the end of Luke’s gospel, he begins give some signs of the end of the age. Some of those include persecution, nations warring against nations, and false teachers who claim to be the Messiah. Although the external signs will be obvious, Luke tells his disciples to be less worried about things going on outside of them and be more concerned about their heart condition.

Dissipation, drunkenness and anxieties are all ways our hearts get weighed down and get our eye off the main thing. They are distractions that get our hearts to start trusting in something other than God. Although we don’t know when Jesus will return, there are signs that will show that the season is near. But one thing we can control is being ready.

Luke gives two ways to be ready. Be on watch and pray. To be on watch is to be aware of what God is doing in the world. As we avoid the distractions talked about earlier we will be in a good position to discern God’s activities as opposed to have our senses being dulled and not able to recognize the signs. As we pray we also heighten our sensitivity to the things of God and operate by the Spirit rather than our human nature.

Application:

Is your heart weighed down or free? If you have a ton of stress, guilt or constant sense of negative thinking or feeling about yourself, you heart may be weighed down. As we are conformed to the world we are less able to discern what God is up to. And yet if our minds are renewed by being in His Word, praying and watching for God’s kingdom, we will be ready to meet Jesus whenever He returns.

Prayer: God I offer you my body and mind and I want to offer them as a living sacrifice to you in view of your mercy. Renew my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, and help me not to be weighed down things of this world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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