Day 305

To Be and Not to Be

Read: Luke 11-12

Jesus gives us a great deal of practical advice on how we are to live as well as how not to live if we are ready to listen. Here Jesus gives us five directives:

(1) Be prayerful (11:2). Jesus gives us himself an example of prayerfulness (v. 1). He gives us a model for prayer, the Lord’s Prayer. He gives us encouragement to pray urgently, as the friend who needed food to serve his guest (vv. 5-8). He gives us promises that prayer will be answered (vv. 9-13).

(2) Be not hypocritical (12:1). Do not be as the Pharisees, making believe on the outside that they were more holy than they were on the inside. God looks at the heart; hypocrisy is a hopeless failure.

(3) Be not covetous (12:15). It is tempting to want what others have, to be unhappy if we do not have these things. Material possessions do not bring happiness. Why then do we want them so badly?

(4) Be not anxious (12:22). If we really believe that God is in control and that he loves us, will he not take care of us? Put first things first, and God will take care of the rest, for Jesus says, “Seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well.”

(5) Be always watchful (12:36). Christ is coming again, and it will be suddenly. Let us always live in a state of spiritual preparation, so that we will be ready when he comes.

Let Jesus’ directives guide you in your life. Surely he knows what is best for us far better than we do.

PRAYER
Father, work in our hearts by your Spirit that we may be the kind of people you want us to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.