We hope this week's devotional helps you in your spiritual walk.
Luke 12:32-40 (NRSV)
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35 “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes during the middle of the night or near dawn and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39 “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Devotional Thought:
Treasure the Kingdom and not the things of this world! This is the message of this passage and of much of the gospels as a whole. Our passage comes right off the back of a parable warning about placing too much confidence in one’s own power and in the treasures of this world (Luke 12:13-21), and immediately after Jesus’s exhortation about not worrying about one’s personal, earthly needs (Luke 12:22-31). In light of these teachings, we are reminded to be prepared for Christ’s return by remaining faithful to our Master.
Passages such as this one have often caused great fear for those inside and outside the church. Anxieties rise as we ask questions like: ‘Am I prepared?’ ‘What do I need to do to be prepared?’ ‘How long do I have to get prepared?’ ‘What happens to me if I am not prepared?’ For followers of Christ, these are the wrong questions. Preparedness is not really about what we are doing, and certainly not about fear (cf. 1 John 4:18). Preparedness comes in knowing whose we are and in knowing who we are in light of whose we are. In other words, preparedness is about relationship with God, which transforms us from the inside out. If we are genuinely seeking relationship with God, then we are ready, and we have nothing to fear!
Prayer:
Gracious God, we are yours. Grant us peace of mind in this reality. Lord, continue to reveal your Kingdom to us and enable us through the Holy Spirit to live faithfully in this new Kingdom reality.
Rev. Dr. Rob A. Fringer,
NTC Principal