July 31: Luke 5 22-26

Key Verse: Luke 5 23
Which is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”?

Devotion:
Firstly yesterday things went a bit awry! I have been receiving continued check-ups as I have recovered from my bout of necrotising pancreatitis, cystitis and a whole lot of other complications and big medical words! I had a scan a few weeks back and a call from the surgeon to say the cystitis had finally cleared and I should get booked in to have the stents removed at some stage. The next day I got a call asking if I could come in the following day (yesterday) to have “endoscopic stent removal!” So I was under the influence of the sedation drugs yesterday and did not get round to this devotion – so today you get two for one!

In our verses today, the Pharisees and teachers were not impressed anyone could come into their “territory” and do things which they could not do. It made them look like they were not as good as they had made things out to be… the truth was being told!

Sometimes in our lives we get used to doing the same old thing over and over again and we get used to taking short-cuts and even telling people how we are doing more than we actually do! We are all guilty of this at some stage in our lives and we should all take note of how Jesus handled this. The first thing He did was to pick out the people who were living in their own pride. He stopped and made them think about what they were doing. God is going to do the same to us if we continue to walk off in opposition to His will in our lives.

But it is going to be up to us as to whether we act like these Pharisees and make even more excuses playing the blame game, or whether we stop and make a U-turn to follow God’s will in our lives. I am always amazed at how He is able to do so much in our lives when we do follow His will and that includes placing some incredible surgeons and consultants in your path who are able to do some pretty amazing things to keep us alive! I know it was God who was behind this all because my life has not fallen apart as I thought it must do when it all went belly up in hospital back in February last year! God is good! Listen and obey!

Points to Ponder:
Do you keep on making excuses?

Will you put aside your pride and try to do what God wants you to do?