Have you ever watched kids wait for the bus? Our kids wait at the end of a long driveway, and somehow that distance makes them think they are surely out of my eyeshot. They imagine themselves in a Lord of the Flies world, where no adult can see them, and a child would willingly bludgeon his brother for fruit snacks. They act like the bus stop is a land of limbo where perfect impunity reigns supreme. But our driveway is just not that long.
Drinking my coffee, I watch from the window as my own children frantically blow through a punch list of morning offenses. They are in such a hurry to let it all hang out before they find themselves under the next authority: Miss Pitt, the bus driver. She will brook no nonsense in a moving vehicle. The world is a sinful place, though, and Miss Pitt isn’t always looking in her giant rearview mirror, telling them to sit back down.
My kids aren’t outliers. We all enjoy the luxury of being out from under authority, to cut loose and do what’s right in our own eyes. And we are the people the Christ came to save. Those of us who are giving noogies, slapping faces, and stealing cookies at the bus stop—those of us who are hiding our shame, returning to our sins, and feeling beaten down by what we’ve done. We are the people Christ came to save. We’re all in the same boat. We’re just better at hiding our misdeeds than children are.
The day after Jesus’s transfiguration, He came down from the mountain, into the adorable, unwashed fray of regular humans, and He immediately encountered our brokenness. “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long will I be with you and put up with you?” (Luke 9:41). He knows that we are trying to hide from authority, but this is exactly why He came. He came down from glory to heal a broken world.
Even in the midst of His longing for our redemption, Jesus was about the business of healing, saying to the man in the crowd, “Bring your son here” (v.41). While the crowd and the disciples worried about who was supposed to be able to cast out demons, Christ had fixed His eyes upon the redemption of all things. He knew about the glory of God and was not confused by squirrely, bus-stop shenanigans. He knows that we are broken and full of terrible nonsense, but Jesus understands who He is, who His Father is, and who we are. He is not surprised that we are getting it wrong; that’s literally why He came.
Jesus came to save the lost and the broken. He shows forth the glory and greatness of God. Be astonished today, not at the misdeeds of man—that’s not surprising at all—but at the greatness of God’s love and grace for us. His name is great, and He is greatly to be praised (v.43).
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49 thoughts on "In His Name"
I needed this today. I always avoid God because I’m such a mess up and I feel like I’ll never be good enough. But He’s just suturing their like “no duh, why’d you think I sent my Son??” I have to keep reminding myself that I’ll never be perfect and it’s no reason to hide from Him.
How sweet was that!! I pray Rebecca was able to see this!
I am feeling a sense of change. Sure COVID has changed a lot. But this feels different. I pray that whatever changes come my way that I may walk humbly with my God.
Loved reading this today. Thank you Rebecca for your encouragement this week during the study of Luke. It’s a small world, I was the person who greeted your boys off the bus and talked with them while they ate breakfast at school. During my 4 years at there, they were always a bright spot! I miss them!!
I have been struggling recently with setting aside time to dive into God’s word. I continue to use the excuse “I’m to busy” or “I don’t have time”. I pray that I put my time with God before everything else and I ask for prayer for that. I want to get into a routine of putting Him first as he should be. We are reading through Luke in Sunday School so I thought it would be cool to do my personal devotions through Luke as well and I have enjoyed seeing the parallels of what I see on my own and what we go over in class.
Prayers for you and your family in this season of struggle.
My father is in icu and has stage 4 cancer. Please lift him up in prayer. My God is bigger than cancer. Pray for peace and understanding they surpasses all.
Thankyou Lord for your incredible and everlasting love for us, your greatness is dumbfounding thankyou for saving us so that we can have a relationship knowing you forever amen
❤️
My sin is expected and shouldn’t be surprising. I’m chosen and forgiven. That’s dumbfounding.
How prepared are we to do the work God has called us to do?
While I do believe that this message has many undertones, the one the stood out most was Luke 9:40 “And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” I imagine they could not, as they were not in alignment with God, truly believing in the power and authority they had. Whenever we fail to walk in that authority God is then forced to “bear with” us, finding someone else that is willing to complete the assignment we were called to do. May we continually seek truth for ourselves so that we are prepared to show up not only for ourselves but the people that are waiting on us to get it together.
I try to take this word into my daily life. It is hard to show and admit your sins to God, but perhaps in doing so makes your relationship with God stronger.
What I will take into my day: We shouldn’t be surprised by the broken misdeeds of the people in this world. We should Glory in God and that he sent Jesus into our mess to heal the world and our relationship with Him.
It’s amazing how I can read a passage over and over again and still miss key details. I knew Jesus was visited by Moses and Elijah while on the Mt. of Transfiguration. This morning I caught the detail that while the three disciples slept, Jesus chatted with Moses and Elijah about His own death. Really? That’s what you wanna talk about, Jesus?
So I ask myself, “why these men?” Moses represent the Law. He was the one who wrote it down and instituted it with the people. Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill the Law. Elijah is one of the greatest prophets of Israel. The first word of prophesy in Scripture concerns Jesus’s plan for redemption. So it makes sense that Jesus is sharing his plan of redemption with the Law and the Prophets. Wow. To be part of THAT conversation!
Then as the devotion pointed out, after that the disciples missed the point. They argued about who would be greatest in the kingdom, missing the point that Jesus valued humility. They forbade others from commanding spiritual wickedness to leave, missing the point that the power is in the NAME and not in the club they were in. They condemned a whole city, missing the point that Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it. We also must be careful in our zeal not to miss the point
Thank you for sharing!! I noticed that about the disciples too but I also noticed that Jesus continued to call the disciples and he would rebuke them and teach them even though they were not perfect and at times they’re hearts were not in the right places. That sounds a lot like me, I’ve been struggling with being the “perfect” Christian and this was so eye opening!
He came down from glory to heal a broken world. Each of us is broken. I am broken, but He has redeemed me. One day we will be fully restored. We will see Him face to face. In the meantime, we are invited to know Him by faith. To know His forgiveness and His love. Lord, I have received your forgiveness. I am held by your love. May I be your hands and feet, showing your love to people every day.
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The Lord is our redeemer and healer. Faith is His Gift. How do I serve Him?
Lord, help me to be centered on your business in the midst of a chaotic world. Help me stay focused on Your purpose.
Jesus predicts His death twice in Luke 9 and what the disciples don’t know is HOW Jesus will be saving us, sinners, from death. And yet, Jesus knows how and being God could easily save himself from dying on the cross — but chooses not to because of the love He has for us. Even for those “unbelieving”.
Humbled by this truth and reflecting on this today.
That Jesus came down to redeem my soul is something I cannot even fathom at times. How blessed am I that he died for me to wash away all of my sins? Jesus came to heal the sick, perform miracles and speak God’s word on instructions on how we are supposed to act according to His word.
We all fall short of God’s glory. None of us is without sin. Reminded me of the verse, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” This sin can consume us if we aren’t careful. Satan wants for us to give in to the temptations of sin and disregard all that God has commanded us. We must remain diligent though and spiritually strong.
❤️
this has been my first time doing community reading with SRT and i am continually surprised at how deeply each day’s devotion speaks to me. i have been worried lately about not being a good example to my S/O who is agnostic, and that in my mistakes i will only hinder his journey to faith. this reminds me that it is not through any actions of my own that he will come to believe, it’s through jesus, because that’s his job. and i am not loved any less because of my screw-ups. i am so comforted by this. please continue to keep my S/O in your prayers, that god will pull him closer and open his heart to a relationship with him. i am reading through everyone else’s comments and praying over all of you as well!!
Something to always remember, Valerie: God users sinners sinlessly. You are no exception. None of us is perfect, but God works with us and uses us for His glory all the same. The New Testament is very clear that any power we have comes directly from the Spirit moving and working through us, empowering us, compensating for everything that we lack. It’s not us. It’s Him. Don’t let the world or shame or doubt try to limit how God can use you to reach others in precisely the situation you’re in. God’s got you. Rest in Him. Praying for you :)
I’m new here and have a couple unrelated-to-the-devotional questions. Does it take some time for a question/comment to show up once you’ve posted it? And why do some comments say they were posted 8 months ago? Thanks everyone and looking forward to being part of this community. ♥️
Oh that we would be ASTONISHED every day at the greatness of God…
Amen!! Great devotional today!
Even in the midst of….Jesus was about the business of…
This is my reminder for today. That even in the midst of a hard world and personal struggles, I must be about the business of my Father.
Thank you, God, for loving me unconditionally. You chose me and I continually disappoint you. Thank you that we have your words to remind us about your love, forgiveness and how we need to shine for other people to see you in us. God also please give the federal workers that did not get paid today, financial, spiritual guidance and trust that you will be there to carry them through this. In Jesus precious name, Amen
If we are in the presence of God, we can’t help but to exude joy. Just like Moses was glowing after he had been with God. I think it’s important to daily be reminded why God came. He came to redeeem the good, the bad and the person with excellent morals. We all need saving. As a Christian every day I need to acknowledge that I can’t obey God in my own but that I need his help.
Continued- (haha) and the pain has been a bit much. It’s in those times my Father is so there watching over me, even when I am busy trying to control the pain. I did discover last night, that instead of me trying to figure out what to do, giving it to God and resting in Him is quite helpful.
Have a blessed day Sisters.
Yes Churchmouse! I am agreeing with you! I am glad that you have found relief. I’m also grateful, as you pointed out, that He knows our frailty and loves us still.
I am in a cancer center with a tumor on my right femur.
I think the rest of the Luke passage is missing from the reading page. When I read Rebecca’s message, I realized I should have read more from Luke.
Prayers for you Kelly and your husbands biopsy today. Praise for.relief of pain Churchmouse. Thank you Jesus for loving me though I continue to screw up and thank you for not being surprised.
Allison, this may seem too simple, but I think it refers to our hope. The hope of redemption,then sanctification and then on to the glory of heaven. Each time we meet Christ in a different way,the next more glorious than the first.
People believe that our salvation experience is all there is, but Christ offers so much more, 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul uses the same phrase. Reminding us of our hope offered in Christ.
I have a question, related to the devotion, but not directly. The last verses we were to read say, “we all,…, are being transformed from one degree of glory to another.” We sing a song in church that says something similar and it has always confused me. The lyrics say, “we go from glory to glory to glory.” What does this even mean? Thanks for your insight! Happy Friday!
“He is not surprised that we are getting it wrong; that’s literally why He came.”
I love this. He is just not surprised I screw up so much. He literally died for my screw ups. For me, who feels like the perpetual failure. Me, who wants so badly to get it right and often fails. Me, who is seemingly so unimportant to His grand design. Thank you Lord for loving me and dying for me.
Can do identify with this, thank you ❤️
Pray for my husband and me, please. Biopsy this morning for Dennis. Wednesday our faithful, loving, sweet companion died (our Golden Retriever). A lot to deal with these two additions.
We continue to trust our faithful Lord and rejoice in all that He has brought us through and continues to bring us through!
God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!
I’m praying right now Kelly.
You have been in my prayers, Churchmouse. Praise God you are doing better.
Tricia Cavanaugh, I continue to lift you up as well. Jehovah Rophi – Lord our Healer, touch and hold these women.
Indiana Christina, I am lifting up those from the apartment complex across from you.
In today’s scripture, the two things I will take into my day,
When we spend time with God – we shine forth His radiance
and,
I will not be distracted, I will simply follow.
I loved this from my devotional this morning: “Be astonished today, not at the misdeeds of man– that’s not surprising at all– but at the greatness of God’s love and grace for us.”
When the world is crazy and even when it’s not, we should fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and refocus on what’s important: what God’s doing and what He has called us, His followers, to do. Be blessed today, sisters in Christ, as you follow Him today. Happy Friday!
“He is not surprised that we are getting it wrong; that’s literally why he came.” Yeeeees! My heart is lifted up & comforted every time I remember this.
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” I used to believe that my life was one long failure, interspersed with intermittent flashes of glory, but now I see that he is taking me from glory to glory, even as I stumble and turn my own way so often. Praise Jesus, the author & perfecter of my faith!!
Amen Julie! I often feel the same, but thank God for His abounding grace and love! ❤
I’m so glad to hear you are feeling better. I’ve been through back spasms, and it was scary. My chiropractor and his wife prayed, and he adjusted. I remember feeling some relief that afternoon. Thank God. We are definitely fearfully and wonderfully made. I am also thankful for this teaching. He knows my faults, sins, and failures, but still lives me. My I be changed to be more like Him each day with the help of the Holy Spirit and His grace. This teaching makes me think of this song: https://youtu.be/xckDgX8xNfg
We are fully known, but still loved. People disappoint and may even leave, but He never does. How awesome and comforting to know!
Oh to keep my eyes fixed on my heavenly Father! These past several days of intense back spasm have had me unable to concentrate – my focus was on the pain, the physician, the physical therapy and the pills. I had difficulty formulating words to cry out to God. A fuzzy brain can cause that. What a comfort to know that Jesus understands what I was going through and stayed with me in my squirelliness and fidgeting. Relief came yesterday and I had the sweet pleasure of catching up with SRT today. Your devotion this morning, Rebecca, removed any sense of feeling ‘less spiritual’ because of my struggle. He knows my fragile human state and all my frailties, mistakes and rebellion. Yet, He loves me still. Great is His faithfulness!!! (and thank you to all here who prayed for my recovery. Mission accomplished! Praise God! And blessings to you intercessors!)
Thank you for this reminder today, that we cannot earn His grace/love. I needed this today! Thank God for your healing! You are loved my sister. ❤
Churchmouse, so glad to “see” you back. I know what pain can do and I was concerned for you. I too am thankful the Lord see ME through my at times foggy head and general malaise. Prayers for your comfort.
Glory to God!♥️