A Daily Purpose

Bible Study & Devotional Day 77

Written By Torrie Slaughter

Guiding Scripture: Luke 3:1-21 and Proverbs 11:17 Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

🔴In and Out

Are you a different person online? Let’s be honest it’s easy to stand up for injustice or hide our emotions behind a repost. We can vent, brag, or show kindness with a few clicks. But what is meant to be private will eventually see the light of day. It could be shameful or worse, a buried skeleton that peeks out at Satan’s command.

The proverbial shoe dropping.

I’m not perfect. I’ve made numerous mistakes, there are things I’m not proud of and wish had never happened. I know the enemy will make use of my past as this ministry grows. However, I am ready. (Matthew 10:28) God prepares us when we repent and make improvements. The Truth of His Word is good for correction, training, and reproof. While I know God did not remove the consequences of my transgressions, I (we) can walk faithfully forward with God leading the way. Living a transformed life is the goal of a Christ-follower. Forgiveness, kindness, understanding, grace, and mercy are attributes of our Divine Holy Rabbi. Getting to know Him is how we increase our awareness and spiritual maturity.

(The following is an excerpt from Publicy Pious, Privately Perverse -Gospel of Luke 24 Day Devotional)

John, the forerunner of Christ, came to preach the two sides of repentance 1. to turn away from sin and 2. to turn toward God. (Luke 3:3) John called out the corrupt religious leaders, referring to them as “a brood of vipers.”(Luke 3:7) They outwardly appeared holy, but inwardly, they were sinful and did not follow God’s command. (Matthew 23:1-7) They wore their fine robes, enjoyed celebrity status, sat with high-ranking politicians and leaders. The Pharisees rested on the fact that they were descendants of Abraham, earning them a place in eternity simply because of their ancestry. (John 8:33) John was a stark contrast to these refined teachers. (Matthew 3:4) His clothing was something straight out of the wilderness, his diet was odd, and his message made people uncomfortable.

What we ‘like’ or lust over is a choice.

We usually aren’t suspicious of the wealthy, well-dressed, prosperous, alluring people in life and rarely question their motives. We imitate them and support whatever business venture or idea they’re selling. However, we are turned off by people who push us to become morally righteous because we don’t like how the lesson is ‘packaged.’

The truth is we think we can hide behind our online personas, our excuses, our busyness, and our emotions as if God can not see through it all. (Hebrews 4:13) The more we try to conform to this world, the less like God we will be. During John’s ministry, he called sinners to repent; that message is also for us. When we repent, we should regret what we have done. The forgiveness we receive will help us lead a changed life, turning towards God.

Points to Ponder:

What areas do you lack restraint?
What are you constantly apologizing for but have not turned away from doing?

This devotional was written and submitted with an excerpt from The Luke 24 Day Devotional by Torrie Slaughter the founder of Our Given Purpose® in the Commonwealth of Virginia.