Thoughts from Luke

I have several posts I've been meaning to write. We've been studying the stars and have done a few neat things and have a great book to recommend. We've been studying Picasso and learned so much about him and his art... and, of course, made some of our own! And, we went on a sleepover at Sea World this past weekend and slept in the Coral Reef building.

But, today, I thought I'd share what God has been showing me the past 2 days while studying Luke. I haven't been having my time alone with God lately, and it shows. Yesterday, I "drug" out my Bible and thought I'd try again. God hit me so powerfully with several verses, and he did the same today. And, I just feel the need to share! I hope these verses & thoughts help someone else. These verses are all from Luke 5.

v. 5 - "But because you say so, I will..." These words were spoken by Simon Peter after they'd been working all night and hadn't caught anything. Jesus had told him to put the nets in a certain place, and Simon replied that they hadn't caught anything all night "but because you say so, I will..." Isn't that what our response to Jesus should be? We might have tried so many things and God tells us to try something else and we think it is hopeless... "but because (He) says so..." we should try. He is God.

v. 8 - "Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man." This is again Simon speaking after he sees the great number of fish they had caught. When we truly see Jesus, we see all of our sinfulness and are ashamed of it. (But, God can forgive us and make us clean again!)

v. 11 - They "left everything and followed him." That is what God asks of us - just to leave our "things" - our problems, doubts, "baggage" - and follow Him. He will lead us down the path we should go.

v. 12 - "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." I have been repeating the same sin, over and over again lately and I feel unable to stop. But, God can make me clean! I don't have to be victim to myself. God is able to make me clean and make me into a new creature! We need to ask Him for help when we feel like this!

v. 13 - "Jesus reached out and touched him." These words were spoken about a man "unclean" with leprosy. When we feel "unclean" by the sin in our life, God is still willing to reach out & touch us!!! He doesn't look away or walk on the other side of the street. He reaches out & touches us. What an incredible thing - that the perfect God of the universe would reach out and touch me!

v. 16 - "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places & prayed." If Jesus "had to" pray - and often! - how much more do we need to pray?

Prayerfully Yours,
Dana