Saturday, March 18, 2023
As a church, we are reading through the book of Luke in the weeks leading up to Easter. If you haven't signed up yet, text Luke to 419-419-0707. The LivingItOut devotions will be elaborating on one aspect of the Luke reading for that day. Please note that because the LIO is following the Luke Reading Plan, you will receive corresponding devotions on Saturday and Sunday for the duration of the plan. The LIO will return to its regular M-F schedule once the reading plan is completed.
Baseball was a way of life for me growing up. Each year, I would try out for the travel team. After a week of batting practice and fielding grounders, I would anxiously await a call from the coach on Sunday to tell me if I had made the cut. I remember the excitement when the coach picked me. When he said, “I think you have what it takes to be on this team and help us win.”
I wonder how the disciples felt when Jesus picked them for his team?
Luke 6:12-13
12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles…
Simple. Straight-forward. Yet unbelievably powerful.
So far, in every chapter since Jesus began his public ministry, he has withdrawn in isolation to spend time in prayer (Luke 4:42; Luke 5:16), prioritizing time alone with his father. Between all of his healing and teaching and traveling and seemingly going out of his way just to rile up the Pharisees, Jesus set aside time to pray. Yes, he was often doing something to advance the Kingdom of God, but he also intentionally sought out time to simply be with our Father.
After praying all night, Jesus returned and chose his twelve apostles. (Luke 6:13). It’s easy to miss the wonder here. In Jesus’ time, rabbis didn’t approach students and ask them to follow him. Students (men only) came to the rabbis, who would then interrogate them to determine: If the boy could spread the rabbi’s message. If the boy could learn to think and act like him. If the boy could become like him.
But Jesus does things differently. He sought out his disciples, saying to them, “You have what it takes. I believe and have faith in you.”
Who does Jesus call? Fishermen. A despised tax collector. A likely violent revolutionary. Women. Again, Jesus is flipping the script. He didn’t choose the popular or the wealthy or the educated. But he did choose those in whom he had faith.
He also chose you. And he chose me. Because he believes we have what it takes to be on his team.
We find freedom when we believe in Jesus and place our faith in him.
Imagine what we can find when we fully grasp that Jesus also believes in us and has faith in us!
Questions:
What does it mean for you to follow Jesus?
How might your life change when you accept the fact that Jesus believes in you?
Next Steps:
Be intentional about seeking alone time with God. Start small—even five minutes is okay—but truly remove distractions so you can focus entirely on God. Silence your phone and put it in a drawer; close the door to your room. Write down when you will spend time with God and put it somewhere you'll see every day. Use this time to speak with God, but don’t forget to listen for what he may be trying to say to you!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for choosing me. I know I’m broken and not worthy to be called by you, but please help me to understand that you believe in me and have faith in me. Give me the boldness to step out and speak out in your name. Give me the confidence to trust in you and your perfect plan for my life. In your name I pray, amen.