Today is October 18
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Today’s reading is from the gospel of Luke, chapter 1, the MSG version.
1 - 4 So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story’s beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught.
As we begin our time of prayer, consider what it means to you that Luke investigated, in detail, the first hand accounts of what happened during the life of Jesus. Luke, a doctor, was looking for the truth, and that led him to believe the incredible story that follows this passage. Luke probably started this project with a healthy amount of skepticism, but he finished it as a full believer in Christ. Do you approach the Gospel with skepticism? Does faith become any easier to believe when you see that someone as thorough as Luke was so convinced that this was the truth?
Luke’s gospel was written to assure a man named Theophilus that what he had learned was true. Does this assure you that the story is true. Luke has not been swayed by the bias of knowing Jesus, or the need to prove anything but the truth. How does this make his account different than the others? As you listen again, think about what it means that after Luke approached the evidence with doubt, yet. He became convinced “beyond a shadow,” that what he had written was true.
As you go through your day, consider what it would take for you to believe, “beyond the shadow of a doubt,” that Jesus died and rose from the dead. Or, maybe you do believe without doubt. Think about what it is that convinced you it was true.
Music: "Stand In Awe" - Vineyard Worship
Stand in Awe