Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
What We Deserve
Pastor Scott
Sunday, May 23, 2004
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"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares."
(Luke 21:34)
Luke 21:34 says, "And take heed to yourselves..." That word "heed" means to examine your heart. Who are you really? Although we've manifested different sins outwardly, the sin nature makes us all alike. You're a drunk, I'm a murderer; you're an adulterer, I'm a liar; you're full of pride, I'm full of fear--we're all guilty. Society has morally acceptable and unacceptable sins, but before God, if you're guilty of one, you're guilty of all. We're ugly and depraved. There's nothing in us of worth to God. Yet while we were sinners, He loved us and died for us; He was made sin with our sin that we might be made righteous with His righteousness. He redeemed us, reconciled us, put the robe upon us, killed the fatted calf for us, called us sons, raised us up and seated us with Him in the heavenly places!
Since you don't merit anything, what are you so unthankful about? What do you think you deserve? You deserve hell; you deserve to be poor; you deserve to be sick; you deserve to be rejected; you deserve to be hated. Do you think you've been seduced by the world and religion saying that you have worth and you deserve better? You ought to rejoice in the free gift of your righteousness that's been given to you in Christ.
"...Take heed...lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life...For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth" (Luke 21:34-35). That word "dwell" doesn't mean those who inhabit the earth but those who are earth- dwellers, those who are part of the kingdom of this world. We are in the world, but we're not of the world. Those that are of the world, love the world; and if you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you (1 John 2:15). If you are a friend of the world, you are the enemy of God (James 4:4). Luke tells us to be careful, because it's a snare, a trap; it's not obvious. There isn't this big bear trap with a neon sign saying, "TRAP." This snare has a cross on the building and has "Best Seller" written on the cover of these "Christian" principles that deify man and degrade God. These books tell us we deserve better. We don't deserve anything, yet we've been gifted with everything that pertains to life and godliness in Christ Jesus. Are you content with that? Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim. 6:6). How many of the people that you hang out with are content? If they are discontent, they're going to breed discontentment.
"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape...." (Luke 21:36). We're to watch and pray that we might be worthy as a candidate for escape. Is that worthiness in our self-worth? No, no, no! What makes us worthy and acceptable is our abiding in the Beloved. What makes us worthy is when we finally realize we're not. We have heart revelation--true conviction and belief--that God didn't give us what we deserve.
Luke says to be careful to watch and pray so that day doesn't come on you unawares. Do you understand what's going on around you? How much time are you spending in the Word of God so that worldly wisdom doesn't affect you? Have you come to the place where you don't have to deal with thoughts from the natural perspective? Are you safe from the seduction of the world? Watch and pray that you're not seduced, that these things do not come upon you unawares.