Luke 21:10-19 Disasters Will Come
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: November 16, 2018 Luke 21:10-19
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.
(Understanding the Text) If the disciples had thought about the implications of what Jesus said, they would have realized that a lot of time would pass before the end. It takes time for a nation to rise up against a nation and a kingdom against a kingdom. This implies that a lot of history would take place. Jesus predicted that the time that passed would not be happy. Natural disasters and disease and starvation would be part of the scene. There would be many causes to fear greatly including signs in the heavens. All of those natural phenomena do not take place in just a few years.
Then Jesus started speaking of the disciples’ direct future. He did not say that they would have nice comfortable lives. Instead, they would live adventurous lives in the truest sense of the word. They would be arrested, beaten up/whipped, put on trial and into prison. In the process, the disciples would end up being taken before kings and governors. Jesus told them to not think of this as defeat, but as victory. This process would allow them to tell of Jesus to the world. He also offered comfort that they did not need to plan their words ahead of time. The Spirit would guide their speech and overcome their enemies.
(Revelation of God) However, Jesus’ idea of overcoming is not the same as most peoples’ ideas. His followers would be betrayed by friends and family and put to death (not all, but some would die). Jesus disciples’ would be hated. Then, He said that not a hair of their heads would perish. But He had just said that they would die! It has to mean that He was promising that even if they were killed in this life, they would be raised from the dead, and God would not forget to raise even their hairs. Jesus was saying that even when this present life was full of hatred, pain, incarceration, and death, it was worth it. The disciples were going to have to endure a lot of problems and pain and stress, but if they remained loyal, in the end, they would have eternal life. In the end, they would gain heaven.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I need to look on life from Jesus’ point of view, not from my point of view. I look at life from my little space outward and upward, but I need to look down at the vista around me from heaven and see that the trials and stresses of the present are temporary and necessary in the long run. I need to endure, never letting go of Jesus throughout my days. I shouldn’t stress about what I need to do ahead of time. Jesus knows His plans and knows what is needed to advance them. I cannot make them any better by trying to add my advice to Him. Instead, I should just follow the path set before me one day at a time and remain faithful in the tasks He has set me to do, and then let Him take care of the rest. Give me the trust and endurance to overcome life’s hardships and the faith, love, and hope necessary to carry out the plans You have for me.