April 16th

Scripture - Luke 21

Observation - In this chapter, Jesus honored a humble widow who gave everything she had. Jesus also prophesied about coming days where persecution would be rampant, but he encouraged his followers to stand strong. Even when put on trial, it would be their opportunity to tell people about Jesus! 

Application - It sounds exciting to be all in, fully committed right? Full commitment comes at a high cost though. It can be challenging to be fully committed, but Jesus helps us grab some perspective in this chapter. A widow’s small offering is actually more than just a tiny amount of money, because she gave everything she had. In preparing his followers for coming persecution, the perspective Jesus points them towards is not to focus on things falling apart around them, rather he invited them to see the opportunities God gives them to share HOPE in the midst of hopelessness. How can you focus on the opportunities to give your all in he midst of the challenges you face today? How can you invite God to direct your perspective differently today?

Prayer - God, Thank you for helping me fix my eyes on you and the opportunities to surrender all I have to you. When the world around me starts to crumble, help me to fix my eyes on the opportunities you are giving me to share your hope, rather than being caught in despair and anxiety. In Jesus name, Amen.