Author: Bill Hall

Once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us!’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’

Luke 13:25

There are many people who think that they can wait until the future to make their peace with God. They are convinced that God will work on their timetable. But the LORD has His own timetable, and He decides when to shut the door.

This is why it is said that ‘today’ is the day of salvation. Now is the time to make peace with God. Now is the time to knock on the door and ask the Lord Christ for permission to be admitted.

Heavenly Father, You are truly the most Wonderful and Amazing Person we can possibly know. You are so Worthy of our love and devotion! As we walk through this life, You are the Source of Truth and the Author of Joy. I will praise You for the works of Your hands! You are Powerful and Wise beyond my understanding. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able.

Luke 13:24

This is one of the teachings of Christ that we need to pay close attention to. There are many millions of people in our world today that name the name of Christ, yet are not His. They rely on Jesus, but they do not know Him.

Added to that we can say that there are many making the attempt to be what they think of as righteous. They are working hard to establish themselves as a ‘good person’ who God would surely allow into heaven. Many historical figures have believed this way. Thus, we may be surprised as to who actually belongs to the Lord, versus those who have only tried to find the door.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the joy and peace of knowing Christ! So often in our finite minds we think of Him incorrectly. We envision Him in the wrong way. Oh Father, thank You for Your Word! Thank You for revealing Your Christ as He is! You are glorious and Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Lord, someone asked him, are only a few people going to be saved?

Luke 13:23

This is one of the better questions asked of Jesus during His earthly ministry. It at least shows some understanding of His teaching. He had said several things that would indicate that fewer would be saved then was popularly thought.

Heavenly Father, thank You for salvation! It is not something to take for granted, but should be cherished. You are amazing, good, and gracious to even make it a possibility. We praise You for this and all the works of Your hand! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem.

Luke 13:22

Jesus knew exactly what He was doing, and where He was headed. Jerusalem was the place to be for His mission to be complete.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus. He is the One You have used to give everyone hope. In Christ alone we may have life. I praise You for Him! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

It’s like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened.

Luke 13:21

The life that we may live in Christ is this attractive. When Christians will live purely in the power of Christ, only by His strength, growth is natural. We may not always understand the mysteries of growth, but we will see the evidences of life.

Heavenly Father, thank You for caring about our lives more than we do ourselves. When we turn to You each day for our ‘daily bread’ we find You already in the kitchen baking. How can we praise You in the right way, our understanding is so limited? Thank You for showing us in Your Word Your Great Glory and Power, and Your Authority and Rule. You are the God of All! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Again he said, ‘What can I compare the kingdom of God to?’

Luke 13:20

Jesus wishes for us to understand the plans of the Father. He wants for us to see the beauty of the will of the Godhead. He desires that we will make it our study all the days of our life.

Heavenly Father, Your ways are perfect! You have made the plans for all that You have purposed and it is all wonderful! Thank You for working in our lives. We can never praise You enough! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

It’s like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.

Luke 13:19

Though there are those who do not like it because of their hatred for Christ, His church has grown exponentially. Even today, over two thousand years later, there are many millions who claimed membership to the universal Body of Christ. And, when it comes to taking a message of peace to the world, it is only the church that has had success in the endeavor.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your church! Thank You for Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! Your power, Your glory, and Your love are evident to all the world. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He said, therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like, and what can I compare it to?’

Luke 13:18

Jesus said a lot during His earthly ministry to define the church. His teaching provides the foundation of early church teaching. The disciples, and then later early church leaders, built off of what Jesus had to say about the kingdom. He helps us to understand His expectations for His church, and for children of God. The church is a living organism that grows and brings blessing to the entire world. That is what it is meant to be.

Heavenly Father, thank You so much for Your love! You are, the great God of all. You are glorious beyond all imagination, and Your children are joyful for knowing You. Father, how can we ever praise you enough? I love you Lord! Your glory is overwhelming. Your goodness is amazing. Your power is absolute. Your wisdom is beyond all understanding. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When he had said these things, all his adversaries were humiliated, but the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.

Luke 13:17

So many times during the ministry of Christ His detractors were left speechless. This is why the Jewish elite had Him crucified. He had brought them to humiliation over and over again.

Heavenly Father, thank You for life in Christ! We easily forget the benefits of living in Christ because of this dark world. But, it is such a blessing to have Your Holy Spirit in our hearts at work! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Satan has bound this woman, a daughter of Abraham, for eighteen years—shouldn’t she be untied from this bondage on the Sabbath day?

Luke 13:16

You can hear the silence in the room when Jesus said this. How could anyone argue with this? What a wonderful Sabbath! This event surely brought glory to the LORD.

Heavenly Father, thank You for delivering us from the power of darkness. We can be released from the horrible influence of the old serpent by the power of Your Christ. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.