Luke 5:18 “Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.”

   Sometimes in life logistics become the biggest challenge. These guys had faith. They had opportunity. They had compassion. They were just a bit lacking in the space department. Imagine if they had been unable to reach Christ? What good would the rest of that have done them? Well, it is still good to have faith, God’s blessings, and compassion. But things don’t always work out quite right logistically. Should we give up? Never. God knows, and He is the One Who works out the logistics to His liking.

Heavenly Father, though we often don’t understand Your purposes, we know we can trust Your ways. Thank You for making a way for us to live for You. And thank You for seeing, regardless of the logistical circumstances. You are truly wise, and You can handle our needs. We praise You for Your greatness! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 5:17 “Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.”

   What is this verse communicating to us? Jesus had drawn perhaps one of His largest and most diverse crowds of Jewish leaders. That part doesn’t seem too hard to understand. But, what about the rest? What does Luke mean to say here about the power of the Lord? Well, it could not go without our notice that miracles were not generally done for the Jewish elite. Was this due to a lack of power on Jesus’ part? No. And that is what is meant here. Jesus had the power, the authority, to heal even among these supposed elites. But, not much was done for this group due to their unbelief. The passage speaks of the incredulity of the Jewish leadership, and that is why this extra explanation is found here.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your power! Regardless of our willingness, You are able to do so much. Thank You for all that You do in our lives if we will but yield to You. You are the One we should trust in all things. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 5:16 “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.”

   Ah what a lesson for us all! If the Lord Jesus needed to get alone and meet with the Father, need we do any less? Regardless of the hectic nature life often clothes itself in, we must withdraw if but for a brief moment to a place of spiritual respite.

Heavenly Father, we enjoy seeking You each day. It is our pleasure to desire Your comfort and devote ourselves to Your praise. You alone can calm our noisy souls and give us focus for all of the tasks ahead. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 5:15 “However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.”

   This popularity was due to Christ’s teachings. But, more than that it was due to the healing miracles He performed. Jesus did not want people to come only for the miracles because His teaching was too important to miss. Surely some who came only for miracles heard the teaching and were changed as a result.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Christ, in spite of how often we misunderstand Him. You are gracious to us though we are so often confused by our own thoughts. Give us clarity as we seek to give You praise with our lives and our lips. You are worthy! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 5:14 “And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.”

   Jesus is referring directly to Leviticus 14. There we find the rules for the purification of a leper. As here, this purification took place after the leper was cured of the disease. Upon reading this passage you will see that this process resulted in one clean bird being let loose into the wild with blood stains on it. Though we do not have to go through such rituals today, this is still a fitting picture of the forgiveness of sin. Just as the cross can be used as the symbol of Christ’s work, we could use the bird with blood on its head as a symbol of His willingness to relieve us of our sinful state.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for what You communicate to us in Scripture. The forgiveness full and free is absolutely amazing. You have accomplished it by Your precious Son. And, for it we are truly grateful. As we meditate upon Your goodness, we praise and extol Your glorious Name! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 5:13 “Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him.”

   This response of Christ to the leper is still His response to those who seek Him today. His willingness has never been a holdup. He is willing that all should come to repentance. Though we should be acutely aware that this is great grace on His part, it is a reality that will continue until He takes His church from this world.

Heavenly Father, Your goodness is complete! You don’t leave anything out in Your relationship with us. We cannot complain of anything less than beneficence on Your part. Thank you for Your willingness to make possible our redemption! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 5:12 “And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

   This man’s disease had worked on his heart. He has one of the most appropriate responses to Christ that we see in the gospels. Falling immediately on his face, and imploring. Not even assuming that the Lord would be willing to cleanse him, he had no question in his mind that the Lord was able to do it. So often people assume God is willing to help them, but wonder if he is able; when it should be the other way around!

Heavenly Father, thank You for, through Christ, making known to us Your willingness and ability to help us in our helplessness. You are worthy of our most committed devotion, and our deepest worship. You alone hold our praises in Your hand. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 5:11 “So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”

   This was the beginning of several years with Christ. They became His disciples immediately. The fish and boats were left behind. Did they know what they were doing? They understood the concept, but they never could have known all that would take place in their time with Christ. Nor did they realize their future roles after His ascension. But, their break with this world was genuine nonetheless.

Heavenly Father, we need a cause in our lives. We need something to be and do. You supply us with both. As we follow Christ, we have both an identity and a mission. May we glorify You in every way as we go about to serve You with all of our heart. You are worthy! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 5:10 “and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”

   What a response! Jesus always has just the right thing to say. Here He lets Peter know that his life was about to change completely. Jesus would use him as a minister and he would reach others for Christ. Jesus in essence says, don’t worry, I have plans for you.

Heavenly Father, Your plans are always perfect! Thank You for being involved in our lives. You don’t just leave us hanging, You are at work with us. You are cultivating us, making us more Christ-like. May we never take that for granted. You are wonderful to us! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 5:9 “For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;”

   All of these men immediately understood what this miracle signified. They knew that they were in the company of no ordinary man. This would be a day they would not soon forget.

Heavenly Father, we will never forget the day You saved us from the horrors of sin. Your work in our lives is amazing to us. We will continually give You the glory for all that You do. You deserve our deepest gratitude and all of our adoration. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.