Thanks for joining us on this journey of building a consistent habit of reading our Bibles every day. The Bible reading plan we are using this year can be found here: One Year Bible or here on the Bible app. As always, if you miss a day, don’t feel compelled to go back and catch up. Just skip it and start back on today’s date. I am reading the NLT this year, but feel free to use whatever version you prefer. Now here are some thoughts from today’s readings:
The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
– Luke 10:37
The story of the Good Samaritan is famous, but seldom do people attempt to live it out. When the lawyer asked Jesus “who then is my neighbor”, he feared that the command to “love your neighbor” meant he had to spend his life loving everyone he came in contact with. I think we can all see how that would feel like an impossible task.
But Jesus had a different concern. He was worried that the lawyer wasn’t really loving anyone! Jesus doesn’t need you to love everyone like this Samaritan loved this man, but He does need you to love someone this way. Don’t let the fear of having to help everyone or the fear of there being so many to help keep you from obeying Jesus’ command to intensely help someone. Just because you can’t do everything doesn’t mean you can’t do something. That was Jesus’ point. We should all have someone we are helping out in an “above and beyond” kind of way.
Who are you helping out and how are you helping them?