Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 1:1-4 "SETTING ASIDE TIME TO PONDER OVER EVERY WORD"
Day 4 – Luke 1
Text: Luke 1:1-4
SETTING ASIDE TIME TO PONDER OVER EVERY WORD
Let us set aside time to read and meditate on the Lord’s Word. Let us take time to savour each phrase we read from the Scriptures. Let us take time to ponder carefully the words written in the Gospel of Luke. Let us wait upon the Lord to give us a deeper appreciation of what we read in the Scriptures. It is only when we take this kind of time to read and appreciate God’s Word that we will be able to benefit much from our daily Bible reading.
“INASMUCH AS MANY HAVE TAKEN IN HAND TO SET IN ORDER…” Luke 1:1
Luke the Physician was well aware that there were indeed “many” who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. There were many who loved Him and were true disciples of the Lord Jesus. It is natural for all believers to desire to share their faith with others.
However, the greater challenge is to “set in order” the many things that Christians believe in. Many of us may know bits and pieces of knowledge about the Lord Jesus Christ, but have we “set in order” our understanding of what it means to believe in the Lord?
If you were to be asked what you believe in, and to set in order the things you profess to have faith in, would you be able to do that? This was the challenge that Luke and many others embraced. This is the challenge that we too need to consider today. Have we sorted out what we believe in? Is our understanding of God, of faith, of life etc “set in order?”
“A NARRATIVE OF THOSE THINGS WHICH HAVE BEEN FULFILLED AMONG US” Luke 1:1
There are many ways in which we can “set in order” our understanding of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul was a master theologian, and thus his approach to set in order his understanding of faith in Christ, was to write pastoral letters (epistles). His classic Epistle to the Romans well exemplifies his mastery of the theology of salvation wrought by God in Christ.
Luke however chose to write “a narrative.” This narrative form of writing became known to us as “the Gospel.” The Gospel-narrative approach is quite different from the writing styles adopted by New Testament writers. Whereas the latter focuses on explanation and application of the Christian faith to life itself, the former focuses on the Life and Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The meaning and interpretation of the life of Christ is essentially left to the reader to ponder over. The Gospel-narrative approach is a valid one. The mere reading of the Gospel narrative of the Life of the Lord Jesus Christ is most compelling in its power. The wise reader takes time to let each episode written in the Gospel to impact and bless the heart.
Luke used the word “fulfilled” with great significance. It wasn’t just the stories about the Lord Jesus that caught his attention alone. His fascination with the Life of the Lord Jesus Christ became even more pronounced when he realized that what Christ did was in fact a “fulfillment” of Old Testament prophetic statements.
There was a definite relationship between the Old Testament and the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He researched the Life of Christ, and of course he would also have to take time to study relevant passages in the Old Testament, as they relate to Christ.
The more he read and understood how Christ’s life fulfilled God’s prophetic word, the more he wanted to write up a narrative, and set in order his understanding of the Christian faith for the sake of helping others to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
WHAT IS THE LORD SAYING TO YOUR HEART?
Here are some questions you might want to ponder over:-
1. Are you able to “set in order” your profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?
2. How well do you know the Life of Christ?
3. How much of the Old Testament do you know, as they relate to the Lord Jesus?
4. How much of the Life of Christ truly impact you?
WHAT DOES GOD WANT YOU TO DO?
Whenever we read the Scriptures, we must ever pray that we will meet with the Lord. We should also be saying, “Speak, Lord, your servant hears.”
What does the Lord want you to do, especially with reference to your understanding of your faith in Christ? If you are not able to speak of knowing your faith so well, if you are not able to “set in order” your understanding of Christian doctrines, is it not time to think about reading and understanding your faith better?