Sunset. Sunrise.

Daily Reading:  Luke 4

Scripture Focus: Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them...  And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. (Luke 4.40, 42)

Devotional Thought:  As I read this chapter, I could not help but be struck by the contrast between verses 40 and 42: "When the sun was setting ... When it was day."

When the sun was setting, people were looking for hope.  Their lives were “out of control” as the darkness of night threatened to overtake them.  Two groups are mentioned: the diseased and the possessed.  In that day, when people got sick, there was often no hope for them getting better.  Life went from bad to worse as their illness either progressed or simply prevented them from progressing.  It was a dark time of life for many.  The second group was made up of those who were controlled by demons.  We don’t think a lot about demon-possession, but a case can be made that alcoholism, drug abuse, gambling, pornography, and many other addictions are modern day demons that control our lives and rob us of hope.

Contrast that with what happened at daybreak when Jesus was looking with hope!  Weighed down by the burdens and needs of so many people, Jesus knew he needed prayer.  He needed time with God to face the demands on his life.  But, that was not a burden or obstacle for Christ.  He went to prayer with a sense of hope!  He knew that by reconnecting with God – who had given him his life’s mission – he would find the direction and strength he needed to meet the needs of the day.

Where are you in your life?  Is the sun setting or is the day dawning?  It doesn't matter! If the sun is setting and you're looking for hope, you will find it in Jesus.  If the sun has risen and you're looking with hope, you will find it in Jesus as you pray.

Prayer:  Lord, you are my hope when the shadows lengthen and my strength is gone.  You also are my hope when the day dawns and there is work ahead of me.  Help me to trust in you whether the sun is setting or rising.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 135.1-7

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord, give praise, O servants of the Lord,

2 who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God!

3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!

4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.

5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.