Luke 4

In our girls Bible study we are going through the book of Luke and this past week we finished up chapter 4. I love gathering with fellow believers and digging in to scripture! We each have unique lives, personalities, and walks with God so we all get something different out of it! Anyway there were quite a few verses that I found convicting and comforting but none were as convicting as this one; Luke 4:31-37
31Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. 32They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.
33In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil[g]spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34"Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"
35"Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
36All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" 37And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
Obviously if you read this you would know that this is a story of Jesus removing a demon/evil spirit from a man. Verse 34 is the verse that got me- this is the demon speaking against Jesus. The demon says to Jesus- 34"Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"
When we first read that I could help but think what an absolute idiot! He laughed in Jesus’ face! Once again I was thinking- STUUUUPID! In my opinion laughing in someone’s face is the equivalent of slapping them across the face. It’s something you do when you want someone to be humiliated and degraded. Who would dare to laugh at Jesus? That’s when the conviction washed over me like flash flood- I have! I have laughed/scoffed at Jesus! ME- a Christian who prays for Jesus; to live in my heart, change me, mold me to be more like Him, for Him to give me the courage to do His will and to show me how I can change to bring honor and glory to Him! ME I have laughed in His face! How? How many times in my life have I prayed for God to give me opportunities to share His good news? How many of those times did I chicken out? How many times have I asked God to show me people who needed to be blessed in some way -only to disregard them when He reveals them? How many times have I completely ignored a conviction because I was “too busy” or I just didn’t want to? How many times have I laughed in Jesus’ face?
I praise Him for showing me this through His word I pray that I will stop laughing in His face and instead embrace every opportunity He gives me.
:)