Messages of the Gospel often challenge us, stirring us to reflect and act. Today’s reading from Luke’s Gospel confronts us with stark imagery of the end times, prompting us to examine the choices we make each day. But you choose love in the shadow of the end times.
Daily Devotional for November 17
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man…” (full text at Luke 17:26-37)
Choose Love – The Urgency of Now
Jesus’ words about the end times to His disciples carry a sense of urgency and a call to vigilance. The message isn’t meant to evoke fear but to remind us of the importance of how we live our lives daily.
1. The Gift of Choice.
Each day presents us with a fresh canvas of choices. How we paint this canvas – with love, kindness, compassion, indifference, and selfishness – shapes our lives and our eternal destiny.
2. Living in Love.
Lovingly living each day, as Jesus taught, is the antidote to fear. It’s choosing to extend grace, forgive, serve, and cherish the relationships and people God places in our path.
3. The Consequences of Indifference.
Conversely, a life marked by hurtfulness or apathy can lead us to spiritual peril. Jesus’ stark descriptions are a caution, urging us to avoid destructive choices.
Devotional for every day here: Daily Devotional
Prayer for Today
Lord Jesus, in the light of Your teachings about the end times, I am reminded of the significance of my daily choices. Help me to live each day with the awareness of Your imminent return. Guide my decisions, interactions, and thoughts toward what is loving and true. May my life reflect Your love and grace, not out of fear of the end, but out of a genuine desire to emulate You.
Please keep me from the distractions and temptations that lead to spiritual complacency. Let Your Spirit empower me to make choices that honor You and bring light to those around me. As I step into this day, let me do so with a heart committed to loving as You have loved, serving as You have served, and living in the joyful expectation of Your return. In Your holy name, I pray, Amen.
To You
Reflect on the choices you will make today. How can you ensure that they are aligned with the loving way of Jesus? Remember, each decision is a step towards or away from the person God is calling you to be.
My brother, may your choices today be guided by love and truth. As you walk the path of this day, may the hope of Christ’s return be a lamp to your feet, guiding you to live in a manner that is pleasing to Him. Amen.
