Luke 7
God Speaks to Me Devotional:
“I have blotted out as thick cloud your transgressions and as a cloud your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22 Amp. Bible)
Confess your sins so I can forgive you. I want to relieve you for the burden of sin and failure.
You see yourself as unclean and removed from everything heavenly. I see you as my precious, purchased child. You think of yourself as a hopeless backslider, a broken refugee. I hold out my hand, come back. You can never dig a hole too deep for me to pull you out as long as you will lift up your hand, and call on my Name, from a heart in need.
Who is your accuser? Who is the one who condemns? I am for you not against you. My desire is to remove sin so you can live.
I have come to bring you life. Life eternal. Life in its fullness. When you forsake the way of wickedness and return to me I can shower love, pity, and mercy on you.
Do not caress guilt as though you deserve it. Do not punish yourself as a way of paying for your sins. Guilt is meant to give you a recognition of your sins and your need of Me. My blood erases not only the punishment of sin but the guilt as well.
Replace your old, tattered, foul-smelling coat of collected sins and guilt, with a garment of praise. Take the purity of my robe.
Paraphrased from His Thoughts Toward me by Marie Chapian. Based on Isaiah 55:7, 8, 9; 54:11, 14
Scripture Study
Luke 7:36-50
1. Did the sinful woman, a prostitute, know how a Pharisee would respond to her?
Knowing this, what drew her to his house?
Do I take risks in how other people might deal with me when I come to Jesus?
2. Why did the prostitute buy Jesus the perfume?
In the light of the parable that Jesus told, did she feel forgiveness already, or was she seeking forgiveness?
3. Did Simon, the Pharisee observe the social custom of washing Jesus’ feet?
Why might he not have done this?
Simon felt that because Jesus allowed a prostitute to touch him He must not be a prophet. What does Jesus’ action tell me about who He is?
4. How did Simon see the woman?
How did Jesus see her?
If they could know my secret life, how would the world see me?
What labels might they use?
How does Jesus see me?
5. How might the woman have felt when Jesus explained to Simon that her many sins had been forgiven?
Do I believe my sins are forgiven?
6. According to the parable, who saw himself/herself as the biggest debtor, the prostitute or Simon?
Was Simon a sinner?
In this story was it the stingy, pious-acting religious leader or the grateful prostitute who received forgiveness.
7. Do I realize the depth of my sin?
Do I have so much assurance of Jesus’ forgiveness that natural gratitude flows from my heart?
8. What does this story tell me about Jesus?
How does He deal with sinners who know they are sinning?
How does He treat sinners who don’t know they are sinning?
Did He leave the woman embarrassed?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, sometimes I have tried to hide my sin and act pious. I have judged others to make myself look better. I have been repulsed by their sin and can hardly stand to be around them, and have not seen my own. Forgive me for being blind to my own condition. I come to the realization that I owe a great debt. I ask to comprehend the extent of Your forgiving me. To grasp how big the debt is that You paid on my behalf and to allow that reality to ignite the fire of gratitude so that I am burning inside with gratitude and it comes out in praise!
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