Lutheran Daily Devotional 20 October 2022: Carried to Jesus

Lutheran Daily Devotional 20 October 2022 || Thursday Message By Lutheran Hour Ministries

Read Lutheran Daily Devotional 20 October 2022

TOPIC: Carried to Jesus

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Luke 18:15-17 – Now they were bringing even infants to Him [Jesus] that He might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him, saying, “Let the children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

That last verse is a difficult one: “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” What does Jesus mean exactly? How do children receive the kingdom of God—and what does that mean about how we should receive it, too?

Maybe I’m being too literal, but when I looked back at the beginning of the story, I found this: “Now they were bringing even infants to Him that He might touch them.” How do you bring infants to Jesus?

You carry them, of course! They can’t walk or drive or ride a bicycle. They can’t even crawl. They need to be carried. For them, receiving the Kingdom—coming to Jesus—is something that happens to them. Somebody else does the work, and they get the blessing.

This is true for us too, isn’t it? Oh, as adults we can walk and drive and go pretty much everywhere we want to. But when it comes to trusting in Jesus, we can’t make that happen by our own decisions and choices.

We need the Holy Spirit to carry us to Jesus, like the spiritual babies we are. And when He puts faith in our hearts, we become part of God’s kingdom—all by the good gift of God. The Spirit does the work; we receive the blessing.

WE PRAY: Dear Lord Holy Spirit, thank You for bringing me to Jesus! Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. When did you first become a Christian—if you know?

2. Who (humanly speaking) was instrumental in bringing you to Jesus?

3. Is the Holy Spirit working through you to bring others to Jesus? Whom?

Today’s Bible Readings: Jeremiah 6, 11-12    Acts 27:27-44

Lutheran Daily Devotional 20 October 2022 from LHM will help strengthen and encourage your faith as you do the same for others. Have them delivered right to your inbox, podcast the audio devotional, access them on your mobile device through the FREE app, or listen with Spotify, iHeart Radio, Alexa, or Google Home. Seasonal Devotions for Advent and Lent are also available in both English and Spanish. Perfect for personal reflection or to share with family, friends and congregations, these seasonal meditations will help prepare you to celebrate the true meaning of these seasons.