Doyle Smith Daily

Luke 15:2 (God's Word) Originally published 11/14/2013 All the tax collectors and sinners came to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees and the scribes complained, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them'" Luke 15:2 (God's Word). Lord, it is clear that you want to befriend people who do not know you and do not feel they are friends with you. Show me one person today whom I can help get to know you and become your friend. 

Luke 14:25-27 (God's Word) Originally published 11/13/2013 Jesus defined the difference between a follower and a disciple of his. "Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned to them and said, 'If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples. So those who do not carry their crosses and follow me cannot be my disciples" Luke 14:25-27 (God's Word). Lord, I want to be a disciple and pay whatever cost there is. If I am not carrying my cross, point that out to me .

Luke 13:5-7 (God's Word) Originally published 11/12/2013 “But if you don't turn to God and change the way you think and act, then you, too , will all die." Then Jesus used this illustration: 'A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on the tree but didn't find any. he said to the gardener, 'For the last three years I've come to look for figs on this fig tree but haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up good soil?'" Luke 13:5-7 (God's Word). The evidence of Christ’s control  of our lives is if we are continually changing the way we think and how we act. Lord, I know you are trying to change me. Show me how my thinking and behavior is not like yours, and do whatever it takes to change me. 

Luke 12:33-34 (God's Word) Originally published 11/11/2013 This is Jesus’ warning: "Sell your material possessions, and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves wallets that don't wear out! Make a treasure for yourselves in heaven that never loses its value! In heaven thieves and moths can't get close enough to destroy your treasure. Your heart will be where your treasure is” Luke 12:33-34 (God's Word). Lord, search my heart and reveal to me where my treasure is. I want to treasure your Kingdom above all else in my life. 

Luke 10:3 (God's Word) Originally published 11/09/2013 The temptation, when we are trying to get people to do God's work, is to try to make it seem easy and not too demanding, but Jesus told us it would be dangerous and costly. "Go! I'm sending you out like lambs among wolves" Luke 10:3 (God's Word). Doing what God asks you to do will result in being criticized, taken for granted, insulted, and even killed. We, like sheep, are not even to defend ourselves.  Lord, help me to look only to you for approval for my life and work.  

Luke 9:13-14 (God's Word) Originally published 11/08/2013 Miracles occur when God asks people to do things that are impossible for people to do, and they obey. The crowd had been there the whole day, and the disciples urged Jesus to send the crowds home so they could eat. "Jesus replied, 'You give them something to eat.' They said to him, 'We have five loaves of bread and two fish. Unless we go to buy food for all these people, that's all we have.' (There were about five thousand men.)” Luke 9:13-14 (God's Word). The disciples were being wise and reasonable. Anyone looking at that situation would have said that it’s impossible to feed them. Lord, it is hard to do something that does not seem reasonable or practical to me. Help me know for certain when you are asking me to do or say something and then the faithfulness to obey so that you might show your power.

Luke 8:18 (God's Word) Originally published 11/07/2013 "So pay attention to how you listen! Those who understand these mysteries will be given more knowledge. However, some people don't understand these mysteries. Even what they think they understand will be taken away from them" Luke 8:18 (God's Word). Lord, I want to understand, but you must explain the mysteries to me, and I want to listen, but you must teach me how to listen. If anything in me stands in the way of understanding and listening, please remove it.

Luke 7:34 (God's Word) Originally published 11/06/2013 "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! He's a glutton and a drunk'" Luke 7:34 (God's Word). How could the faithful Jewish leaders be so blind to who Jesus was? It is frightening to think that anyone can be so deceived as they were. Lord, if there is anything that I am deceived about or have missed, I ask you to do whatever it takes to bring me to the truth and to live in obedience. 

Luke 6:32-36 (God's Word) Originally published 11/05/2023 "If you love those who love you, do you deserve any thanks for that? Even sinners love those who love them. If you help those who help you, do you deserve any thanks for that? Sinners do that too., If you lend anything to those from whom you expect to get something back, do you deserve any thanks for that? Sinners also lend to sinners to get back what they lend. Rather, love your enemies, help them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward. You will be the children of the Most High God. After all, he is kind to thankful and evil people. Be merciful as your Father is merciful” Luke 6:32-36 (God's Word). This is contrary to all our sinful human nature so when we do these things, we are exchanging human victories for spiritual ones. Lord, teach me to live like you live.

Luke 5:4-6 (God's Word) Originally published 11/04/2013  "When he finished speaking, he told Simon, 'Take the boat into deep water, and lower your nets to catch some fish.' Simon answered, 'Teacher, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I'll lower the nets.' After the men had done this, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear" Luke 5:4-6 (God's Word). Sometimes God asks us to do things that don't make sense to us. I have had the thought that I should go talk to someone and I could think of many reasons why it would be a waste of time, but when I go it is so clear that God was there, and the person needed that conversation. Lord, help me to recognize your voice when thoughts come to me and to obey even when it does not make sense to me. 

Luke 4:9-12 (God's Word) Originally published 11/02/2013 The devil was trying to get Jesus to disobey the Father. "Then the devil took him into Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest part of the temple. He said to Jesus, 'If you are the Son of God, jump from here! Scripture says, 'He will put his angels in charge of you to watch over you carefully. They will carry you in their hands so that you never hit your foot against a rock' Jesus answered him, ' It has been said, 'Never tempt the Lord your God'" Luke 4:9-12 (God's Word). The devil used Scripture to try to trick Jesus into disobeying the Father.  His temptation was that you can do what the Father wants you to do, but in a faster and easier way. What is wrong with that? You accomplish your goal. Lord, show me what you want me to do, and give me the faith to do it the way you want, no matter how hard or painful it might be.

Luke 3:8 (God's Word) Originally published  11/01/2013 John the Baptist gave a clear summary about what it means to trust God. "Do those things that prove that you have turned to God and have changed the way you think and act" Luke 3:8 (God's Word). Every person who is following Christ has something in their life that God is trying to change. He does this by changing the way we think about things and that changes the things that we do. This process will not stop in this life. Lord, teach me to hate the things that you hate and love the things that are important to you, but, most of all, to act the way you act.

Luke 2:52 (God's Word Originally published 10/31/2013 “Jesus grew in wisdom and maturity. He gained favor from God and people" Luke 2:52 (God's Word). What was Jesus like growing up? What mistakes did he make in his lack of wisdom and maturity? It is hard to think of Jesus as lacking wisdom and being immature. Perhaps the sin is rejecting wisdom and refusing to grow up. Lord, give me patience with children who are not yet mature and lack wisdom, because it is a normal part of growing up, and help me to grow in wisdom and maturity.

Luke 1:1-4 (God's Word) Originally published 10/30/2013 Luke explains why he wrote his gospel. "Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us. They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God's work from the beginning, and they passed it on to us. I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, Theophilus. In this way you will know that what you've been told is true" Luke 1:1-4 (God’s Word). God is amazing. There were many stories written about Jesus by eye witnesses, but he had only four that would give us the true story. Luke did not know what a wonderful thing he was doing. We thank you God for his faithfulness. Lord, give me a passion for obedience in everything you ask of me so that I will complete what I am here to do. 

Mark 16:3-4 (God's Word) Originally published 10/29/2013 The two Mary's and Salome thought they should anoint Jesus, but they had no idea how they could do it with the stone in front of the tomb, but they went to do it anyway. ‘They said to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?' When they looked up they saw that the stone had been rolled away. It was a very large stone" Mark 16:3-4 (God's Word). I have had this happen to me several times when I knew I was to do something, but it did not seem possible to do or to get people to agree. When I started God had worked things around so it all worked out perfectly. Lord, you are amazing because you always work ahead of us. Help me to never be afraid of the future because of you. 

Mark 15: 3-5 (God's Word) Originally published 10/28/2013 "The chief priests were accusing him of many things. So Pilate asked him again, 'Don't you have any answer? Look how many accusations they're bringing against you!' But Jesus no longer answered anything, so Pilate was surprised" Mark 15:3-5 (God's Word). It mattered to Pilate what people thought of him, as it does to all of us, but I think that Jesus only cared that he obeyed the Father and what the Father thought about what he was doing.  Lord, don't let me be controlled by what people think of me, but may the passion of my life be to please you. 

Mark 14: 57-61 (God's Word) Originally published 10/26/2013 "Then some men stood up and gave false testimony against him, but their statements did not agree. We heard him say, 'I'll tear down this temple made by humans, and in three days I'll build another temple, one not made by human hands.' But their testimony did not agree even on this point. So the chief priest stood up in the center and asked Jesus, 'Don't you have any answer to what these men testify against you?' But he was silent" Mark 14:57-61 (God's Word). I can't imagine the pain of being scourged or nailed to a cross, but I do know what it is like to have people say things about you that hurt. 

Mark 13:13 (God's Word) Originally published 10/25/2013 None of us can tell about the faith of another person. There are many reasons that people could declare that they have given their lives to God. Jesus tells how we know if our trust in God is genuine. "Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. But the person who endures to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13 (God's Word). Lord, if my passion for obedience to you begins to grow cold, do whatever it takes to restore me to that trust that you require.

Mark 12:10-12 (God's Word) Originally published 10/24/2013 Jesus made enemies of the religious leaders because he was trying to save them by warning them that they were making God angry with them for refusing to listen to him whom God had sent an answer to their prayers for a Messiah. "Have you not read the Scripture passage: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it is amazing for us to see?' They wanted to arrest him but were afraid of the crowd. They knew that he had directed this illustration at them" Mark 12:10-12 (God's Word.) Lord, give me a spirit of submission to you that I would accept whatever correction you need to give me.

Mark 11: 15-18 (God's Word) Originally published 10/23/2013  No one knew more about Scripture than the scribes in Jesus’ time. "When they came to Jerusalem, Jesus went into the temple courtyard and began to throw out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the moneychangers' tables and the chairs of those who sold pigeons. He would not let anyone carry anything across the temple courtyard. Then he taught them by saying, 'Scripture says, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations,'  but you have turned it into a gathering place for thieves.' When the chief priests and scribes heard him, they looked for a way to kill him" Mark 11:15-18 (God's Word). How can religious people get so far from God that they think they are doing the work of God when they are trying to destroy God's work? Lord, if there is something in my life that makes me an enemy of yours, do whatever it takes to set me straight. 

Mark 10:17-18 (God's Word) Originally published 10/22/2013 Jesus reminds us of a very important truth. "As Jesus was coming out to the road, a man came running to him and knelt in front of him. He asked Jesus, 'Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?' Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone'" Mark 10:17-18 (God's Word). We are often shocked at the reality of sin in the lives of well-known political and spiritual figures. We seem surprised at the behavior of fellow believers sometimes, but the fact is that every one of us does not measure up to everything that God expects. We all need his grace and forgiveness. Lord, you have revealed some of my rebellion against you, and I ask for your strength to be more faithful and to accept others as they are growing.

Mark 8: 32-33 (God's Word) Originally published 10/19/2013 Jesus had just told his disciples that he would be killed and come back to life. "Peter took him aside and objected to this. Jesus said, 'Get out of my way Satan! You aren't thinking the way God thinks but the way humans think" Mark 8:32-33 (God's Word). Lord, I don't want to get in your way, but I am surrounded by human thinking and have been taught to think this way all my life. In every situation I face show me how to think like you think, and do not let me get in your way, whatever it takes.

Mark  7:18-25 (God's Word) Originally published 10/18/2013 “Jesus said to them, 'Don't you understand? Don't you know that whatever goes into a person from the outside can't make him unclean? It doesn't go into his thoughts but into his stomach and then into a toilet.' (By saying this, Jesus declared all foods acceptable.) He continued, 'It's what comes out of a person that makes him unclean. Evil thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, cursing, arrogance, and foolishness come from within a person All these evils come from within and make a person unclean" Mark 7:18-23 (God's Word). Jesus is telling us that what goes into our thoughts makes us unclean. Lord, make me aware of what I put in my mind and what I am thinking, that I might have a good mental diet that would produce Godly thinking.

Mark 6: 2-6 (God's Word) Originally published 10/17/2013 “But Jesus told them, 'The only place a prophet isn't honored is in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.' He couldn't work any miracles there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and cure them. Their unbelief amazed him" Mark 6:4-6 (God's Word). I do believe that you have all the power to do whatever you want. I wonder if I limit your work in my life by not asking or not believing you will. Lord, show me anything that is in my life that would limit your work. Give me the faith I need to live as you want me to live. 

Mark 5: 35-36 (God's Word) Originally published 10/14/2013 "While Jesus was still speaking to her, some people came from the synagogue leader's home. They told  the synagogue leader, 'Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher anymore?' When Jesus overheard what they said, he told the synagogue leader, 'Don't be afraid! Just believe" Mark 5:35-36 (God's Word). Lord, I want to be able to trust you even when things seem humanly and materially impossible, but I am not sure I can. Teach me to have greater faith.