Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Carry-Around Baggage" for Tuesday, 24 June 2014 - Read Matthew 12:25-30

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Carry-Around Baggage" for Tuesday, 24 June 2014 - Read Matthew 12:25 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.
30 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”(Matthew 11:28 (NIV))
Carry-on luggage on an airplane can be cumbersome. My small suitcase is swollen with personal belongings that I prefer to have within reach. I lug it on board, hoping that its girth will go unnoticed. Sometimes, my bag is too bulky to fit in the overhead bin. One time, I had to take it to the front of the plane for storage elsewhere. As I reflected on that incident, I realized that in many ways I have treated sinful habits like carry-on luggage. I have carried around my lust for material possessions, hunger for approval, and appetite for sensual pleasure. I’ve depended on their presence to feel good about myself. However, they offered little relief from my emotional or spiritual struggles. I am learning that God’s opinion of me is what matters. And because Christ is my Lord and Savior, I am accepted, loved, and valued. Jesus gently and lovingly calls each of us to have a personal relationship with him. When we surrender our baggage to Jesus Christ — by daily asking him to help us desire him more than our sinful lusts — we experience intimacy with Jesus through prayer, worship, Bible study, and obedience. Jesus Christ is all that we truly need. And his load — his will for our lives — is easy and light.
The Author: Michael Lewis (Virginia, USA)
Thought for the Day: No sinful pleasure can compare to relationship with Christ.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you that we can hand our baggage over to you and experience intimacy, fellowship, and rest. Amen.

Prayer focus: Travelers
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