Reading your Bible for today May 12

May 12: Luke 11:37-41

KJV Key Verse: Luke 11:41
41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have ; and, behold , all things are clean unto you.

Devotion:
If you were to have two gifts wrapped up placed in front of you, which one would you choose? Would you choose the one wrapped in shiny paper with the ribbon, or the one wrapped in greasy newspaper? If you were like most people, you would choose the one wrapped nicely and cleanly because you may well fear what is on the inside of the second one.

That is exactly what we seem to want to do with our lives. We would go out of our way to “wrap” ourselves so we look decent on the outside, even when we know we are not so on the inside. If we were brutally honest with God, we would probably have to dress up as urchins or beggars, dirty and unclean! But The Lord knows exactly what we are like on the inside, so we do not have to pretend to be something we are not.

That does not stop us from dressing up to hide ourselves from others! If we dressed up as beggars, then most of the people around us may not even talk to us, never mind entertain us. To be accepted in society today we have to dress in an appropriate manner. I had a job where we could go to work in whatever clothes we liked on Fridays rather than having to dress up smart; I liked that! 

When the Pharisee had invited Jesus to dine, he had expected Jesus would wash according to Jewish tradition. He had expected Jesus to act like the other Jews. Instead Jesus ignored the ruling of the canons at the time and followed God's rules. He wanted to make sure people understood that God must come first! His remarks were simple – to rebuke the Pharisees for the way they maintained a glossy outward appearance even when they were not so on the inside. He then made sure they understood God can make anything and anyone clean. He made sure they understood all that they have is what God has allowed them to have and God alone should be thanked for their provisions.

Points to Ponder:
How often do you clean your hands?

How often do you thank God for your food and ask Him to bless it?