Following the Star

Pause

This is only the beginning.

God is up to something amazing in you.

Wait for it.

Listen

“Take care that your hearts aren’t dulled by drinking parties, drunkenness, and the anxieties of day-to-day life. Don’t let that day fall upon you unexpectedly, like a trap. It will come upon everyone who lives on the face of the whole earth. Stay alert at all times, praying that you are strong enough to escape everything that is about to happen and to stand before the Human One.”

Luke 21:34-36

Think

The most basic trap consists of two things: (1) a container and (2) the bait. The trap works because the bait is so easy to see, while the container is hard to see at all.

Towards the end of Jesus’ teaching in the temple, Luke’s gospel reports that Jesus warned his hearers of a kind trap. It’s the kind of trap that would be a surprise to those who were drunk, hungover, and worried. He predicted that they would take the bait and be caught off guard by what would happen.

It may seem like the bait that is all around us is no big deal and harmless, when in actuality, it’s the bait that keeps us from seeing what is really happening. Instead of falling for the trap today, we can look for the real thing — God’s will and way. Even if it looks like we’re missing out, when we look for God in hope, we won’t miss what Jesus has done and is doing all around us.

Tasha Gibson

Pray

All-Wise God, thank you for showing me the traps around me. Please help me keep my eyes on you instead. Through Christ our Lord, amen.

Go

This is not the end.

God is up to something wonderful in the world.

Watch for it.