Dear Friends,

READ: LUKE 14:1 THROUGH 16:31

Jesus accepted an invitation to eat with those who viewed Him as their enemy—the Pharisees. The meal was planned for the Sabbath, and Jesus was well aware that these men had set a trap for him.

There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body (Luke 14:2).

Would he heal someone on the Sabbath while they watched? Given how enraged they were with His law-breaking, it is likely they had purposely invited the sick man to the meal to see Jesus’ response. Jesus healed the man, while His enemies silently seethed.

Believers can learn from Jesus’ response. Amid hostility, Jesus remained serene. He did not become ruffled at others’ unbelief because He was operating out of a place of rest. He did not allow outward circumstances to disrupt His inward peace, but remained humbly confident in the truth He was living. Believers should live like Jesus and face every situation from a place of rest in God.

Thought for Today: Strive to enter God’s rest, and you can rest in the midst of any situation.