What Jesus Did! 'More than Getting Rid of the Bad' — Luke 11:24-26

Thursday, July 27, 2023

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[Jesus continued,] "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.' So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before."
— Luke 11:24-26 NLT

Key Thought

Many people look at religion and see it as a litany of "thou shalt not" commands. Others look at the problems in their lives and want to be rid of the problems and work on what they should not do. Jesus is reminding us, however, that getting rid of bad things is not the complete answer. There must be something good, vital, powerful, and real put in place of the bad. If all we do is stop doing what is wrong and just get rid of what is bad, sooner or later, something even worse will fill the void where the old sinfulness was. We must replace the old bad things with God's presence, power, and purpose in our lives. Let's pursue Jesus and the character and concerns of his Kingdom, letting the Holy Spirit fill and empower us and make us truly instruments of grace in God's Kingdom.

Today's Prayer

Holy and righteous Father, I want to be a person of godly character. I know that just getting rid of the bad things in my life is not the answer in and of itself. I ask, dear God, that you fill my life with your presence, power, and purpose. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Romans 8:9-14
  • Matthew 6:32-33
  • Philippians 3:12-14

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Illustration

Illustration of Luke 11:24-26 NLT — "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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