Scripture to Read: Luke 17:1-3A
God used Luke to record many things that Jesus taught His disciples. These truths from God are for us to live by daily. We read in Luke 17:1–3a, “He said to His disciples, ‘It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard!’” Jesus made it clear that, as His followers, we will all face temptations that seek to lure us into sinning against our Lord and King. This should not be a surprise to any of us, for we all face different temptations daily. Those temptations seek to lead us to give in to our fleshy desires. But then, Jesus added that anyone who actually caused someone to sin or who lured someone into sin would be better off drowning themselves in the sea than causing someone else to commit sin. Finally, Jesus said we must continually be on guard. That means that we need to look out for one another. We do that by praying daily for one another. Our prayer lives should reflect the care and compassion we have for each other as Christians. We also do that by helping hold each other accountable to walking in obedience to our Lord and His Word daily. When we know of another Christian who is struggling in their walk, we must come alongside them (Galatians 6:1–2).
Challenge & Application
What was Jesus’ warning, and why was the warning so strong?
How are you guarding against temptations each day, and how are you helping other Christians guard against them?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!