Morning Devotional 101725 Hold On to Jesus

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

October 17, 2025 

Luke 9:57-62

57 As Jesus and his disciples traveled along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Human One has no place to lay his head.” 59 Then Jesus said to someone else, “Follow me.” He replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and spread the news of God’s kingdom.” 61 Someone else said to Jesus, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say good-bye to those in my house.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand on the plow and looks back is fit for God’s kingdom.”

Good Morning! Jesus says, “Follow me!”

It is interesting to sit and watch people at an airport. An airport is a place where people have various reasons to be, with a plethora of destinations. You have the work travelers, the vacationers, those traveling for a family gathering, and those on a unique adventure. 

As you watch them move from gate to gate, some have their heads down looking at their device, while others are looking back and waving to the one who is staying behind. For those who travel often, there is a sense of purpose and confidence in maneuvering through the airport. 

For novice travelers, you see a sense of uncertainty or even panic. Those traveling with young children create a multitude of stories as you watch the parents/grandparents work to meet the needs of their children. 

For the purposes of our passage, the work travelers who walk forward in confidence and with a purpose show us how we are to follow Jesus. Our faith journeys will be filled with twists and turns, times when we’re caught in a roundabout from which we can’t exit, and others when we are distracted by earthly trappings. These are part of our human frailties and occur when our free choice leads us down the proverbial “rabbit holes.” 

For each delay, Jesus is waiting for us as he calls us to follow. When considering my own detours along my journey, I return to the old Gospel song, Keep Your Eyes on the Prize, hold on! No matter my struggles, God will lead me to the light of Jesus! 

Loving Lord, you bless us abundantly! We get lost and distracted along our journeys. Thank you for reminding us of our destination. Thank you. We love you, Lord! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: Jesus calls those who are listening! 

Hold on to Jesus! He’ll lead you through the darkness. Pastor Liz