On Rounds with Jesus

Tag: devotional

  • Inertia

    Inertia

    Scripture reading: Luke 9:57–62

    In physics, inertia is the tendency of an object to resist change, to stay at rest or keep moving in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force. Spiritually, inertia looks like knowing what God asks of us, yet remaining unmoved. We believe, but delay. We agree, but do not act. Faith stalls when comfort becomes stronger than conviction.

    Jesus confronts spiritual inertia directly in this week’s reading. In Luke 9, several people express willingness to follow Him, but always with delay. One wants to first bury his father. Another wants to say goodbye at home. None of these requests sounds sinful per se, yet Jesus responds with striking urgency: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

    Their problem was not refusal, but hesitation. They felt the pull of comfort, tradition, and unfinished business. Like many of us, they intended to follow, but not immediately.

    Spiritual inertia often disguises itself as responsibility or timing. We tell ourselves we will obey once things settle down, once we feel ready, once life is less demanding. But Jesus calls for movement now. The kingdom advances through responsive hearts, not postponed ones.

    God’s grace is the force that breaks inertia. His Spirit empowers us to move, but obedience must meet that grace. When we respond, even imperfectly, momentum begins, and God’s power carries us forward. Like a parked car on a hill, it takes effort to start pushing it, but once it moves, even a gentle push keeps it rolling. Obedience works the same way. The first step is often the hardest. Yet that step invites God’s power to carry us forward.

    This year, your charge is to move – take that first step in faith!

    Reflection

    • Where have you grown comfortable instead of obedient?
    • What instruction from God have you delayed acting on?
    • What one small step can you take today to break spiritual inertia?

    Do not wait for perfect motivation. Act on present obedience.

    Prayer

    Lord, I confess the places where I have grown still when You called me to move. Break every spiritual inertia in my heart. Give me courage to obey promptly and faith to trust You with the outcome. Let Your Spirit be the force that moves me from intention to action. Amen.

    Closing Thought

    Faith that moves, even slowly, pleases God more than faith that only agrees. Today, choose movement. Even a step matters.

  • Stone or bread

    Stone or bread

    In clinical practice, patients often come with expectations, preferences, or even self-diagnoses. A client may ask for a particular test, drug, or procedure. But as a clinician, you know that their request may not always be in their best interest. Your role is to listen with compassion, then guide them toward what is safe, effective, and ultimately for their good—even if it’s different from what they initially wanted.

    Parents deal with something similar. My toddler loves to pick up things—some safe, some harmful. She may cry, protest, or throw a tantrum when I take away what she wants, but part of my role as a parent is to know what is truly good for her. I will never hand her something that would hurt her, no matter how hard she pleads. Love sometimes means saying no.

    This is the heart of Matthew 7:7–11. Jesus tells us to ask, seek, and knock—and assures us that our Father in heaven will answer. But like toddlers with their parents, or patients with their clinicians, we don’t always know what is best for us. God, however, does. God, in His wisdom, sometimes says no or wait, not because He is withholding good from us, but because He is protecting us from harm or preparing us for something better. He is the Father who never gives a stone when we ask for bread, or a snake when we ask for fish. He may not always give us exactly what we want, but He always gives us what is good.

    So whether in parenting, in medicine, or in our walk with God, love is not about granting every request—it is about providing what brings life, growth, and true blessing. And we can trust that our heavenly Father, far wiser and kinder than any earthly parent or clinician, will always do just that.

    Applications

    1. Trust God’s wisdom – When God answers differently than we expected, remind yourself that His love always seeks your good.
    2. Practice discernment in prayer – Instead of only asking for what you want, also pray: “Lord, give me what You know is best.”
    3. Patience in waiting – Just as a child eventually sees why the parent withheld something, we too may only understand God’s “no” in hindsight.

    Reflections

    • Can I recall a time when God did not give me what I prayed for, but later I saw it was for my good?
    • In what ways do I need to trust His wisdom more deeply right now?
    • How can I model God’s loving discernment in how I guide others under my care?

    Let us pray

    Heavenly Father, thank You for being wiser than my desires and more loving than my understanding. Forgive me when I confuse Your no or wait for neglect. Teach me to trust that You always give good gifts, even when they look different from what I asked for. Help me reflect Your wisdom and love in the way I guide others—whether as a parent, a professional, or a friend. May my life bear witness to the truth that You are a good Father who gives not stones or snakes, but bread and fish. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

  • Changes

    Changes

    Scripture reading: Luke 15:11-32

    If there’s one constant about being human, it’s that we change. Change is what makes us alive. We are wired with an insatiable need to grow, to move, to become.

    Change begins when you recognise that where you are is not where you should remain. That realisation is your signal—it’s time to move.

    Take the prodigal son. He squandered the opportunities his father gave him. He wasted away his fortune until he had nothing left. It seemed over. That was the time to give up, to settle with the pigs. But he didn’t settle. He realised his present situation was not meant to be his permanent situation. He knew where he ought to be. And so, he made the journey back to his father. And oh, how his father embraced him for that turnaround!

    It’s your turn. What changes do you need to make in your life? What steps do you need to take? And when will you take them?

    We’ve all made a mess or two in our lifetimes—because humans are messy. But God is ever merciful. His grace is enough for you today. Tomorrow? It’s not promised. The only time you truly have is now. Make that change today.

    Reflections

    • Change starts with awareness – Like the prodigal son, I must first recognise that my current situation is not where I am meant to remain.
    • Change begins with honesty – I must be willing to face the truth about where I am falling short, whether spiritually, emotionally, or in my daily habits
    • Small steps matter – Real growth often comes not from giant leaps but from consistent, intentional steps toward improvement
    • My present is not my permanent – Just because I’m in a mess now doesn’t mean God intends for me to stay there (Jeremiah 29:11).
    • Grace makes change possible – No matter how far I’ve gone, God’s mercy welcomes me back when I turn to Him (Lamentations 3:22-23).
    • Delay is dangerous – Tomorrow isn’t promised, so I must act on what God is prompting me to do today (James 4:14).
    • Change requires steps – It’s not just about realisation; it’s about movement. Like the prodigal son, I must rise and go (Luke 15:20).

    Prayer

    Father, thank You for Your endless mercy and patience with me. I know there are many areas of my life where I need change—my thoughts, my words, my habits, my relationships, my priorities. Lord, shine Your light on the places in me that must be surrendered to You. Give me wisdom to see clearly, courage to act faithfully, and strength to walk in obedience. Help me not to postpone what You are calling me to improve today. May every change I make draw me closer to You and reflect Your goodness in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

  • Stuck

    Stuck

    Scripture reading: John 5:1-15, NKJV

    Sometimes in difficult deliveries, a baby’s head is born, but the shoulders become lodged behind the mother’s pubic bone. It’s an obstetric emergency called shoulder dystocia. In that moment, every second matters. The longer the baby stays stuck, the worse the outcome. It can feel like hell – frantic, helpless, and desperate.

    Being stuck is never easy.

    In John 5, we read about a man who had been “stuck” for thirty-eight years — lying beside a pool said to have healing powers, but he could never make it in. Every time the water stirred, someone else got there first. He had no one to help him.

    Then one day, Jesus shows up and asks him, “Do you want to be healed?” Instead of a clear yes, the man gives excuses.

    Maybe you know what that’s like. Perhaps you’ve been stuck in sin, in sickness, in cycles of frustration and mediocrity. Maybe, like the man, your mind has grown weary, your hope paralysed. But today, grace stands before you and asks, “Do you want to be made whole?”

    Then comes the call: “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately, the man was healed.

    Friend, it’s your turn. Grace is here – for your healing, your salvation, your breakthrough. All it takes is surrender. Lay down your excuses. Hand over your helplessness. He is sufficient – He is all the help you need.

    And just like in that delivery room, the first thing to do when a baby is stuck… is to call for help. Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus — a very present help in time of need.

    Let’s pray

    Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am — tired, stuck, and hopeless.
    Like the man by the pool, I’ve waited, I’ve watched, and I’ve withered. Too long I have depended on others or on my own strength. Too long I’ve believed that healing was for someone else, that breakthrough had passed me by.

    But today, You stand before me. You ask, “Do you want to be made whole?” Yes, Lord. I do.

    I surrender my excuses. Lift me from this place of paralysis — in my heart, in my mind, in my spirit.

    Speak Your word again: “Rise up and walk.” I receive Your grace — grace to walk, grace to believe, grace to become all You created me to be.

    Thank you for Your salvation, Your healing and Your deliverance, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

    Reflections

    1. Stuck. Not anymore.

    Just like the man by the pool who had been immobilized for 38 years, we too can feel trapped in sin, sickness, or stagnation. But Jesus meets us in our helplessness, offering healing and hope. When He speaks, even long-standing situations can shift in an instant.

    2. Excuses versus obedience

    The man had reasons for remaining where he was, but none of them could save him. It wasn’t until he responded to Jesus’ command to “Rise and walk” that he experienced healing. Likewise, we must choose faith over excuses and respond when grace calls.