The Road Devotional | Lent 2024

“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

“It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”

Jesus turns here to two Old Testament stories: Lot and Sodom and Noah and the flood to illustrate his discussion about what it means to live in the “kingdom of God.” The point here is not to recall the reason for the destruction those stories contain, but instead to bring to mind that people were going about their normal lives when suddenly everything changed. Here, Jesus is trying to crack open the shell of comfort that we can build up in our routines.

Q. What in your life might be making you too comfortable? How can you break free of comfort?

We have attachments to things. Attachment itself is not a bad thing; however, we can become overly attached if we aren’t careful. When we do this we often struggle with remaining present in the moment, and we make it that much harder to let go when it comes time to let go.

Q. In what areas of your life do you need to surrender control and trust God?

God, grant us the wisdom and discernment to live fully present in the moment and ready for when you might call us to care for Your kin-dom. Help us to let go of unhealthy attachments to things so we can fully consent to the work of your Presence in our lives.

Amen.