Digging Deeper – 24 Hours

Avatar photo Chris Boggess on February 13, 2026

 

31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Luke 4:31-44


24 HOURS

Looking back at the passage we have spent this week on, the thing that strikes me is that Luke relates these events as occurring in the course of one day, one 24-hour cycle. The Sabbath ended at sundown, and maybe that is why the wave of people who needed healing started to come out of the woodwork. Jesus ends the Sabbath and goes straight to work. The work that he starts at sundown apparently does not end until the same sun rises. Jesus pours into the people who need him, and then in the morning he takes time to fill back up by spending solitary time with his Father.

I also love that the passage ends with Jesus saying he will keep preaching the good news he brought into the world.

How will you spend this day? Some of you may be reading this in the morning, some in the evening, and some at various times throughout the day. Whenever you are reading this, think about your next twenty-four hours. Will you let the day carry you like the current of a river, taking you wherever it will? Or will you go into this day with intent? I pray that it will be the latter. I pray that you will do everything today as an act of worship, acknowledging how much God has done in your life and making all that you do a chance to honor him with how you live. I pray that you will serve people around you even when it is inconvenient or difficult. I pray that you will spread the good news of Jesus to everyone you meet.

Take a moment and pray those prayers with me, and then go out into your day!

 

Chris Boggess is the Care + Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

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