My Morning With God-Luke 7:38-50

Devotional Title: Something Had to Give

Scripture: Luke 7:38–50

There was something special in the atmosphere last Sunday at City Worship Center.

It was Old School Sunday—the kind that doesn’t just take you back in style, but in spirit. Pastor Diggs stepped out in his robe, preaching with that old Pentecostal fire, sweating and pressing like the Word had to get out no matter what. First Lady sat beautifully adorned in her pink hat, a reminder of reverence, honor, and tradition. The room carried a weight—not just of nostalgia, but of authentic encounter.

And in that atmosphere, the message echoed in my spirit:

Something had to give.

When we look at Luke 7:38–50, we see a woman who walked into a room where she didn’t belong by society’s standards—but she carried something stronger than rejection: desperation for Jesus.

She didn’t come quietly.

She didn’t come polished.

She didn’t come with a rehearsed prayer.

She came weeping.

Her tears fell on His feet.

Her hair wiped what her shame had once hidden.

Her worship interrupted the room.

And just like last Sunday, it wasn’t about appearance—it was about presence.

When Tradition Meets Transformation

There’s something powerful about old school faith.

It’s not just in the robes…

Not just in the hats…

Not just in the way church “used to be.”

It’s in the posture.

That woman had what we felt Sunday:

• A reverence that doesn’t care who’s watching

• A hunger that overrides embarrassment

• A surrender that says, “I need Him more than I need approval”

Pastor Diggs preached with sweat pouring because some messages aren’t meant to be casual—they are meant to break something loose.

And that’s exactly what happened in Luke 7.

Something Had to Give

This woman had a reputation.

A past.

A label.

But when she got in the presence of Jesus…

Her pride had to give.

Her shame had to give.

Her fear had to give.

Because you cannot hold onto your past and fully receive His mercy at the same time.

Simon the Pharisee sat in judgment, questioning Jesus in his heart. But while he analyzed… she surrendered.

And Jesus made it clear:

“Her sins, which are many, are forgiven… for she loved much.”

Mercy Responds to Surrender

What moved Jesus wasn’t her perfection—it was her posture.

She didn’t earn forgiveness.

She didn’t negotiate mercy.

She responded to His presence, and in that response, she was changed.

Pastor Diggs reminded us in his message that sometimes we’ve become too dignified to be delivered. Too composed to be set free.

But last Sunday—and in this scripture—God is calling us back to a place where we don’t mind:

• Crying at His feet

• Laying it all down

• Letting our worship look a little messy

Because that’s where mercy meets us.

Faith That Moves You Forward

Jesus told her:

“Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Not your past.

Not your reputation

Not what people said about you.

Your faith.

And that same invitation still stands today.

Reflection

What are you holding onto that needs to give?

Is it pride?

Is it shame?

Is it fear of what others will think?

Because the truth is:

You cannot carry all that and walk in peace.

Prayer

Lord,

Thank You for Your mercy—mercy that sees me beyond my past and meets me right where I am.

Help me to release anything that is standing in the way of fully receiving You.

Break my pride, quiet my fear, and free me from shame.

Give me the kind of worship that doesn’t care who’s watching—only that You are present.

Let my faith rise so I can walk in the peace You’ve already made available.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Closing Thought

Just like that woman…

Just like we felt last Sunday…

Something has to give.

And when it does—

Mercy will meet you there.