Monday Reading: Mark 10:36-45
Key Verse: Mark 10:45
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
Devotion:
When James and John asked if they should be able to take up positions on Jesus’ left and right hands they did not understand the consequences of their request. Jesus wanted them to know that even though He would have loved them to all be close to Him; those positions were not His to give but rather His Father in Heaven’s. God is our Creator and our Lord and He alone deserves the right to call on us and to demand from us. As much as we would like to please Him in ways that we think are best, it is His ways that count because He is the one that does know what is best for us.
So many times in our prayers to God we ask Him for things that we think would be beneficial to us rather than giving Him free reign in our lives. Giving Him that free reign can be a hard thing for us to accept because His will and our wishes may not coincide as we would like them to.
But we can be totally sure that everything that God would have us to do is going to be for our betterment in the long run. We may not see the benefits immediately, but as long as we do look back and see that it was Him doing things in our lives, then we will be able to know that what He has done and is doing is for our God and for His glory. I can honestly look back in my life and see just how much God has given me whilst I have been faithfully following Him. When I was not following Him I can see the ways in which He tried to encourage me back to Him through; but whatever has happened I can see that it is His will in my life that is important and not my own wants and desires. Patiently waiting on God is great exercise!
Points to Ponder:
Do you have patience?
How much exercise do you allow God to give you?