Wednesday 22 May 2013

Wednesday Reading: Luke 9:59-62

Key Verse: Luke 9:59
59  And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Devotion:
When you ask someone to do something for you, what is the answer that you want from them, and what is the answer that you expect from them? The answers may well be different for those two questions, but when we ask someone to do something it is because we actually do want them to do something for us and not to turn us down and refuse our request – why else would we be asking them in the first place?

When Jesus went about seeking disciples He asked people from various positions in life so that He could get a variety of answers. These answers would prove invaluable for us in the future so that we can look back and discuss how we should be more willing to follow Christ when He asks us. When we read further in the Gospels we find out that Christ has asked each one of us to go forward in His name and to spread His Word. When we then compare the result of these questions with the result of our answers to His request for us to go forward and preach the gospel – how do you think He will view our replies?

God asked us expecting a positive response. He expects a positive response because He knows how much work still has to be done before He can return to take us home. He has promised to come back and end things when the Gospel has been fulfilled – that means that we still need to go forward and preach just as He has asked us to do. That request has not been put aside and forgotten about just because we have ignored it for a while!

Do you really think that a bank would lend you money and then forget about the load just because you have not thought about it for a while? Well why then do we expect God to put aside things just because we have not thought about them for a while? God set many things in motion, right from the beginning with Adam and Eve, through to choosing the Hebrews to be His people, through to converting Paul to preach to the gentiles and on to requesting us to do so as well! God continues to fulfil His side of the bargain and He expects us to do the same for our parts…

Points to Ponder:
Do you make deals you know will not last?

Do you really think God will break His Word?