"I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands." Psalm 119:10
The first is the idea of the cost of the Gospel and our response. I listened to a sermon by David Platt over Matthew 10, in which Jesus instructs the disciples before he sends them out. It's not the most encouraging text because it talks of the trials and hard times that await disciples of Jesus. We, as today's disciples, should expect to pay the cost of following Jesus also, which is to be hated by the world and an outcast. One thing that keeps being brought to me is the fact that the world is at odds with Jesus and so we should be at odds with the world. If we are friends of it then we are in trouble. I feel like I have to daily remind myself of that and assess my heart to make sure I'm not going along, getting along and leaving the Gospel at home in my Bible and at church in the pew. That doesn't mean I need to go around picking fights over Jesus, but I must share Jesus and His truth and love, without compromising for a second.
"All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." vs 22
Then the chapter gives hope with Jesus telling them and us not to be afraid of the trials three times…when the Bible says something three times we should listen. Rather we should be afraid of God, who can punish us eternally. Any harm that we encounter here for His name is nothing compared to what will happen if we deny Him.
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." vs 28
It's hard to read that verse and not feel a little offended, until we remind ourselves of how holy and righteous our God is, and how we would not even have a chance to get to heaven if not for Jesus. When I look at that and remember the characteristics of God, then I tremble in fear that I am not doing enough to share God and make Him known. The moment we lose fear of our great God is the moment we cease to understand the God we are involved with. He is love and He is mercy, but He is also holy and completely righteous in ALL His ways.
The chapter concludes with Jesus saying he came to bring a sword and not peace, and that we will be turned against all those we love if necessary in order to live for the Gospel. He even says that we should love God more than our family. And that is something that is hard for our earthbound minds to get. We see our family, we are physically present with our family and so sometimes it is hard to love an unseen God. But that is where constant prayer and study comes in, and worship, I might add. The more we seek to know Him, the more He reveals Himself and the more we fall in love with Him. Personally, good worship music turned up loud is another way that I can really tap into the adoration more. And I just feel that He is up there smiling as we praise Him.
Anyway, so after reading that text and hearing the sermon, which was so good, I prepared to go to bed and read my nightly devotional. When I opened it up, and let me add that it was originally written in the 1800s, the scripture that met me was "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." Matthew 10:34. And here is some of the commentary (it was really hard not to write the entire entry!).
"The Christian will be sure to make enemies. It will be one of his objects to make none; but if doing what is right and believing what is true should cause him to lose every earthly friend, he will regard it as a small loss, since his great Friend in heaven will be even more friendly and will reveal Himself to him more graciously than ever…..Where truth is, the lie must feel; or if it remains, there must be a stern conflict, for the truth cannot and will not lower its standard, and the lie must be trampled underfoot……He who has the friendship of the world is an enemy to God; but if you are true and faithful to the Most High, men will resent your uncompromising commitment, since it is a testimony against their iniquities. You must do right and not fear the consequences…..Better a brief warfare and eternal rest than false peace and everlasting torment." Charles H. Spurgeon
Isn't that powerful? And isn't it amazing that God showed me that twice in the same day? I'll admit it's a little scary because it means I need to get out there and share! I need to not be the world's friend and I need to take up my cross. Most importantly I must never forget that I cannot do it…at all…unless the Spirit is working in me. God can do it through me.
Then a couple of days later I listened to another Platt sermon (I'm addicted I know) and it was about John the Baptist being greater than any other man born of woman Matthew 11:11. This verse has always confused me, but Dr. Platt really helped me understand it. What Jesus is saying is that John the Baptist is the greatest and has the most privilege because he was the prophet who was able to see Jesus and announce that He was HERE. He was the one to baptize Him and usher in the kingdom of Jesus. Ohhhhh, I realized. What an honor. And you know the most mind-boggling and convicting part? We are even more privileged than John the Baptist (Matt 11:11) because we get to proclaim the good news that the kingdom has come..no more waiting, Jesus has came, died and RISEN for us!! Even as I write this I'm thinking how I should be shouting it out and sharing it all. God gave US the privilege to help Him bring people to Him. He doesn't need us, doesn't have to have us help, but He does. And yet I'm so quick to hush up and not say anything because I'm fearful or unsure?? Sounds pathetic doesn't it?
Once again I turned to my nightly devotional and bam, it hit me again. "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight." Luke 3:4 The commentary talked of how we need to prepare the way in our own lives for Christ.
"Every valley must be exalted - low thoughts of God must be given up….every mountain and hill shall be laid low - proud creature-sufficiency and boastful self-righteousness but be leveled to make a highway for the King of Kings…..The crooked shall be made straight-the wavering heart must have a straight path of decision for God and holiness marked out for it…..the rough places shall be made smooth -stumbling blocks of sin must be removed, and thorns and briers of rebellion must be uprooted." Spurgeon
And lastly, as I was thinking about things of life and getting weighed down by the future and what will become of our lives and our country I was tempted to get a little depressed. I was thinking of all that could go wrong and then picked up my Jesus Calling and read that day's entry.
"Refresh yourself in the Peace of My Presence….Because I am your constant Companion, there should be a lightness to your step that is observable to others. Do not be weighed down with problems and unresolved issues, for I am your burden-bearer."
What a great God we serve, that even though He is in charge of the cosmos and the big things of this world, He still takes time to connect the dots for me.
"I love those who love Me and those who seek Me find Me." Proverbs 8:17
"The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." Psalm 34:10
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