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Luke 14:33,35:”any of you who not give up EVERYTHING cannot be my disciples.” “...He who has ears to hear let him hear.”
Have we gotten to a point in history that we think this is humanly impossible – to give up everything? Are we the sad rich young ruler who turned and walked away? Much of the time we would probably say yes, because much of the time our minds wander off where they do not belong. We tire of being a saint strained by God, aimed at something we cannot see, so we aim ourselves at something we can see. We throw caution to the wind and do not count the cost. Counting the cost is painful because we are broke and cannot afford our own carnal desires. If we are honestly going to count the cost we will discover the world is a scary prison to which to be indebted. Over and over again we find ourselves in this prison trying to dig our way out and if we make progress we are taunted and tempted to bite off more. We deserve it; we worked hard to get where we are and on and on only to end up right back where we started, or worse. All around us it looks like friends and family are able to have and do the things we think we would like to have and do, so we bite the bullet and take the plunge. Oh, deception, and misery does love company. We could not identify with others’ lives or see it for what it really was because we were too busy coveting those lives. ‘Be careful what you wish for’ has a definite sting to it and it should, but that sting comes when we have demanded our own way, without counting the cost. If we refuse to count the cost the sting of deception will eventually lead to death. The more we buy into the world’s view the more we die spiritually. We have been given hope in forgiveness and repentance. We may go bankrupt before God and find that our debt is pain in full.
‘To see the law by Christ fulfilled and hear His pardoning voice, turns the slave into a child and duty into choice.’
God is straining us on His bow. His aim is accurate but He will not shoot a rebellious arrow. The cost of our arrow landing somewhere God did not intend is a price we can never afford nor should we want to pay. We all have pictures of better lives, wants, and desires. The challenge is to take this picture from the flesh /carnal one to the true spiritual one. They both contain sacrifices and rewards but only one is everlasting and is already paid in full.
Heavenly Father, give us clear vision and a heart that is devoted to You. Put Your loving protection around us as You strip away the carnal flesh and make ready our arrows for Your good work. Let us rejoice in what seems to be the painful dying of our flesh knowing full well Your Son has overcome the world and our debt is paid full in Him. May we live in Him. In Your Son Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Love to all in Christ Jesus c : )
