Luke 21:37-38…
Torturous routine…
This was the routine during the week that Jesus was to be crucified. He would teach in the temple by day, retire to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus by night (Matthew 21:17), and return to teach the next day.
Jesus spoke to the people about being ready, making the most of their opportunities, and warning against withdrawing from preparation, productivity, or people. Ironically, the people didn’t as yet realize that these would be their last opportunities to hear Him teach.
God has a way of presenting you with opportunities to glorify Him with your life. Sometimes that means having to keep on performing a duty that seems like death. But that is the purpose, to bring life to others as we die to self.
We talk about “taking it to the cross” and think we will just, in one moment of heroic holiness, thrust ourselves upon the device of our self-destruction in an act of worship. Yet what we fail to realize is that there is a walk, a journey that brings us to the place of actually being like Jesus on the way. This means we have to help others while knowing that they might still turn on us.
We forget that the cross is where other people put us to death. We like going to the temple to teach, but we don’t want to reach the mountaintop just to die. It's no wonder we so often shrink back at real opportunity. It's also no wonder that when we find out who Jesus really is, it's the most wonderful thing in the world. He didn’t miss at the opportunity to save us from our sins, even when He had to endure the torture of knowing where He was going.
5 comments:
We welcome your comments. If you know someone who would like be included in the daily email, or if you would like a copy of the reading schedule, let us know (primesoul@hotmail.com). You can check www.voiceofvision.org for each day’s reading, or go to www.voiceofvision.blogspot.com to leave a comment. God bless you as you join and continue in the walk with us...
These devotions bring clarity in many areas. Thank you. :D
It would be much less painful (or so we think) if we could choose how we shall carry our cross.
Exactly, Mrs. So, we want to serve on our own terms.
That devotion rocked! Awesome!
Thanks, everybody; those are good and encouraging comments.
Post a Comment