Key Verse:
"Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
(Matthew 11:6)
Central Truth
Sometimes life throws you a curve, and it's easy to get angry and walk away. However, Christ proclaims that blessings are to follow for those who remain faithful...regardless of their outcomes.
GOD'S WILL vs. MINE
What an interesting chapter! Here you have the one that spent time in the desert "preparing the way" for Jesus asking the question if Jesus is the true Messiah. You see, John's in a pickle and is about to be beheaded because he confronted King Herod and Herodias about their sin. Herodias and her daughter want John's head on a silver platter as a favor for some evil things they had done for Herod. Despite Herod's desire not upset the people (because they all loved John), he grants them their wish.
So, here is John hearing about the great things Christ is doing and wondering, "Jesus when are you coming to help me? I mean, I did 'prepare the way' for You. I also baptized You for goodness sake. Jesus, what's the delay? Are you truly the Messiah, or are you just stuck in Camel traffic? Are you waiting on the check at a really slow Pueblo Cafe? What is the deal?! I'm dying here...REALLY!"
But this was Christ response:
4Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
What has just happened here? In a nutshell, Christ sends the message back to John saying, "I'm not coming for you." And then he adds that John will be blessed if he chooses not to fall away because of this.
You see, God had a plan for John the Baptist. Christ knew exactly what the outcome for him would be. He knew John's faith had been shaken. He knew John was going to loose his life. But, He also knew that GOD'S WILL was to be fulfilled - not John's will.
The same is true in our lives. Sometimes, though it may sound crazy and weird, God's will for us may be for us to walk with Him through a desert. It may call for us to be hated by those in "authority." It may even require us to be in some of the most uncomfortable or undesirable positions of our lives. But, Christ says, "Be faithful. Remain true because I have remained true. And for this, you will be BLESSED!"
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I just love the JOURNEY and the devotions my very own church members write!! Just reading yours, Greg, I remember we are all one and same as John the Baptist was! Facing our own types of challenges and letting go of our own agendas/will and trying so hard each day to follow HIS will! P.S. Love the photo and your shirt!
ReplyDeleteThis is where the "metal meets the pedal"...as somebody once said. Boy, don't we want God to come to our aid when we have "stood up for Him", "sacrificed for Him", "obeyed Him", "tried to do everything "right" for Him!..
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the deepest lessons on this journey to learn...that God's Will certainly doesn't come "packaged" like "our will" would do it. May God have patience with us and help us to accept His sometimes mysterous Will...and Lord, Help us keep on Trusting when "things" look so untrustworthy. Help us to put our Trust in the "invisible" YOU...instead of the "visible" circumstances around us.
Isn't this a valuable lesson for us all? God's will, not mine.
ReplyDelete"Your will be done."