DATE POSTED Sunday, 2023-02-12
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 9:57-62
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁵⁷  ….a man volunteered to become a disciple.
Volunteer: I’ll follow You to any destination.
Jesus: ⁵⁸ Foxes are at home in their burrows. Birds are at home in their nests. But the Son of Man has no home. ⁵⁹ You (to another person)—I want you to follow Me!
Another Volunteer: I’d be glad to, Teacher, but let me first attend to my father’s funeral.
Jesus: ⁶⁰ Let the dead bury their dead. I’m giving you a different calling—to go and proclaim the kingdom of God.
A Third Volunteer: ⁶¹ I’ll come, Jesus. I’ll follow You. But just let me first run home to say good-bye to my family.
Jesus: ⁶² Listen, if your hand is on the plow but your eyes are looking backward, then you’re not fit for the kingdom of God.

APPLICATION: Meditate with me on questions that come to your mind, when, and if, you are challenged by the Lord Jesus, as He did when He called to the follower in verse 59. Jesus said, ‘I want you to follow me’. How did you, or how would you, respond to the Creator and Savior of this world if He called out to you? We could read the responses of those who were literally following Him, perhaps out of curiosity, or perhaps deeply sincere in their efforts to know Him better. Do you suppose that your response, or decision would have been any different? Notice when Jesus called, He didn’t set any prerequisites or conditions to the call, such as being able to finance your own travel costs while on mission with Him. But humans today tend to do the same as the followers in our Scripture did. We worry about what will change in our lives if we drop everything and respond positively to the call of Jesus. Often, we will worry about finances, after all, most of us live from hand to mouth, so where on earth will you find this much extra money to go on mission to a foreign land, or to help the poor and hungry in the next state. We always worry about the unknown – will I be accepted in that culture; Will they see anything in me that might help them? Adequate knowledge is always a concern – knowledge to respond to questions by those you will meet; Is my walk with the Lord strong enough that others will see, understand and want what I have? How will my family and employer manage while I’m away? Can I really afford to miss that special event happening while I’m away? Friends, we can see from Paul’s account that the followers of Jesus addressed some of the questions and concerns I mentioned, and in some cases, some declined Crist’s calling because of the challenges they feared. I will acknowledge that I am far from perfect, and I’m sure that God will make it clear to you that I have a long road ahead to be everything that Jesus desires of me. But I can share with you two opportunities where I accepted the call to short-term mission work. In one case, it was to accompany a group of pastors who left their churches to help spread the Gospel in South Dakota. We heard that churches were dying in a few cities there, so we agreed to allow God to work through us to help in some way. This was thousands of miles away from where I lived, but God moved mightily and blessed beyond anything we were capable of as mere men. In another instance, I accepted a call to a one-week missions’ trip to Mexico. God met the financial needs for the trip, took care of my family and obligations back in Florida while I was away, and He brought revival into the hearts of the team that went in hopes of blessing others! Friends, you may have heard it said before, but we can’t outgive, out bless, or do more than God can do for His people when we dedicate our lives and our ministry to Him. I sincerely believe that Jesus is still looking to those within His sight and saying ‘you, follow me’. Let me encourage you brothers and sisters to take Jesus at His Word – He cares for you; He loves you more than you ever thought possible; He wants to use you to connect with someone who is struggling in this life and who wants to make sure they are ready for the next life where they could be with Jesus in Heaven. Listen for and accept His call on your life today dear friend. Others are deeply in need of the Savior, and they are waiting for you to share the love of Jesus with them. Don’t hesitate to sign up for following the call of Jesus into unknown lands and places, for His glory.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Make your decision to follow Jesus. Then, make your decision to accept the call of Jesus to help others walk down the path towards Heaven where you will spend eternity in Heaven with the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost!

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for a few people saying ‘Yes’ to Your call on their life that, in turn, led to me accepting You as my Lord and Savior. One invited me to attend church with them so I could hear the Gospel preached. One was obedient to speak the Gospel message simply and clearly so that I understood the call of Jesus. And one encouraged me to walk the isle in response to a Gospel message and invitation, and he walked the whole way with me to the altar. I realize that many had also prayed for my salvation, so I believe You called several into service just to see this one sinner saved by Your grace. Please help us to not brush aside Your simple call to service on our life, for we never know who You are working on that is right in our circle of friends. Hold our hand Jesus, and please continue to use us in your service, knowing that You not only have a plan for us, but also You are reaching out to win the hearts of those in our circle. Use us Lord and be glorified as You grow Your Kingdom. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!