Leaving it all – to Serve Christ
14/12/08 22:17
Peter’s
eyes watched the young man ride away with his
servants by his side. He would look back, but for
only a moment. The crowd seemed to open and close for
him and soon, he was gone as quickly as he came.
“Come.” The Lord’s words finally
broke through Peter’s thoughts. Peter quickly
turned and followed his Master as He led the crowd to
a grassy knoll. Everyone was finding a seat,
anticipating another teaching from the Master. Peter
found a seat next to Jesus but his thoughts were
still with the rich young man that just asked Jesus
what he needed to do to gain eternal life.
“Jesus told him to sell everything,”
Peter thought to himself, “Everything!”
Peter looked at Jesus and Jesus, in turn, looked back
to Peter, waiting for Peter to say something. But
Peter had to look away. Yet he had to know. But he
needed to look away lest his thoughts betrayed him.
He had never been in such a quandary before now. He
couldn’t let Jesus look into his eyes for He
would know. If Jesus would just begin teaching, this
moment of eternity would pass and Peter could just go
on with life. He just had to know – but dared
not ask. Maybe he would ask one of the other
disciples – but no, he had to ask Jesus.
“Jesus?” Peter respectively asked. “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”
There is one thing that is for certain for believers who have surrendered his or her heart and life to Christ, God will reward them for their service of faith and their sacrifices of love. For those who have walked this pilgrim way for any amount of time, this is not hard to realize. God has continually provided food, clothing and shelter. God knows the way of the righteous and He knows how to bless them in their time of need. He has supplied all my needs for the last twenty-some years of walking with Him. He has never failed! I remember one time when Robin and I were two and half months in arrears of our mortgage. The lending officer and I were on a first-name basis –and it wasn’t because we were friends. In fact I was a “thorn in her side” kind of client. But in the year of 1991, she saw God provide miraculously for this poor preacher. Time and time again, God would meet our needs and see us through. Why? It is because He has something for us at the renewal of all things. He has gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us. His intention is to see it through. The Cross was only a means, the Reward is the end. The writer of Hebrews tells us God’s intention for allowing Jesus Christ to suffer. “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exist should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Jesus left it all to serve His God. He who was rich became poor, so that we may become rich. The King of kings became a poor carpenter so that we could become kings and priests. He would leave the glories of Heaven, be born in a stable and have no place to rest His head, so that we may live forever in the greatest City ever –the New Jerusalem! God knows how to reward those who diligently seek Him. Don’t be troubled by the present circumstances, or fear by what you anticipate is coming. Trust God. He will see you through and in the end, at the renewal of all things, God will richly reward you.
“Jesus?” Peter respectively asked. “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”
There is one thing that is for certain for believers who have surrendered his or her heart and life to Christ, God will reward them for their service of faith and their sacrifices of love. For those who have walked this pilgrim way for any amount of time, this is not hard to realize. God has continually provided food, clothing and shelter. God knows the way of the righteous and He knows how to bless them in their time of need. He has supplied all my needs for the last twenty-some years of walking with Him. He has never failed! I remember one time when Robin and I were two and half months in arrears of our mortgage. The lending officer and I were on a first-name basis –and it wasn’t because we were friends. In fact I was a “thorn in her side” kind of client. But in the year of 1991, she saw God provide miraculously for this poor preacher. Time and time again, God would meet our needs and see us through. Why? It is because He has something for us at the renewal of all things. He has gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us. His intention is to see it through. The Cross was only a means, the Reward is the end. The writer of Hebrews tells us God’s intention for allowing Jesus Christ to suffer. “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exist should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Jesus left it all to serve His God. He who was rich became poor, so that we may become rich. The King of kings became a poor carpenter so that we could become kings and priests. He would leave the glories of Heaven, be born in a stable and have no place to rest His head, so that we may live forever in the greatest City ever –the New Jerusalem! God knows how to reward those who diligently seek Him. Don’t be troubled by the present circumstances, or fear by what you anticipate is coming. Trust God. He will see you through and in the end, at the renewal of all things, God will richly reward you.
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