One More Thing
The Lord will never ask one more thing of us unless we first ask a question of Him.
Remember the story of The Rich Young Ruler; the young man who approached Jesus to ask what he had to do to gain eternal life? Jesus gives him the Bar Mitzvah question, and the young man proudly quotes the scripture & says he has done all those things since he was a boy. Comforted by having the right answer, he is waiting for his gold star.
This young man was a Ruler. He had power over something; perhaps people, or an office of authority. He had done well with his life, had dutifully obeyed all the commands of his religion, and yet as he listened to Jesus speaking,something wasn't right. Perhaps as he heard Jesus' words he wasn't quite as sure as usual that he was good. Perhaps he wondered, did this man, Jesus, perhaps know one more thing he needed to do to be sure he would spend eternity with God?
He was right. Jesus did know one more thing. Jesus loved him and knew the young man's heart. Jesus graciously received the young man's absolute conviction that he had done all he was supposed to do for God since his youth, yet He also saw the one thing the young man was not able to do for God. Jesus said, "Sell everything you own; give the money to the poor, and come follow me." Jesus just nailed his one thing.
For a young religiously devout, powerful and wealthy authority figure, Jesus must have sounded quite insane. Yet, Jesus knew the young man's heart had been drawn to Him by The Spirit of God. He knew the young man had earnestly questioned Him. Jesus loved this young man so much, He asked of him the impossible.
The rich young ruler was genuinely sad. He didn't arrogantly say, "You have to be out of your mind. What does my money and the poor have to do with eternal life?" Yet, he was sad, because he didn't want to walk away from Jesus. He wanted to give it all up and follow Jesus, but he knew Jesus had asked him to do the one thing he could not bring himself to do. The rich young ruler's one thing was giving all his money to the poor, and laying down his power, because Jesus was his longing.
'One Things' are always very dear to us, and giving them up requires great trust and humility. God knows our "one thing" every heartbeat of our life. After hearing His request in our spirit, we beg, not this, Jesus, not this. Why would you ask me to do this? Most of us have many things that were Jesus to ask us to change, we would sadly shake our head, certain that we are unable do this one thing.
Yet our God does the impossible! All things big and small are possible with God. Many of us depend and rely on that Truth every day of our lives. Some know He can do the impossible. Some ask Him in faith to do the impossible for them. We just don't quite believe He can do the impossible in and for us. We fear Our Creator is unable to will and to do in us this one thing.
You see, what the rich young ruler's heart could not believe was that God would give him the Grace to do what He asked. He thought he knew what he could and could not do, and it made him sad. He turned away from Jesus in sadness at his own inabilities and powerlessness in the grip of his one thing.
What is our one thing right now? Jesus knows. One day in our eagerness to go deeper into the abundant life He's promised we will ask Him, "What must I do"? and we will hear a response. It may be a big thing. It may be a small thing. It may seem so completely unrelated to what we're seeking that it doesn't make a bit of sense, and yet it will powered into desire, being, and completion by Christ in us The Hope of Glory.
Jesus' power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire. May we stay hungry enough to ask Him one more thing.
Remember the story of The Rich Young Ruler; the young man who approached Jesus to ask what he had to do to gain eternal life? Jesus gives him the Bar Mitzvah question, and the young man proudly quotes the scripture & says he has done all those things since he was a boy. Comforted by having the right answer, he is waiting for his gold star.
This young man was a Ruler. He had power over something; perhaps people, or an office of authority. He had done well with his life, had dutifully obeyed all the commands of his religion, and yet as he listened to Jesus speaking,something wasn't right. Perhaps as he heard Jesus' words he wasn't quite as sure as usual that he was good. Perhaps he wondered, did this man, Jesus, perhaps know one more thing he needed to do to be sure he would spend eternity with God?
He was right. Jesus did know one more thing. Jesus loved him and knew the young man's heart. Jesus graciously received the young man's absolute conviction that he had done all he was supposed to do for God since his youth, yet He also saw the one thing the young man was not able to do for God. Jesus said, "Sell everything you own; give the money to the poor, and come follow me." Jesus just nailed his one thing.
For a young religiously devout, powerful and wealthy authority figure, Jesus must have sounded quite insane. Yet, Jesus knew the young man's heart had been drawn to Him by The Spirit of God. He knew the young man had earnestly questioned Him. Jesus loved this young man so much, He asked of him the impossible.
The rich young ruler was genuinely sad. He didn't arrogantly say, "You have to be out of your mind. What does my money and the poor have to do with eternal life?" Yet, he was sad, because he didn't want to walk away from Jesus. He wanted to give it all up and follow Jesus, but he knew Jesus had asked him to do the one thing he could not bring himself to do. The rich young ruler's one thing was giving all his money to the poor, and laying down his power, because Jesus was his longing.
'One Things' are always very dear to us, and giving them up requires great trust and humility. God knows our "one thing" every heartbeat of our life. After hearing His request in our spirit, we beg, not this, Jesus, not this. Why would you ask me to do this? Most of us have many things that were Jesus to ask us to change, we would sadly shake our head, certain that we are unable do this one thing.
Yet our God does the impossible! All things big and small are possible with God. Many of us depend and rely on that Truth every day of our lives. Some know He can do the impossible. Some ask Him in faith to do the impossible for them. We just don't quite believe He can do the impossible in and for us. We fear Our Creator is unable to will and to do in us this one thing.
You see, what the rich young ruler's heart could not believe was that God would give him the Grace to do what He asked. He thought he knew what he could and could not do, and it made him sad. He turned away from Jesus in sadness at his own inabilities and powerlessness in the grip of his one thing.
What is our one thing right now? Jesus knows. One day in our eagerness to go deeper into the abundant life He's promised we will ask Him, "What must I do"? and we will hear a response. It may be a big thing. It may be a small thing. It may seem so completely unrelated to what we're seeking that it doesn't make a bit of sense, and yet it will powered into desire, being, and completion by Christ in us The Hope of Glory.
Jesus' power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire. May we stay hungry enough to ask Him one more thing.
Comments
Post a Comment