(Luke 14:16-18 NIV) Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'
There are so many things that keep us busy and many of them are even good things such as family and work but the one thing we must realize is that everything in this life is temporary. Even if we live to be one hundred years old that is but a vapor when compared to eternity. (Psalms 103:15-16 NIV) “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”
It is natural to hold on to things we value in this life for that is all we have known but don’t let the “good” get in the way of God’s “best”. In other words I can get so wrapped up in family and work (like those Jesus told about in Luke chapter 14) that I become short-sighted and miss what God has for me. This life is an opportunity – will we choose to serve God or ourselves? One way leads to abundant life and the other way leads to death.
God made provisions for us to be part of His family through His Son Jesus Christ. (John 3:16-18 NIV) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”
But it is up to us to accept the gift He has given to us. It would be like finding a big, beautiful gift on Christmas morning with our name on it but not opening it because we were too busy with lesser things. God made us and desires to have relationship with us but because of Adam’s sin all humanity has been separated from God. However, because of Jesus Christ all humanity has the opportunity to walk with God once again but like Adam we have been given the gift of freewill. Jesus says He waits for us to accept Him… (Revelation 3:20 NIV) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
What is your excuse?
Tuesday April 13
ReplyDelete“They all began making excuses.” Lk 14:18 NLT
What's Your Excuse? (1)
Excuses are Like (#@*^%$#@!)'s everyone's has one. We are born that way and grow around it. Unless we commit, believe.
It is called the acts, or doings. This is gold, silver, and precious stones, built upon the foundation: that is wood, hay, and stubble.
The acts not excuses of erecting the church is the precious stones the Holy Spirit and we continue to do or build after Christ lays the foundation and is the cornerstone of. This might be the New Jerusalem that John envisioned in the book of Rev Chapter 21. Without obeying God and doing as Christ instructed and listening to the Holy Spirit like the apostles did, what might have become of the church as we know today? Excuses are like the wood, hay and stubble the Pharisees had built their foundation upon that Jesus so much had brought out into the light.
Excuses, is not listening to God. If it wasn't for Luke's obedience to continue with Paul to Macedonia and then to Rome, Paul's letters and courage and encouragement of faith might have gone unrecorded and unchanging eternally.
The acts of doing for God is the light we see by and if everyone chooses to make excuses then it would be a dark cold world.