(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.'
One of my excuses was the idea that if I could control my circumstances everything would be fine. So you know what happened God allowed me the opportunity to do just that and things started falling apart. It got so bad that I gave up on the idea and came running back to my Heavenly Father. When I asked Him what was going on He gently reminded me of my pride and shortsightedness and how it led me to choices made. With each wrong choice I planted a seed when that seed came to maturity I reaped a life independent from God’s principles. I could have been angry with God and turned from Him but He knew exactly what I needed. He knew that my heart was bent towards Him and soon I would let go of my pride and come to Him for help. Somehow He know I would not blame Him but instead see Him as my only salvation from myself. Today I am working through the effect of my ideals and as I do I see more and more each day that God is my source, my constant provider, and the keeper of my faith! He has filled me with hope and each new day with Him brings me closer to the person He has made me to be but none of this would be possible if I didn’t stop making excuses.
So what is you excuse? What keeps you from having a deeper relationship with the only One who matters. When we understand that everything else is so much less than our relationship with our Creator an unstoppable hunger from inside begins to grow to experience all He has. Jesus told the following crowd, (Luke 14:26-27 NIV) “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
Truly following God will take everything you have and it is of the utmost importance that your heart understands this, eternity depends upon it. Consider this, whatever you hold dearest to you apart from God it will be asked of you.
(Genesis 22:1-14 MSG) “After all this, God tested Abraham. God said, "Abraham!" "Yes?" answered Abraham. "I'm listening." He said, "Take your dear son Isaac whom you love and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll point out to you." Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt offering. He set out for the place God had directed him. On the third day he looked up and saw the place in the distance. Abraham told his two young servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to worship; then we'll come back to you." Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and gave it to Isaac his son to carry. He carried the flint and the knife. The two of them went off together. Isaac said to Abraham his father, "Father?" "Yes, my son." "We have flint and wood, but where's the sheep for the burnt offering?" Abraham said, "Son, God will see to it that there's a sheep for the burnt offering." And they kept on walking together. They arrived at the place to which God had directed him. Abraham built an altar. He laid out the wood. Then he tied up Isaac and laid him on the wood. Abraham reached out and took the knife to kill his son. Just then an angel of GOD called to him out of Heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes, I'm listening." "Don't lay a hand on that boy! Don't touch him! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God; you didn't hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the altar for me." Abraham looked up. He saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham named that place GOD-Yireh (GOD-Sees-to-It). That's where we get the saying, "On the mountain of GOD, he sees to it.”
All of our dreams and hopes will be asked of us and when we finally let go God surprises us with His immeasurable goodness!
