#DailyDevotion Whose Promise Will You Believe, Jesus’ Or Satan’s?
Mark 10:28-31 28Then Peter spoke up: “Look! We gave up everything and followed You.” 29“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “everyone who gave up his home, brothers or sisters, mother, father, or children, or fields for Me and for the good news, 30will certainly get a hundred times as much here in this life: houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children and fields, with persecutions, and in the coming world everlasting life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Well after Jesus sayings how difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, the disciples understanding it is impossible to be saved by their own means, and that it is possible to be saved with God, they say, “Look! We gave up everything and followed You.” It seems this is true to some extant at the time. As far as we know, James and John left their father’s boat, Peter and Andrew left their nets, and Matthew left his tax collector’s table. It does make me wonder whose boat they were in so often. In Acts we see the early disciples selling every thing they had, giving to the Church and then the Church making distributions as needed for the daily living of each individual. Somewhere along the way even the Church couldn’t keep that up.
But there is still a great truth here we as disciples, as followers of Jesus must comprehend and understand. We much give up everything and follow Jesus. God is a jealous God. Jesus is a jealous God and Savior. He will allow nothing else to occupy the space he made for himself in our hearts and souls. He will not allow wealth, family, friends, food, politics and parties, or anything else stand in the place he needs to stand for us to be saved.
If we are given the choice in our lives of husband or wife, children or parents, home or other forms of wealth and Jesus, our choice must be Jesus and the good news. We are given that choice more often than we think when we choose doing the right thing which may cost us friends, family and wealth and what is true, good and right. How often have you chosen peace with the world over conflict and confessing Jesus and the truth?
We have a promise from Jesus when faced with this situation to enable us to make that choice. Jesus says, “everyone who gave up his home, brothers or sisters, mother, father, or children, or fields for Me and for the good news, 30will certainly get a hundred times as much here in this life: houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children and fields, with persecutions, and in the coming world everlasting life.” We may not have same people, but Jesus will replace that family and friends with the Church. The homes of our Church family become our own. Their possessions become our own. Jesus will provide for you everything you need when you lose everything for his sake and the gospel. Yes, persecutions are also included in that promise but so is everlasting life in the world to come. I do not think I could have the faith I do have if Jesus did not make this promise. He isn’t lying. He will do it. But many who are first will be last and last will be first. That is some who live that way now may give up on that promise and lose it all anyway at death. Some who are living as if this isn’t true will come to believe it and enter into salvation, glory and the everlasting life of Jesus. Each day we may have to make this choice, the world or Jesus. Which will you choose? Choose Jesus.
Heavenly Father, when tempted by the world to choose it over Christ Jesus, grant us faith in his promises that we may forsake all for his sake and the gospel so we may enter everlasting life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.