“But First Let Me ……..”

Why is it so hard to get passed our own
minds? Why do we have to always try to get things figured out? Why
can’t we just step out in faith and be obedient to what Jesus has
called us to? Granted some things that He calls us to do take some
time to prepare for, but a lot of things just don’t. Most things He
calls us to don’t require us to know all the details or have
everything planned out, they just require obedience. As a matter of
fact a lot of times our detailed plans do nothing but get in the way
of what God wants to do. You see, God sent us His Holy Spirit for
many reasons and one of those reasons is that He will guide us and
show us what to do once we step out in faith. Jesus was given the
news of the death of His friend Lazarus; then He said to His
disciples “Let us go back to Judea.” “But Rabbi,” they said,
“a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are
going back there?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of
daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by
this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles,
for he has no light.” You see, the disciples concern about what
might happen kept them from wanting to do what was needed, I’m sure
they wanted to plan a safer way to do things. But Jesus knew what
needed to be done and He knew there was no time to waste, so He
stepped out in faith, knowing that His Father would lead Him. That is
exactly what we are called to do. Let us go at once and walk by day
being led by the Holy Spirit to do what Jesus has commanded us. We
don’t need to sit around weighing all of the pros and cons,
thinking about how we will make it (as if it depended on us in the
first place). If we do, we may find ourselves walking in the dark
stumbling the whole way. A while back I was talking to a man about
the missionary training center that is in Mexico. He was telling me
about the students who go through training there (training can be one
of those things that we are to go through in order to be prepared).
He said that the students feel called to a certain country and when
they are finished with training they go. Many times when they finish,
they don’t have anything, including a plane ticket or visa. They
truly believe, that if they are called to something and they step out
in faith, that God will provide. And that’s exactly what happens,
the things they need “somehow” always come through. It is a life
of total dependence on the Father, exactly the kind of life Jesus
lived and has called us to live (not that we are all called to go to
another country, but that we are called to be completely dependent on
God). It doesn’t all depend on our intelligence and planning, it
all depends on God’s faithfulness and He is always faithful. “Faith
is not intelligent understanding, faith is deliberate commitment to a
Person where I see no way.”-Oswald Chambers. Jesus said to another
man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go
and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their
own dead, but you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God. Still another
said, “I will follow you Lord; but first let me go back and say
goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand
to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:59-62. This is a hard but very clear word. If Jesus calls us
to something and our response is anything but stepping into it by
faith, then we are not fit to serve in the Kingdom! If Jesus is
calling you to a particular place or service, don’t let your “but
first let me” (whatever that is) keep you from being fit to serve
Him. Step out in faith and He will provide for you (when you ask for
bread, He won’t give you a stone). The joy of walking in obedience
and fulfilling His call on your life will always far outweigh your
hardships. If you belong to Him, then He has called you to something.
And I would be willing to guarantee that He has called you to
something incredible! Step out, don’t let the burdens of this world
keep you from what God has prepared for you!