Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.... Luke 9:51, NKJV
Oh yes, Jesus knew. He knew the powers-that-be in Jerusalem had vowed to get rid of Him; He knew His friends thought He was crazy, and He knew it would be the end of His earthly ministry. His disciples warned him, plead with Him to avoid that place. But He set His face toward Jerusalem, and nothing was going to stop Him. Even though the odds were stacked high against Him, He knew this was the path the Father wanted Him on.
Now I don't know, but I'm betting a lot of missionaries run into this same problem. Their friends think they've lost their very last marble, their family pleads with them to reconsider, and they might not even have a penny saved toward getting to the field God wants them to go to. But somehow, they know this is The Way.
Don't worry--if God wants you there, he'll provide the means. He's very practical, this God of ours. That doesn't give you an excuse to sit on your duff and wait for Him to do everything. You still need to ask Him what you should be doing toward getting to His goal for you.
My mission field is the Internet and reams of paper. When I write--which is what God wants me to do--I have to also study. I read the Bible every day. I read authors I respect (both fiction and non-fiction). And I research.
So I'm not a missionary in the common definition of the word. I've never been to darkest Africa, wherever that is. However, God has set me on a course to tell as many people as possible how much He cares about them. A love that great cannot go unannounced.
What does God want from you? Don't know? Have you asked Him? Now, He might not speak out loud to you--that's pretty rare--but after a time you'll know His leading. At least if you were sincere about wanting to be His missionary. So--are you sincere?
Father, please show us our road to Jerusalem. We honestly want to know and follow Your plan for our lives, to climb over all obstacles. We love You enough to give up the things that come between You and us. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment