Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
November 24, 2021
Read Luke 9:57-62
57 As Jesus and his disciples traveled along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Human One has no place to lay his head.” 59 Then Jesus said to someone else, “Follow me.” He replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and spread the news of God’s kingdom.” 61 Someone else said to Jesus, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say good-bye to those in my house.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand on the plow and looks back is fit for God’s kingdom.”
Good Morning! Are you able to answer the call?
Excuses are the downfall of most of us! “I’ll take care of that, but first I need to do . . .” The problem is that sometimes, maybe often, we never finish the first thing, so we never get “time” to do the other thing. Eventually, we have so many unfinished projects that we feel overwhelmed and ready to give up.
I remember wanting to change my eating habits multiple times in my life. What if I said that today I’m going to give up sweets, I would think, wait a minute, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and there will be such delicious desserts. I’ll wait until Sunday after the leftovers are finished. When I look at my schedule for the next week, I see other holiday events on my calendar, so then I decide that I should wait until after the holidays. Sadly, there is always another reason or excuse to delay starting my goal.
When Jesus is talking with his followers in this passage, he is calling them to make the decision today. He knows that if they make excuses, they might never get around to choosing to follow. For example, to the one who asks to go bury his father first, Jesus’ response sounds harsh, but we have to understand that his father isn’t even sick. He is saying that years from now when his father dies, he will be free when he has no more obligations to his father, then I’ll come and follow you.
Don’t let excuses block you from entering the kingdom of heaven. If you are not ready to give yourself completely, don’t allow yourself to avoid making the commitment. Just as any routine we want to change, start small, by committing yourself for a few minutes per day. As you build your stamina, increase that time. It’s okay if it takes years before you are ready to fully commit yourself. The most important thing is that you begin. Just like my desire to quit eating sweets, if I wait for the perfect time when nothing else is distracting me, I might miss the opportunity altogether. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:26
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. May we commit ourselves to you in some way today. Through your love and mercy, may we work to grow in you each day. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: What small moments can I submit to Christ today?
Follow Jesus! Pastor Liz
Comments