Promise To God

7-20-2012 by Boyd Bailey “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him [Jesus], “I will follow you wherever you go.” Luke 9:57 Christ takes seriously the commitments of His children. Indeed, faith is not a flippant force that fluctuates based on feelings. Rather it is a righteous resolve that is the result of a devoted disciple of Jesus. A promise made to God is an exclamation mark of a sold out life. It is at this crossroad of commitment that disciples are exposed as authentic or imposters. This lofty vow of loyalty to the Lord believes in the Cross and takes up a cross. Will we really follow Jesus wherever He goes? What if He asks us to go with Him into vocational ministry, will we follow Him there? What if He asks us to go with Him to forgive a friend or family member, will we follow Him there? What if He asks us to go with Him and die to our dreams, will we follow Him there? What if He asks us to go with Him to use our relationships, our finances and our resources for His Kingdom purposes, will we follow Him there? Our “yes” to our new life in Him, means “no” to our old life. “Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Matthew 8:20 There were creature comforts Christ knew not of, for His was an uncomfortable walk of faith. He had no guarantee of protection from the elements, but He could trust in His heavenly Father to bring the necessary provisions across His path . Just like a solider who enlists in the military (there is a high cost associated with patriotism), we serve selflessly in the Almighty’s army. Glamour goes away when we go after God in persistent pursuit. Are you a convenient or inconvenient follower of Jesus? He will ask you to go places with Him that are not easy or fun. But the beauty of fulfilling your promise to Jesus is He is always with you, regardless of the circumstance. Your salvation is a promise from the God of life and a promise from you of death. You committed to Christ a funeral of your former life and fidelity to your new resurrected life. It’s not how you start with Jesus, but how you finish with Jesus that counts. You promised to faithfully follow Jesus wherever He goes. “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34 Prayer: Lord Jesus, by Your grace, I will follow you wherever You go. Related Readings: Isaiah 42:1; 48:16; 50:7; Luke 14:27; Romans 8:36 God Bless! Logan Stout