Lord, let me first go and bury my father. (Matthew 8:21)
In Bible times, Jewish people were expected to do the honorable thing by caring for their elderly parents until they died. So when a group of would be disciples pledged their allegiance to Jesus, one man’s family obligations immediately began to compete with God’s call on his life. When he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father” Jesus replied, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury the dead.” ( Mt 8:22 NKJV) Was Jesus being insensitive or uncaring? No, He knew the man’s family situation and no doubt had a plan to take care of it.
Usually our dilemma isn’t deciding whether or not to do God’s will–but when to do it! It’s easy in theory to commit to following Christ and doing whatever He ask of you. But timing is everything! When God tells you to do something, it’s usually a call to respond immediately. Jesus said, ” Those who want to be my disciples must…follow me… and the Father will honor them.” (John 12:26 NLT) God given opportunities generally come with a limited shelf life: they can be lost if you don’t respond when He speaks. When Jesus called His disciples, the Bible says that “immediately: they left their nets and followed Him. Didn’t they have responsibilities? Sure, but none more important than this! So, if God interrupts your schedule today and tells you to pray for somebody, or call and encourage them, or help them financially, stop whatever you are doing and get in sync. When He speaks, the time to respond is –now!
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