Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Let the poor say, “I am rich.”
Do you find yourself unhappy with something that used to bring you happiness?
Every believer, with no exception, arrives at different places in their journey with
Jesus where that which used to satisfy no longer satisfies.
Perhaps the sense that God’s blessing is resting upon you is no longer there. Perhaps
the feeling that God will see you through every difficulty has faded and you find
yourself preoccupied with worry.
Perhaps even your alleged Christ-directed activities seem hollow: worship, Bible
reading, prayer, serving others. What are you to do?
You must rid yourself of everything that stands between you and Jesus. Those are
the terms of the Master. To a wealthy, powerful young man Jesus said, “Sell all you
have and give it to the poor” (see Luke 18:22-23).
Oswald Chambers writes, “Are you more devoted to your idea of what Jesus wants
than you are to Jesus Himself? If so, you are likely to hear one of His hard sayings
that will produce sorrow in you.”
All of us have, at one time or other, worshipped our idea of Jesus more than we have
worshipped Jesus Himself. Sometimes we have even worshipped our idea of worship!
Worship of Jesus is not a means to our self-serving end. Jesus is the end. He is the
result. He is the answer. He is enough. He is our all in all.
What Jesus teaches about getting rid of everything that stands between you and Him
is hard. Chambers says that the hard sayings of Jesus sound easy, “only when they
are heard by those who have His disposition. Beware of allowing anything to soften a
hard word of Jesus Christ's.”
If you are discontent, good! Allow the hard sayings of Jesus to turn your
discouragement into a holy discontent. Allow Him to reveal to you that which stands
between you and Him. Whatever it is that no longer satisfies—whatever we used to
be “rich” in—must be gotten rid of. Jesus says we must become destitute so that we
may inherit His Kingdom. Ask God today to reveal that which used to bring you
happiness and give it quickly to Him. He alone will satisfy. You will only be truly rich
in Christ.