...no excuses...

“57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ 58 And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ 59 To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ 60 But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ 61 Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ 62 Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God’”

Luke 9:57-62.

I have often thought that the worst thing we can do in the spiritual life is to put off praying and reading and meditating on the scriptures. To do these practices daily makes all the difference in our lives. But so does putting them off until another time. Once we get in the habit of putting off taking time with the Lord, taking time in His presence, it becomes easier and easier to make exceptions to praying today. This is my understanding of today’s text above. I think Jesus is telling us today, “Look, this is the Kingdom of God we’re talking about, not your own comfortable way of being a religious kind of individual! Don’t live life at your own pace. You have to develop a deliberate time and space to be with Me!”

I feel the Lord telling us all to consider all the times we have come up with excuses why the Lord’s particular sharp demands don’t apply to us individually! I think the Lord is telling us to stop majoring in excuses why we can’t pray today! Jesus never told us to “Come with Me and all your dreams will be fulfilled!” Instead, Jesus told us, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

So take time today to pray. Talk to the Lord about all the excuses you make spending time in His presence every day. Ask the Lord to help you follow Him wherever He leads, and to give you the strength not to look back. I think this is what the Lord wishes to say to us today: 28 “Come to Me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30. Take time today and every day to remain yoked to the Lord this day. Don’t worry about tomorrow.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God,

have mercy on me a sinner.