But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Luke 18:23-25 Jesus will test you at the point of your weakness. For the rich young ruler, the issue was not wealth, but rather the limits of his commitment to Christ. Jesus understood that the limits of this young mans commitment included his net worth, so Jesus tested him. Christ has an uncanny way of identifying any area of life not under his lordship, and you can count on His demanding a decision. For the committed follower of Christ, surrendering temporal goods eliminates the responsibility of stewardship. Thus Peter says, We have left all and followed Thee. [Luke 18:28] The fear of whether Christ will adequately supply Peters needs replaces the tension of stewardship. Your Heavenly Father wants you perpetually vulnerable and dependent. Preparation for your time of testing includes solitude with God where you systematically give to Him all that you deem precious. Begin with surrendering your spouse and children. God I cannot guarantee that I will not weep if You take them, but I do covenant not to fight You in this matter. From here move to your health, the absence of pain, the ability to read, think, talk, etc. Then dreams, hopes and aspirations must be given over to His lordship. Anything less than total commitment places you in the same untenable position as the rich young ruler, for if Jesus loves you, He will put His finger on that area in which you are not committed, and call for a decision. - Walter A Henrichsen
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 16:05:47 +0000
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