Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it . . . —Luke 14:28
Our Lord was not referring here to a cost which we have to count, but to a cost which He has already counted. The cost was those thirty years in Nazareth, those three years of popularity, scandal, and hatred, the unfathomable agony He experienced in Gethsemane, and the assault upon Him at Calvary— the central point upon which all of time and eternity turn. Jesus Christ has counted the cost. In the final analysis, people are not going to laugh at Him and say, “This man began to build and was not able to finish” (Luke 14:30).
The conditions of discipleship given to us by our Lord in verses 26, 27, and 33 mean that the men and women He is going to use in His mighty building enterprises are those in whom He has done everything. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple ” (Luke 14:26). This verse teaches us that the only men and women our Lord will use in His building enterprises are those who love Him personally, passionately, and with great devotion— those who have a love for Him that goes far beyond any of the closest relationships on earth. The conditions are strict, but they are glorious.
All that we build is going to be inspected by God. When God inspects us with His searching and refining fire, will He detect that we have built enterprises of our own on the foundation of Jesus? (see 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). We are living in a time of tremendous enterprises, a time when we are trying to work for God, and that is where the trap is. Profoundly speaking, we can never work for God. Jesus, as the Master Builder, takes us over so that He may direct and control us completely for His enterprises and His building plans; and no one has any right to demand where he will be put to work.
_________________________________________________________
May 7, 2013
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Lord, I would like to “Live like that”: Be totally focused on You. But I find I am so easily distracted by my desires, trials and circumstances. And even if I find myself “in the good fight” taking the high road (which I do not always take) I find myself often wounded and off track…simply focused on righting myself or getting treatment for my wounds. How can I stay focused on You all the time and learn some of these lessons once and for all?
And God says…”You think it is a race and you are running out of time as you get older. You think and feel like you should have learned a number of lessons years ago. But that is not how it works. You cannot learn to be less human, or less worldly, you can only surrender. You cannot save yourself, or improve yourself, or even learn lesson after lesson to become a stronger and more mature believer. You can only surrender, and let Jesus live through you. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own devices, and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the Kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and everything else you need will be provided. Now go out into your day, focused on Jesus, trusting that He will open doors, heal your wounds and make a way when it appears there is no way. Be happy and know that I came to give you life and life more abundantly.”
Click Image for John White's Original Vision For CO2's
