Like most Christians trying to walk out my calling in 2012 I daily look to the Word of God for guidance and listen for His voice to order my steps. I sometimes even imagine what it must have been like to be recruited by Jesus like the disciples. These men were approached and compelled to follow Jesus. They developed a bond and a relationship like Rabbi and students or Father and sons and at the same time Jesus loved them deeply and counted them as His friends.
They went where He went. They observed and heard all that He did and said. He advised them. He taught them. He helped their ignorance and their unbelief. He helped them to exercise their faith muscles and to get over their own self interests and sins to be the rock upon which the modern church was built, the evangelists that spread the gospel to the nations and the men that performed mighty miracles and healings chronicled in the holy manuscripts that we read today.
What I find interesting is that every day with Jesus these men were being groomed and prepared for greater works, for higher heights and for deeper depths. They were being prepared to shepherd and care for God's people. They were being prepared to heal the sick and to raise the dead. They were being prepared to do what Jesus did. Yet while Jesus was with them they never fully understood. Jesus knew that they didn't grasp the full picture, but he continued to guide them to take care of people's need like when he fed the group of 5000 men with the two fish and five loaves of bread. He showed them how to be compassionate for the people when he shared the story of the Good Samaritan. He instilled the need to forgive people when he knelt down and drew in the sand daring any one to throw the first stone at the adulteress. Jesus laid the example of obedience and submission to the Father when He taught the disciples to pray. And eventually, He showed them how He came to fulfill the will of the Father and to reconcile His people back to the Father through the ultimate sacrifice of His life to provide salvation for the world.
He enlightened these men and prepared them for the purpose of preaching, teaching, being apostles and walking in the gifts and calling of God so that they could share the good news of His life, death, burial and resurrection; so that they could tell the world that through His sacrifice the gift of salvation is free.
In other words, these men didn't follow Jesus just for the simple sake of following someone. After all, there were many false prophets that had followings too. No. Jesus taught these men to yield to the will of the Father and to obey Him. All of this because of the Love that the Father has for us. Jesus introduced these men to that Love. He showed them that there really was no greater love than a man that would lay down His life for His friends; than a God who would sacrifice His son's innocent life for a world of sinners. Every day with Jesus was a valuable lesson for the disciples to learn how to reach people with the message that Jesus is the atonement for our sins; that He took the sting of death for us. When Jesus ascended into the heaven He gave these men instruction to share with the world what He had lived out with them every day.
Every day I ask myself if I am fulfilling that same call. In spite of my failings, my own self interests, my faults, my mistakes, my weakness. In spite of my mess, my past, my struggle and my longings. Am I living out the example of obedience to the will of the Father? Am I sharing the gospel? Am I working to provide the Word of life, redemption and reconciliation to everyone that I influence? Do I understand why I follow Him? Am I leading people to Christ and letting them know that the gift of salvation is free because of His sacrifice? Am I telling people that Jesus lived, died, was buried and resurrected so that they can have abundant and everlasting life with Him. Or do I just believe it for myself? Can anyone witness that I told them that Jesus saves to the utmost?
There's a song that says Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before, every day with Jesus I love Him more and more, Jesus saves me and keeps me saved, He's the one that I adore, every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before. The Bible tells me how I love the Lord; by keeping His commandments. Matthew 28 19 and 20 says it this way 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Make everyday a day to follow the example that Christ provided and to keep His commandments.
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