Following Jesus, Embracing God’s Rule

Following Jesus, Embracing God’s Rule

Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is

like a foolish man who built his house on sand. Mt 7:26

 

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Laura lives at home with her parents and younger sister. She loves Jesus and trusts

Him fully as she seeks to live her life. Laura loves and respects her parents and

sister. Because of her mental challenges, Laura works in a sheltered

workshop that is a few miles from her home.

Laura’s parents took great care in preparing her for taking the city bus back and

forth from work every day. There was a transfer that had to be made. After several

weeks of being accompanied, Laura was on her own. She knew exactly where to

stand as she waited for her second bus when travelling to and from work.

With great care, Laura stood by the curb, next to the bus stop post

and in front of a local convenience store.

One day shortly after Laura had mastered the trip entirely on her own, she met

an unexpected challenge. It was pouring rain on her trip home. Instead of stepping

back under the protective awning in front of the convenience store, Laura followed

the instructions of her parents to the letter and stood resolutely out in the

pouring rain, next to the curb, waiting fifteen minutes for her bus.

Laura’s example is a reminder to me that I need to ensure I understand God’s

wisdom for living my life and that I need to trust Him obediently. Even following

the best human advice from the most trusted friend fails to compare with following

the teachings of Jesus and living life by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. There are

great men and women who have lived in days gone by and there are great men

and women alive today. Although these people offer much to society, I have

decided to follow Jesus, not any of the others.

Imagine an army choosing to defeat a walled city by walking around it in silence.

Why on earth would reasonable men choose not to eat a nation’s finest food and

accept being thrown into a lion’s den or furnace fire instead? How can you establish

a kingdom through death as a criminal in some backwater country? Why would

anyone offer the other cheek after being struck once in the face already? These are

some well known examples of people who have clung to faith in God and

obedience to His leading, even in the face of ridicule. We can add Noah and David,

Samuel and Rahab, Ruth and Mary, Paul, Peter and millions of others to the list of

people who forsook their own plans and chose to trust God in their dilemmas.

What is your reason for setting aside a teaching of Christ today? Jesus’ words

remain tested and true. “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them

into practice is like a wise man who builds his house on a rock.” (Mt 7:24)

 

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Heavenly Father, I am struck by the indifference I experience all too often when I

am confronted with knowing what I should or should not do. I tend to blame others

for my lethargic desire to be obedient to You. I tell myself that society understands,

and that obedience limits free use of my intelligence and postpones my maturity.

I need Your help when I am tempted to limit my reliance on You, while holding on to

the same self-determination that got me into all the trouble in the first place. Amen.

- Noel Churchman

Noel was the Executive Director of Christian Horizons form 1976 to 2001. The devotionals we will be using are from a book he wrote in 2005 called “Walking with God”. Noel’s reflections are grounded in his experiences as an educator, and provider of supports for individuals with exceptional needs as well as his life as a dedicated follower of Christ.