A Glimpse at the Price of Surrendering to Christ (Mark 8)
/This morning, on "
God is Love - Love Covers All (Facebook page)
, I posted
and said, "I'm starting to see this in so many different ways..." If you read it in context (
), there's so much in that chapter.
The Feeding Miracles
Miracles:
He fed 4,000 with 7 loaves and collected 7 baskets of leftover. He reminded them that he fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 12 baskets leftover.
Interlude:
A few minutes later, He warned the disciples to "beware the yeast of the Pharisees, and that of Herod". As with most of us, who keep seeing our sin, forgetting that we have a Saviour, they though 'oh no! It's because we left the baskets of bread! We just have one now!' Jesus had to spell it out. He said their eyes were closed and their hearts hardened. What keeps your eyes on your circumstances instead of on Christ? Do you remember why Peter was able to walk on water? (
) Do you remember why he started to sink?
Lesson:
All after He'd given thanks and broken the bread. God's math surpasses our logic. Give thanks and walk in faith and He'll move everything to meet your needs (came to mind that if all you have is bad food, He can make even that, nourishing!). There is nothing He cannot do. More, there is nothing we cannot do when we walk in Him, in Love.
The Healing Miracle
Miracle:
He took the blind man out of the city to restore his sight. He put His spit on the blind man's eyes to restore His sight.
Interlude:
Do you have that kind of faith? In his shoes would you have said "what the hell?!" and walked away without ever knowing what you missed because of pride? Or would you have surrendered your pride (riskyyy) and stepped out in faith to 'watch Christ work'?
Lesson:
(obviously) if you walk with God in Christ through the intercession of the Holy Spirit by faith, then regardless of how ridiculous the task you're called to, you'll do it. That is what says you know the God you serve.
The Point
Then He closes with 'if you fight for your life you'll lose it, but surrender it to me, and you will gain all'. Those were examples of what we could do, if we trust Him, walk in Him! This doesn't even scratch the surface of all the meaning in, the depth of, this chapter. (The Word is so awesome.)
Source:
www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Inspirational-Images/large/Mark_8-36.jpg
for this post -
lovecoversall-godislove.blogspot.ca/2014/06/a-glimpse-at-price-of-surrendering-to.html
Everyone reads
, and says lightly that they'll drop everything to 'seek first His kingdom', so they could have everything. Well, that means laying down all of your idols to make God in Christ Jesus first. Pride, power, stability, control, money, some friends and relatives - all that you hold above God - lay it down. Ready?
Praying for you to have such a strong love-encounter with God, that it would be inevitable that you put Him first. Amen.
