Luke 14:33-35
"Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple.
"Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it's useless, good for nothing.
"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A friend of mine posted on Facebook that she was staying up late at night reading the book Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. I downloaded it onto my Kindle and began reading. Just like my friend… I could not put the book down. I encourage you to get a copy of this book and read it for yourself. Whether you believe that this truly happened or not, I pray that you will glean some insights into how much God loves us… the power of prayer… the reality of the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives… and how important it is to focus on the right things.
The Burpo family faced several life-changing challenges, but none more gut-wrenching than the sudden, near-fatal illness of their 4-year-old son, Colton. And in this experience, they had to wrestle with the possibility of giving Colton – literally – to God. It’s a decision we all pray we never have to make… choosing to trust God even in the loss of our child. But as Todd Burpo points out in this book, our Heavenly Father turned away as Jesus died on the cross… and Burpo surmises it was largely because He would not have been able to allow it, had He watched.
Still, we must be willing to do whatever God asks… trusting that He will be with us every step of the way. And after reading this book, I think you will have a better understanding of just how God is with us – in everything. Nobody said being a disciple of Christ was going to be easy… but more and more I am convinced that it is worth the cost, no matter what that may be.
I know it’s hard sometimes… I know that many of us face gut-wrenching challenges and struggles… and we often cry out to God and ask, “Why is this happening? Where are you?” I am confident that He is still here… with us every step of the way. He has given everything – even to His own Son – so that we can be with Him. The question is… “What are we willing to give to be with Him?”
©2011 Debbie Robus
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