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Many thanks to Peter Jones who has again prepared this week’s devotions. This week our attention is focused on Luke chapter 14, verses 16-35. Please read these verses every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 14:28-33 (NIV)
‘Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, “This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.” ‘Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.’
Today’s devotions relate to preparation and Jesus uses 2 parables to Illustrate the importance of how to prepare us for discipleship. In the first parable He uses the illustration of building. I feel sad when I see unfinished properties and wonder why the buildings are left in that state. When I have been on holidays in Spain we travel by car from the airport to our resort. On each occasion we see many properties left abandoned and unfinished. It is usually because the builder has insufficient funds to finish the structure. There may be many reasons for this but inevitably the main reason would have been lack of preparation.
Jesus is using the illustration of building a tower and states “This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.” During my years as a Christian, I have met many people who for whatever reason are no longer following Jesus. They give many reasons for this, but mostly they blame other people. So how does this fit in with this parable. I believe when we become a Christian there are certain things we need to understand.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus warns us of what it means to be a Christian. Jesus was teaching on one occasion and a follower said “I will follow you wherever you go” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” There is a verse in Ecclesiastes which says “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?” When people constantly look back, they will never move on. Following Jesus means moving forward because the whole essence of following is movement. We were thrilled a few months ago to listen to preaching on Psalm 23. We were taught the principle of how the shepherd leads his sheep. Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”
Paul wrote to Timothy to encourage him and to warn him of the pitfalls that he may encounter. He said “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed” We are not told if it was a permanent thing, but the love of the pleasures of the world will cause us to lose our way.
If this was all we can say on this matter, we would be very despondent but Jesus encourages us to look forward to a different type of building. In John 14 He makes this promise to us “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
Let us prepare for that day by counting the cost of what is before us. Our Christian walk is one that is exciting and after over 50 years of serving the Lord, I would not want any other way of life.
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