Thursday, 23 January 2025

MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - 22/01/25

WEDNESDAY - 22ND JANUARY, 2025

MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO

THE COST OF FORSAKING ALL - Fitted For A Manner Of Life Series 009

Matthew 19:27-29, KJV

"27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life."

I made a statement in an earlier series that, "there are assignments or purpose that'll require not being attached to anyone or anything so you're not smothered or hindered by emotional attachment to family or things."

That thing is true and it is that statement God wants to capitalize on to teach us today's truth. Peter asked, "what is our reward for forsaking all and following you?" Jesus explains what the reward would be in the regeneration but in the process we get to discover what sacrifices these disciples have made and what sacrifices any of us are being called to. It includes living land, house, family and loved ones! That ain't a small thing! Forsaking those with whom you have developed emotional attachment is hard.  

Do you know that Jesus Himself temporarily and often forsook his own family? 

Matthew 12:46, KJV

"46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee."

One time, his mother and brethren came searching for Him. To have come for Jesus might mean they missed him or didn't have his presence to hold or cherish at home. Oooh, it's a great sacrifice to have a child whose face you're not seeing at home every time. Mary must have endured a lot of things and eventually when Jesus was later crucified and He had to forsake her and others in order to fulfill the purpose of redemption. The truth is this, don't build a fence around any of your children. They have a purpose to fulfill. Once they're beginning to live for it, let that purpose make its full demands on them. You can sympathize with them for their sufferings but don't let your sympathy become demoralization or a yoke on their neck pulling them back. It is not the prayer of any parent to have a disabled child. One who'll spend his entire life to be catered for by the parents without being independent. So, lose the sail of your children's ships when it comes to purpose. If their purpose involves travelling, commit it to God and look with anticipation for their return. Stop worrying. Like Mary, let Jesus go. Let Him live the life afore appointed for Him. Let Him take the gospel round and bring light to those seated in the region of darkness. Parents must learn and learn again on releasing their wards from the nest. Let them go. Let them alone to find their foot. They'll always come back. 

When Jesus talks about forsaking, He didn't say " kill your father, mother, wife or children! No! He meant you must be weaned of them and not love them more than the Lord or the purpose that may be your preordained." Parents must learn to let them go. Don't cling or clutch to them. Jesus intends we must prioritize the pursuit of the kingdom and spreading of the gospel than anything. He meant our love must be clear and loud for the Father, not being contested by a spouse or a child. It should be clear that we love God most of all. 

On some occasions, there were people called to follow Jesus who said, "let me go and kiss my family goodbye."

Luke 9:59-62, KJV

"59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Some just by making that mistake were disqualified from the call. Elisha almost missed it when he was turning back also. See I Kings 19:19-21. 

Jesus in responding to some of these people would say, "let the dead bury their dead" or "you, follow me." The gospel worth more than security or pleasure with our families. It is something to live one's entire life for. Even if you have a family, you can continually go back and forth like David did while with Saul in order to fulfill your assignment of spreading the gospel and being with those God is pleased with and recognizes you should give time to also. Only that your spouse or children must understand that you're the called of God and they'll not have you around like any other father, mother, son or daughter in the neighborhood who doesn't carry your call. Calling or our call makes demands on us that may put sacrifices on us or on others close to us. 

I could teach for a whole day none stop. One time, I started writing teachings around 7:30PM or so in the night and only to finish around 5AM the next day. That was while a core member at Nigerian Christian Corpers' Fellowship (NCCF) Dutsinma Zone, Kastina State. My wife knows once teaching anointing hits me, it means don't disturb me. This series that I am on its 8th began around 9:10AM. This is 1:17PM and I'm still writing. I only consult Bibles, dictionary, make a stop for meditation, speak to myself, muse or exclaim for affirmation. I've been seated somewhere writing it for hours. That's the demand of my own call on me. Though it didn't require that I necessarily abstain from sex but to get it done, I have to shut myself in a room free of noise and other pleasures with only materials to consult and a proper atmosphere to think and hear God speaking through my thoughts to me. I have not even eaten though on such occasions I might treat myself to certain fruits and quickly close my door again. That is not different from living the life of a celibate. A life of the called it is. It'll make demands on you and you must give it. Or else, the anointing might be on you and there may be no tangibility to measure or mark that the anointing is on you or that God is using you. My teachings and the devotional I write is one of the evidences of that I'm anointed and God is on me, in me and with me. You know a minister both by his works and his life! 

This is a call to forsake all and follow! Imagine the earlier apostles being away from home and family, yet they laid familial affection down to serve God. May you be found worthy of the Lord this way. 

PRAYER: May nothing be too costly for me to sacrifice to the Lord. May I pass the test of love.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN 

Matthew 15:1-28 & Exodus 1-2

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