"On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?" (Matthew 26:17 NLT)
The disciples expected instruction from Jesus. They were ready to receive it and complete it. Are we? Do we defer to His will and await His directives? Or do we go about our own volition until otherwise instructed?
The Upper Room in Jerusalem.
It occurs to me that when we await Christ’s instruction, we are far more apt to follow through. Even when the instructions are strange or difficult.
"So the disciples did as Jesus told them," (Matthew 26:19 NLT)
A few days ago, a dear friend sent me 1 Kings 22:2 with the statement “Wouldn’t this be a great epitaph?” I read these eight words about the disciples and thought the same thing. “She did what Jesus told her” are just the sort of words I’d aspire to have etched on my tombstone.
Still more prophecy came to pass through the obedience of these disciples. Their compliance allowed them to participate in something important. We never know what God is accomplishing through our obedience, but we can safely presume He’s fulfilling something Kingdom.
This reality makes our obedience paramount. Consistently saying ‘yes’ to God is a simple thing that remains within our grasp, yet it makes all the difference in our walk with Him. What might God entrust us with when He is confident in our affirmative response to His directives? Meal plans like Passover, transportation acquisition like the disciples on donkey duty, even Gentile souls like Apostle Paul. Our commitment to divine ‘yes’ impacts the Kingdom in untold ways. Let’s start nodding our heads in agreement with God today.
"Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom shall I send as a messenger to the people? Who will go for us? I said, "Here I am, send me." (Isaiah 6:8 NLT)
Lord, today we recognize that You are still looking for men and women who will carry out Your commands. Give us the courage to step up to the plate with our ‘yes’. We long to serve Your purposes in this life and the next. Help us carry out our faith in complete obedience. Amen.