It's Matthew I'm talking about.
Recent events had led me to think a little on sacrifices.
A short message conversation with Stacia led me to think...How many people are willingly to give up what was normal and trust God to do the Unnormal. Stacia mentions her stress on her numerous homework. Me being me ask her to trust God on her Homework. Explaining that if we put God first , he will take care of everything else with reference to Matthew 6:33.
Later I talkd to Aunty Seok Hoon about all this. She told me but of course we must be first consistent with our work. I agreed as God isn't meant to be an emergency escape door .Or an excuse to slack. So I clarify my point saying that that's true but there are times where although you are really consistent, but an exam is near or a project is near and you have not finish yet. So will you choose to put time aside to worship God or will you just put God aside ? I then added, many times we are put into tight positions and I believe that those are the one of the many situations that we can see God work wonders if we chose Him. Like, we chose to attend church despite knowing that we do not have time to finish our project or brush up the last few important chapters of our notes. We let go and trust God that we have did what we could with the time He has given us and we tell God that we would really like to take this time to come to Him in worship and Prayer however, we are also very aware that we have a project, an exam. So knowing that God is a capable and powerful God, we want to trust our Projects and Examinations in His hand and ask for mercy to be able to do well in it.
My basis for this kind of action a based on not only on what I have experienced but what God has told me through the word. That God is able to transform what little to much and that He is capable of doing miracles in our lives. As well as a promising verse that states that He comes that we will have life to the fullest and He plans for the good of all who love Him. Of course that doesn't means that you will sure do well in your project or examination.There will be times where you'll just downright fail. So what are you going to do in those times? Say to God: "I put you first and see what happen?" or no longer trust God with Situations like this? For me, I'll accept it as it is.For I believe no matter how bad things get, God has a good reason for it and remember i mention earlier that God will work for the good of those who love Him?
Yeah God promised that.
Romans 8:28
I trust it.
Now ,In fact this Morning God reassure me with a stronger example of sacrifice through His word.
Let's look at Matthew. Yeah One of the twelve Disciples. Before this he is a tax collector. You can know all this through the book of Matthew.
So let's look at how he responded to Jesus.
Matthew 9:9
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
Ah...Matthew got up and follow Him. A few can comprehend what this action means. More than any other disciples, Matthew had a clear idea of how much it would cost to follow Jesus,yet he did not hesitate a moment. When he left his tax-collecting booth, he garanteed himself unemployment.. For several other disciples, there was always fishing to return to, but for matthew, there was no turning back.
Tax collecting is a government Job. You don't just quit when you feel like it and join when you feel like it. Tax-collector's are hated by their people as they are often seen as traitors to their own people. In fact they have a bad reputations of taking more money that they are meant to. The possiblilty of being reemployed are super low and I don't think he knows how to fish hahaz.
And we know that many of the disciples of Jesus died horribly in the end.
So so ....We see a big sacrifice here,and an horrible ending. Wait ...that's not the ending.... the Ending is when they are with GOd and I believe, that as they have faithfully exalted God in their lives, God will exalt them in Heaven!
So it's no big sacrifice after all. So I'm firm in my stand that whatever I gives to God God knows and what ever happens , I'll always have a good ending in Heaven.No sacrifice here is too big to make in exchange for the riches and glory of being with God in heaven!!