PROFIT AND LOSS

Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You." So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time--houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions--and in the age to come, eternal life.  (Mark 10:28-30 NKJV)

The principles of this world and those of our Lord are widely different. The world is set on grasping all it can by accumulation, self aggrandizement, the piling up of fortunes, the gradual or speedy climb up the ladder of fame, and the gathering of hosts of friends. Looking after "number one" is the readiest way of expressing this principle of life! But it is unsatisfactory and disappointing. The soul which is the center of its own circumference is doomed to realize that there are more forfeits than prizes, more bitterness than success, and more dark hours than bright ones.

On the other side, Christ's principle of life is to give, to trust, and to bless! His measure must be always pressed down and running over. The cloak must follow the coat; the second mile must be gladly thrown in with the first. To be willing to surrender all for the sake of others is the ordinary claim of the King on those who own Him as their Lord.

In every age there have been thousands who have gladly accepted this as their rule of life. Peter and the rest of the Apostles were the leaders of a host which no man can number, who have left all to follow Jesus. He had nowhere to lay His head, and they have been homeless, wandering in the world, with no settled abiding place; He was poor and they have gone amongst their fellows, saying: "Silver and gold have we none, but such as we have we give." But how great has been their reward. Before we can understand what Christ is willing to do for us, there must be not only a taking hold, but a letting go. We must step out of the boat, and withdraw our hand from it. It’s even good, like Paul, to need all things, since by faith we come to possess all. Read the wonderful series of paradoxes to which he gives in 2 Corinthians 4.

The Lord promises eternal life as the crown of all. When we kneel at the cross, and see Jesus as our own Savior, we have eternal life, but we cannot realize all it implies until this mortality is swallowed up of life.

PRAYER

You have called us to minister and witness, to go among men as our Savior went, bearing in our hands the balm of Gilead. May we not be disobedient to this heavenly vision.   In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

God's Daily Promise

Promise #164:
Nothing will be impossible for those who have even a little faith.

Matthew 17:19-20 (WEB)
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?” 20 He said to them,“Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.