BBD 03.26.14 Commitment (Classic)

#1 · March 26, 2014, 11:31 am

Quote from Forum Archives on March 26, 2014, 11:31 am
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for some reason you do not
receive your email version of the devotional please check the Burning Bush
website at www.theburningbushnet for the “Devotional of the Day” and read the
devotional there.

The Burning Bush Devotional

14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional

Classic from 2005

03.26.14

Commitment

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him,
“Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have
holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay
His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me
first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own
dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord,
I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” - Luke 9:57-62.

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” - Luke 9:23.

Three years ago, Brett Backwell broke his ring finger
playing Australian Rules football. Since breaking his finger, Brett has
experienced much pain from the injury. Doctors suggested that he have the bone
of the finger fused, but Bret has decided on a different option. To keep on
playing football at the professional level, he has had half of his ring finger
amputated. Brett
says, “It's not something that's been done lightly
and to chop a finger off, it's a bit drastic. But I love my footy and love
playing sport and if that's going to help me to succeed at this level then it's
something you've just got to do.” Ken Applegarth the Glenelg club
manager says, “The decision was an emotional one that
confirmed Backwell's commitment to his sport.”

Commitment is not a popular term in today’s world and to
hear of anyone being truly committed to anything is somewhat shocking. We see
signs of a lack of commitment everywhere. The divorce rate is still climbing,
but also those living together outside of marriage are increasing with
one-third of all children being born out of wedlock as the evidence of it.
Surveys show that brand loyalty has decreased. There are fewer numbers of
people who are willing to join any organization and the percentage of those
willing to fight for their country has continued to drop. Parents today, are
less willing to remain in a marriage just for the sake of their children. It
has also been observed that those agreeing to attend or participate in an
event, but who later do not show up or back out is continuing to increase.

A lack of true commitment has been a problem for the
cause of Christ since the beginning. Jesus experienced first hand people who
were somewhat involved until there was a cost involved, and then they turned
away from Him. Until, after the resurrection, the record of the disciples who
were totally committed to Him was very, very few - most of them fled when the
going got tough fearing that they themselves would be crucified.

Jesus never says that being a Christian is
easy. He does say that His yoke is easy, but it is still a yoke. Jesus
indicates up front that it is not an easy road when he says, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has
nowhere to lay His head.” He makes it
even clearer when He says, “If anyone
desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,
and follow Me.” In other words, take up your
instrument of execution every day and follow Him. Put your own personal
desires, wants, dreams, habits, addictions, lusts to death every day and follow
Him. That is a commitment indeed!

The kind of commitment that Jesus calls us to is very
difficult, but the alternative is so much worse. The only way we can really
have life and really live life to the ultimate is through a true commitment to
Jesus Christ. Have you renewed your commitment to Him today? If so, rise
up and follow Him.

Copyright © 2005 - 2014. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn
profile with endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the people of Ukraine and Venezuela. Please pray for our friend, Ora Lee
Roberts, as she recovers from surgery. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for some reason you do not
receive your email version of the devotional please check the Burning Bush
website at http://www.theburningbushnet for the “Devotional of the Day” and read the
devotional there.

The Burning Bush Devotional

14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional

Classic from 2005

03.26.14

Commitment

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him,
“Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have
holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay
His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me
first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own
dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord,
I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” - Luke 9:57-62.

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” - Luke 9:23.

Three years ago, Brett Backwell broke his ring finger
playing Australian Rules football. Since breaking his finger, Brett has
experienced much pain from the injury. Doctors suggested that he have the bone
of the finger fused, but Bret has decided on a different option. To keep on
playing football at the professional level, he has had half of his ring finger
amputated. Brett
says, “It's not something that's been done lightly
and to chop a finger off, it's a bit drastic. But I love my footy and love
playing sport and if that's going to help me to succeed at this level then it's
something you've just got to do.” Ken Applegarth the Glenelg club
manager says, “The decision was an emotional one that
confirmed Backwell's commitment to his sport.”

Commitment is not a popular term in today’s world and to
hear of anyone being truly committed to anything is somewhat shocking. We see
signs of a lack of commitment everywhere. The divorce rate is still climbing,
but also those living together outside of marriage are increasing with
one-third of all children being born out of wedlock as the evidence of it.
Surveys show that brand loyalty has decreased. There are fewer numbers of
people who are willing to join any organization and the percentage of those
willing to fight for their country has continued to drop. Parents today, are
less willing to remain in a marriage just for the sake of their children. It
has also been observed that those agreeing to attend or participate in an
event, but who later do not show up or back out is continuing to increase.

A lack of true commitment has been a problem for the
cause of Christ since the beginning. Jesus experienced first hand people who
were somewhat involved until there was a cost involved, and then they turned
away from Him. Until, after the resurrection, the record of the disciples who
were totally committed to Him was very, very few - most of them fled when the
going got tough fearing that they themselves would be crucified.

Jesus never says that being a Christian is
easy. He does say that His yoke is easy, but it is still a yoke. Jesus
indicates up front that it is not an easy road when he says, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has
nowhere to lay His head.” He makes it
even clearer when He says, “If anyone
desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,
and follow Me.” In other words, take up your
instrument of execution every day and follow Him. Put your own personal
desires, wants, dreams, habits, addictions, lusts to death every day and follow
Him. That is a commitment indeed!

The kind of commitment that Jesus calls us to is very
difficult, but the alternative is so much worse. The only way we can really
have life and really live life to the ultimate is through a true commitment to
Jesus Christ. Have you renewed your commitment to Him today? If so, rise
up and follow Him.

Copyright © 2005 - 2014. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn
profile with endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the people of Ukraine and Venezuela. Please pray for our friend, Ora Lee
Roberts, as she recovers from surgery. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org