GraceCreates

By Jon Walker

“And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News to them, too. As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he did, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.” Acts 8:25b–28 (NLT)

There is an old joke among journalists about a beginning reporter sent to do a story about a town meeting. He comes back a few hours later with sooty smudges on his face, and he tells his editor that there’s nothing to report about the meeting.

The editor asks why, and the young reporter says the meeting never took place because the town hall burned to the ground. And wiping the soot from his face, he says, “Some of us barely got out with our lives!”

He’d missed a story far more important than the town meeting because he didn’t yet understand the need for a reporter to be flexible. Journalists must be willing to drop everything they’re doing at a moment’s notice in order to chase after a new story that comes with a higher priority.

As Jesus-people, we need to develop a similar flexibility. We can plan and prepare, but when God tells us to head in a different direction, we should set aside our agenda and join God where He’s calling us to work.

In the case of Philip, he was on the way back to Jerusalem with some of the other disciples, and every town they stopped in along the way, people were coming to know Jesus. But God told Philip to take a different route, and in his obedience, he found God already working within the treasurer of Ethiopia.

What does this mean?

• Plan, prepare, but remain flexible – When God disrupts your plans, His agenda takes priority over your own. Ask God to give you discernment in these moments and to help you develop obedience. Thank God for His patience because He knows you’re learning and growing.
• Flexibility is part of growing into Christlikeness – “Then Jesus replied, ‘I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does these things in the same way. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing, and He will show Him greater works than these so that you will be amazed.” (John 5:19–20, HCSB)
• The Holy Spirit will teach this flexibility – Working from inside of you, the Holy Spirit will guide you as you move forward in faithful flexibility. “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.” (John 16:13, HCSB)
• Be encouraged – God is for you, not against you.

Jon Walker is the teaching pastor for “The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals,” and resident writer at www.GraceCreates.com. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 9:13 (NKJV)

He cradled the roses in his left arm like a running back carries a football (U.S.). He debated with himself over which would be best: a solitary rose or a dozen roses wrapped with baby’s breath. He went for the dozen, thinking the more, the better when you’re trying to tip the scales back toward the “nice guy” side.

So he carried 12 deep-red roses just on the edge of a beautiful bloom. They’d cost him plenty, but that’s the price you have to pay when you let someone down. Today was their anniversary. There were dinner plans, a night of romance, whispered words, tender kisses.

A wonderful, “sweet dreams are made of these” night – that he forgot. Forgot because he was under pressure at work to complete a project; forgot because he needed to do well, not just because of ambition, but because he needed a promotion. The money was tight, and he wanted to be able to support his family in a better way.

The roses were a huge expense, but it was a necessary sacrifice to make it up with his wife. He owed her more, but this could be the start of earning his way back into her favor.

Now imagine you are the one carrying the roses and you’re bringing them to Jesus. You’re offering the roses as a “sacrifice” to compensate for your bad behavior, for your sin.

But Jesus says he doesn’t want the roses, not if they’re delivered with the intention of making up for your mess up. He says, in effect, “I want your surrendered heart. I’d rather have your surrendered and obedient heart instead of a heroic sacrifice meant to earn my forgiveness and love.” (God may call you to some heroic sacrifice, but the difference is doing what God says to do as an act of obedience, not an offering of guilt.)

In Matthew 9:13, Jesus is referring to Hosea 6:6 – “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (NKJV) He wants our love and obedience; He wants us to be one with His agenda. He’d rather have our lifelong love than a dozen roses.

Eugene Peterson suggests it could be explained this way: “… ‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual.’” (Matthew 12:7, MSG) The sacrifice Jesus wants is a contrite heart, flexible and obedient, wholly and totally surrendered to Him.

What does this mean?

• Give God your flexible heart – You can’t make God love you more and you can’t do anything that will make Him love you less. You are already forgiven; it is a gift that Jesus already paid for through His death and resurrection. Ask God to guide you into developing a flexible heart. Give God your heart, surrendered and submitted to Him.
• Consider Psalm 51 – Read through Psalm 51, where David comes before God to confess His sin with Bathsheba. David understood that God didn’t want a “guilt offering”; rather, He wanted to create a clean heart within David.

Jon Walker is the teaching pastor for “The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals,” and resident writer at www.GraceCreates.com. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.