Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Imagine building a house for someone that you know is in need. They don't have a place to live. They don't even have a place to put their head for tonight. And you're building this house and you want to gift it to them. How do you expect they would respond? Take a moment to think on it.
Now imagine that their response is, “I don't want this house at all. As a matter of fact, give me $1,000,000 on top of it, and then maybe I'll accept your house.” Where am I going with this? I know this sounds really random, but that's exactly what Jesus is facing in John chapter 6. We're going to go to verse 44, and Jesus says, "For no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them to Me. And at the last day I will raise them up."
When We Set the Terms
A little bit of context here. Jesus is talking to a group of people that have expressed they are only going to follow Him based on their own terms and their own level of understanding, and their own level of comfort. Even more context is in this exact same chapter. Jesus feeds 5,000 men, not including women and children, with five loaves of bread and two fish.
They just witnessed and experienced Him performing a miracle and still they're saying, we need some more if we're going to follow you, perform another miracle. Jesus, in His love, makes it very clear to them- you don't get to set the terms of what it means to accept the gift that My Father is giving you. That's not how faith works. That's not how following Me works.
It makes me think of Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8. "God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this. It is a gift from God." It's a gift. Again, going back to the illustration of the house, how would you feel? I'm sure you'd feel really frustrated. I'm sure you'd feel hurt. Probably pretty angry. Under-valued. That's exactly what Jesus is feeling here and still in this verse.
He says, "I will raise them up at the last day." He's patient. I know I've been pretty guilty at times of putting God in a box and saying, “Lord, I need you to do this thing. If I'm going to give you my full yes, I need you to move in this way. I need, you name it. And then I'll follow you. Then I'll be obedient.” I've been guilty of being exactly like this group of people that we're talking about.
The Response God Desires
Think about the response that you hope that you would get. Going back to the illustration of the house one more time. What's the response you'd hope to get? I'm sure it'd be one of gratitude. I'm sure it's one that says, “I'm going to steward this gift that you've given me. I'm going to make sure the grass is cut. I'm going to make sure I'm inviting people over.
I'm going to make sure it's decorated and cared for well. Not only that, I'm going to live my life in a way that reflects how grateful I am for this gift.” Now, imagine that gift is the fact that Jesus went to the cross and gave His life for everything we will ever do wrong. I'm sure He expects for our response to be the same.
Lord, I'm grateful. I want to live my life in a way that shows that I'm grateful. I want to steward the life and the plan that You have for me. I want to walk with You.
A Prayer of Surrender
What I'd love to do today is just say a prayer over you. Because, again, you're not the only one who's responded that way. I know I have. So, Lord, I want to pray for every person listening to this. God, where we've put You in a box, or where we've run from Your plan because it doesn't fit our level of comfort. God, I just pray that we would understand the love that You've had for us from the beginning. That you would even give Your Son to die on a cross for us.
God, it's a gift. There’s nothing we could do to earn it. You've already done enough. God, I pray for the hearts of Your people. In Jesus' name. Amen.
