That Most Important Thing

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Reflect

Times of crisis, like the coronavirus pandemic, often prompt us to think about what’s most important in our lives. Some have lost family and friends to the virus, some have lost their livelihoods, and many have seen their plans put on hold or cancelled altogether. Even if a vaccine is found tomorrow, some of the repercussions of the pandemic will continue for years. When everything else is stripped away, what will we hold on to?

A rich young man asked Jesus what good thing he must do to gain eternal life. This man was already doing his best to obey God’s commands and was probably looking for some kind of formula that would guarantee him a spot in heaven. Little did he know how confronting Jesus’ answer would be.

‘One thing you lack …Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ (v. 21)

Woah! That wasn’t what the young man was expecting. He went away sad, because of his great wealth. Jesus wasn’t judging him or condemning him. We’re told that he looked at the young man and loved him (v. 21). However, Jesus knew where this man’s real allegiance lay. He loved his treasure more than he loved God. If only he’d understood that the riches that come from following Christ are worth so much more.

When everything else is crumbling around us, God is the one constant. He is still on his throne and he cares deeply about what we’re going through. He loves us, but he’s not interested in lip service or how many good deeds we can tick off. He’s more concerned about our relationship with him.

His love surpasses anything we have ever known. Will we take this opportunity to draw closer to him?

Pray

Dear Lord, though I don’t always understand why difficult times come upon us, I choose to draw nearer to you. Please help me in my struggles and show me how to focus on the most important thing—my relationship with you. Amen

Ponder

Q1 Read Psalm 63:3-5 and Ephesians 3:8-19. What do the ‘boundless riches of Christ’ mean to you?

Q2 What sort of things might be holding you back from wholeheartedly following God?

Photo credit – Pezibear on Pixabay

Scriptures taken from the NIV. Click here for the copyright notice.

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8 Responses

  1. When everything else is crumbling around us, God is the one constant. I love this Nola. I don’t love learning this, but am discovering it is the truth. Thanks for the reminder. xx

    1. Thanks Janelle. I have to remind myself too. I think a lot of interesting lessons will come out of these times. Writing devotions is one way for me to work through them myself. Thanks for commenting 🙂

  2. Thanks Nola. It’s so simple that even a child can understand it. Yet people still miss how much Jesus really cares for them. He promises to protect us from the fatal plague (Psalm 91) and provide for us (Psalm 23). This world is built on crumbling sand. Thank God we can build our lives on the solid rock.

    1. Thanks, Elizabeth. Yes, it’s certainly good to remember those passages. The Psalms are great reminders of all God has done for us and what he will continue to do. Thanks for commenting.

  3. Thanks, Nola. I’m reminded of ‘When all is stripped away…’ and in these times I often think, hope and pray that it – the world – won’t go back to what it was.

    1. Thanks, Glennis. I think a lot of lessons have been learned, but you’ve made an excellent point. It’s so important that we keep applying those positive lessons. This pandemic has certainly caused a lot of us to stop, think and re-evaluate. It’s so reassuring to remember that God is still working out His good purposes even when things seem to be going awry. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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