“And immediately they left their nets and followed him.” — Mark 1:18

Follow Jesus Immediately

To follow Jesus immediately means responding to his call with faith, obedience, and a clear sense of spiritual urgency.

I have often thought of the Gospel of Mark as the “book of immediately.” The word is one of Mark’s preferred terms when describing the actions of Jesus and the people around him. In the first chapter alone, Mark repeatedly emphasizes how quickly events unfold as Jesus begins his earthly ministry.

The message is clear: Jesus was on a mission, and there was no time to waste.

There truly was not.

Jesus had approximately three years to complete the work his Father had given him. During that brief period, he would proclaim the arrival of God’s Kingdom, bring freedom to those held captive by sin, choose and disciple a small group of followers, and prepare them to become his witnesses.

Ultimately, Jesus would pay the price for humanity’s sin and break its power through his death and resurrection.

Three short years changed the course of eternity.

Why We Must Follow Jesus Immediately

I am now sixty, and I hope to retire this year. My desire is not simply to leave my job. I increasingly long to make the remaining years of my life count and to invest them as strategically as possible.

That is why I understand the word “immediately.”

Every follower of Christ should understand it.

We may not know how many years, months, or days remain before us. Regardless of our age, our time on this earth is limited. Following Jesus is therefore not something we should continually postpone until life becomes quieter or more convenient.

To follow Jesus immediately is to recognize that today matters. There are people to love, prayers to pray, truths to share, needs to meet, and acts of obedience that should not be delayed.

Follow Jesus Immediately into the Harvest

In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus told his disciples:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.”

Farmers understand that when a harvest is ripe, timing is essential. A ready harvest cannot be ignored indefinitely. If workers delay too long, the opportunity may be lost.

Jesus used this image to describe people who are ready to hear, receive, and respond to the good news of God’s Kingdom.

The harvest remains plentiful, and the need for faithful workers remains urgent. God calls his people not merely to observe the harvest, but to enter it.

Following Jesus Without Delay

Spiritual urgency does not mean living in panic or constant activity. It means remaining attentive to God and being willing to obey when he directs us.

The disciples in Mark 1 did not ask Jesus to return later. They left their nets and followed him.

Their response challenges us to examine the things we may be holding too tightly. Our “nets” may include comfort, routine, fear, career plans, possessions, personal ambitions, or the desire for approval.

What might Jesus be asking you to release?

Where might he be asking you to serve?

Who might need to hear about his love through your words or actions?

When Christ calls, the faithful response is not endless delay. It is trust expressed through obedience.

A Prayer to Follow Jesus Immediately

Lord, ignite my heart and open my eyes to see the harvest of precious souls who need to be brought in. Help me follow Jesus immediately and obey you without unnecessary delay. Use me and all your people for the work of your Kingdom. Wake us while there is still time. May we rejoice with full hearts when you return or call us home. Amen.

Thought: Identify one action you believe God has been asking you to take. Ask him for the faith and courage to begin today rather than waiting for a more convenient time.

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus through The Four Spiritual Laws.

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“How’s the battle,” I asked my wife as she was sewing a hem under time pressure.

“Why’s it a battle?” she looked up, quizzically.

“Hmm, guess I always think of things as a battle,” I replied. ” But aren’t I supposed to be a warrior?”

“Yes, but most of the time you go around all hunched, worrying.”

“A Strong and Mighty Worrier, eh,” I joked.

Are you like me? Do you have trouble understanding and applying Paul’s admonition to the Philippians:

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

“But you see, Lord,” I might counter, “I’m responsible for many things. I’ve got to love my wife, raise my kids, provide for my family.” If I don’t worry about these things, who is going to? Well certainly not God! When will I learn that He’s got this? That I’m called to work hard, yes, but in the end, I’m also called to let go, cast my cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7), and rest.

“Peace I leave with you,” Jesus told his disciples, just before he surrendered His life to the cross. “my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Wow, with all these promises and exhortations from Scripture, what’s my problem? Seems like a no brainer, doesn’t it?

Control, that’s my problem. When it comes down to it, I want to be in charge, and if I’m in charge – frankly – I’ve got a lot to worry about!

Surrender is the key. Surrender to His love, surrender to His grace, surrender to His plan. If He is in charge (and ultimately He is, whether we accept it or not!), then I don’t have to be. As I trust and rest in Him and His good plan for me and for my family, His peace will come. As I speak with my good and loving Father daily, lifting my concerns to Him – His peace will naturally begin to rule my mind and heart.

Now that sounds like a better place!

Lord, please help me trust and rest in you … so I can be the Strong and Mighty Warrior that I long to be … loving and fighting for my King, my wife, my kids, and my neighbor, near and far. Amen.

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

She Forgot to Worry

What Do You Do With Worry?

Victory over Worry

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“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

This is a familiar passage for many of us. Depending on your background, it might bring warm memories of childhood Christmas celebrations, or maybe it’s just holiday verbiage that had little meaning for you.

We must not miss the astounding message of this passage, however. In Matthew, it is quoted, giving us more definition:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which means God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

“God with us.” Let that phrase sink in for a moment. Not “God above us” or “God distant from us” or “God against us.”

What does it mean, that God is with us? He wasn’t content to watch men and women, made in His image, wallowing in sin and darkness. He wasn’t content to leave us to ourselves. He fashioned, before the dawn of time, a daring rescue plan. A plan that would have Him lose His life … only to take it up again … to pay for our sins and to give us eternal life. That is “God with us” and God for us!

Each December, during the deepest darkness of the longest nights, God sends us His message year after year: “I am with you.” He is with us in the Light that has come into the world, His Son, Jesus. His Spirit dwells inside each and every believer.

“Arise, shine, for your Light has come!” (Isaiah 60:1).

That is the glory of Christmas. Let us never lose this hope.

Rejoice!

Heavenly Father, even in the darkest times of the year and in our lives, you promise to be with us. That promise is celebrated in the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World. Let Him shine brightly in my heart so I can be a beacon for others. Amen.

By Rand Kreycik
used buy permission

FURTHER READING

More Christmas Articles and Devotionals

How to Know God Personally: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

I always thought I was free. Not only was I descended from independent pioneer forebears, but I had also come to understand (I thought) the concept of grace. It was comforting to think that, even though there was compromise in my life, God would always forgive me because He is gracious and kind. I might displease Him, but in the end, grace would trump disobedience and I would waltz into heaven.

I had learned how costly grace had been to the Savior, even though it was free for me. I had heard of “cheap grace” — treating God like a kindly grandfather and taking His love and mercy for granted — but that certainly was not my attitude, or so I reasoned. I would not have expressed it quite that way, but my behavior certainly showed it.

But did I really understand the freedom grace brings? Clearly not.

In John 8:34, Jesus told the Jews,

“Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”

They too thought they were free. They had “never been enslaved to anyone” (v. 33).

Jesus made it obvious that their sin had captured them. And mine had snared me as well. I was trapped in a slavish cycle of sin, false repentance, and sin again. Only after decades of futility did I finally come to the end of myself and plead with God to truly set me free. And, gloriously, He did!

He always answers prayers like that. Are you truly free from the cycle of sin?

Heavenly Father, thank you for never giving up on me! Thank you for setting this enslaved sinner free when I finally surrendered and called on you. Thank you that I now walk in freedom that will never end. Amen.

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission (www.thelife.com)

FURTHER READING

• How to be Really Free
• Celebrate Freedom
• Monique Duson’s Set Free Story

The post Break the Cycle appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:12-14

 I’ve never had someone risk his life to pull me out of a fire or step in front of a bullet for me. As I think back, though, there have been plenty of people who gave their lives for me in various ways. My mother sacrificed much to raise her children after a painful divorce. Friends all along my life path have spoken hard words that I didn’t want to hear… because I needed to hear them. In recent years, my dear wife, faithful pastor, and several friends have died to self in order to step into my rebellion and speak truth to me because they loved me enough to get in my face.

Yes, if a friend gave his or her physical life for me that would be amazing. But for the Son of God, the Sinless One, to pay my penalty — death, so that I could walk free and experience relationship with God — now that is astounding, unthinkable, truly amazing. Nothing in human language is adequate to express gratitude for such love.

The refrain from the Charles Wesley hymn, “And Can It Be” comes close: “Amazing love! How can it be That Thou, my God, should die for me!”

Do you ever feel like you are not worth saving? Perhaps you have made so many mistakes in your life that it seems there is no way back. God wants you to know that it is never too late to return to Him. Receive His amazing love today!

Lord Jesus, I don’t know why you loved me enough to give your life and sacrifice your relationship with your Father to save me and reconcile me to God. I am so grateful that through your obedience you were not only restored to your Father, but you also rescued me. With the hymn writer, I proclaim your amazing love today! Amen.

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission

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“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”  2 Corinthians 10:4

I could no longer live the lie I had pursued for over 40 years. At age 14, I supposedly gave my heart to Jesus, but the ensuing decades proved otherwise. I enjoyed the “perks” of being a “good Christian” on the outside, but I also loved the darkness that had steadily grown on the inside. My heart was hard and divided. As I pursued sin, yet believed in “abounding grace” (Romans 6:1), I began to see the end of the road I was on. What lay ahead was misery, brokenness, and irreparable relationships. At the very end lay not only death but eternal death.

Was God gracious in all of this? Of course! Immeasurably so. As I ran toward darkness and disaster, He — the Hound of Heaven — ran right beside me, keeping pace, waiting for me to surrender.

So, one Sunday afternoon in mid-April, I was buried under the waters of baptism. When I came up out of the water, what Christ had done for me and who I was in Him became crystal clear, in living color! Sin had lost its grip, death had lost the war. Jesus became my Victor and my Master. Grace became so very, very true!

Do you consider grace a free ticket to heaven, despite the way you live, like I once thought? Tear that ticket up! It’s not worth the pain, and the end is disaster, believe me! Surrender to true grace and accept real forgiveness today.

Lord Jesus, I don’t know why you pursued me in your grace. I would have let me go long, long ago. All I deserved was death and darkness. You raised me to life and light. Thank you, forever! Amen.

Thought— Write down the dark things that still tempt you. Hold the list up to the light and see it shining through your handwriting. Then present the list to Jesus in prayer and rip it up.

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission

https://www.thelife.com/dailydevotions

FURTHER READING

• If Not for Your Grace –  by Mary Pinckney

• Healing Grace – by Helen Lescheid

• His Sufficient Grace – by Charles Stanley

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“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” Psalm 8:3-4

The maiden voyage of our travel trailer looked to be inauspicious, or maybe even disastrous. We had left later than anticipated, not used to getting an RV ready. Now, long after dark, we were pulling uphill in driving rain, buffeted by a strong head wind. Oh, and did I mention that the gas gauge was on empty? We hadn’t yet learned how much fuel our 4Runner would guzzle while towing.

Finally, blessedly, we reached our campground, and after struggling to park in the dark, we grabbed our toothbrushes and headed for the restroom. As we made our way, the clouds began to part and the most amazing night sky I have ever experienced appeared. Maybe it was the dark of the Oregon high desert — or maybe Creator God had put his magnifying glass in the sky — I’ll never know why, but the stars were enormous!

We were lost in darkness but our God showed us his mercy and grace and shone his saving light on us. It was as if our Father was saying, “The journey has been tough, but here’s your reward!”

Have you ever felt puny, lost, and wondered if God could ever find you? Yes, our God is the majestic maker of the Milky Way, but he is also the seeker of our hearts. What an amazing truth! Romans 5:8 tells us: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Thank him and rejoice in his greatness and love today.

*Majestic God, Heavenly Father, I have never deserved and never will deserve your amazing grace and love to me. Help me rest in that love — as high as the heavens and as close as my heart — every day of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  Jehovah-Kavod – Devotional by Gail Rodgers

• Getting Life Back on Track by Marvin Kehler

• The Almighty – A Poem by Katy Kauffman

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“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:10-11

When you think of biblical characters whose hearts were right and who followed hard after God, who tops your list? For me, it’s David. Every time I read one of his psalms, I can feel the “heart” behind it. All the psalms are amazing, but David’s spirit always comes through to me. His close relationship with God is evident in his words.

In 1 Samuel 11, however, something in David’s spirit went incredibly wrong. He somehow drifted so far from the God he loves that he was willing to commit adultery, treachery, and murder. How did he get here? We’re not told, but we are given a hint. Power almost always corrupts, especially when paired with peace and prosperity. David had all of these in abundance, but he wanted “just a little bit more.” His spirit had gone wrong, and the Holy Spirit was absent.

Galatians 5:16 tells us,

“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” That was what David forgot to do.

How do we walk by the Spirit? It is clear in Psalm 51 that this involves a broken spirit and a humble heart, willing to be made right. That is how we stay right before God and walk in his power and victory.

Have you wandered far? Or are you being enticed by sin today but have not yet wandered? It doesn’t matter where you are, you can have a clean heart and a right spirit before God. Choose to walk by his Holy Spirit today.

Lord, you know how many times I have wandered and how often I am tempted to wander. Please, keep my heart soft, my spirit right, and fill me with your Holy Spirit today. Enable me to walk in your joy and power and to honor you, today and every day! Amen.

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission

What is a Spirit Filled Life?

A Deeper Explanation of the Spirit FIlled LIfe

Further Reading

•  The Spirit Filled Christian Life Explained

•  Changed by the Spirit –  by Gail Rodgers

•   The Wind of the Spirit –  by Marilyn Ehle

The post A Right Spirit appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4

What is a stronghold?

The first, and simplest, definition given by Merriam-Webster is: “a fortified place.” Depending on the context, a stronghold can be either a place of great safety or it can be a prison.

Many places in Scripture speak of a stronghold as security (for example, Psalm 27:1). However, in the 2 Corinthians 10:4 verse above, the Apostle Paul clearly has in mind an enemy fortress to be conquered.

This fortress might be a societal evil that needs to be confronted. Other times the stronghold might feel like a prison that holds us captive. A looming wall of sin and bondage may seem insurmountable. It blocks our path. When we find ourselves on the outside of such a stronghold, Paul would exhort us to use our spiritual weapons to tear it down.

Either way, this passage gives us good news. Freedom is available from any stronghold, whether it holds you or someone else. Our God loves to set people free (John 8:36). We can always call on Him for help.

Do you have a stronghold in your life that seems like it can never be conquered? Do you know someone in bondage who needs to be set free? God loves you and those you love. His power can tear down those walls. Seek Him in prayer about it today!

Lord, thank you that, in your resurrection power, you have provided a way of freedom and release for captives like me. You have broken the power of sin and death. Help me walk boldly in your glorious freedom today! Amen.

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission

www.thelife.com/dailydevotions

Further Reading

•  Hearing God’s Voice – a Study by Charles Stanley

•  The Names of God – A Bible study

•  How to Spend a Day With the Lord

•  Salvation Explained

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“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”  John 8:36

I always thought I was free. I thought I understood the concept of grace. It was comforting to think that, even though there was compromise in my life, God would always forgive me because he is gracious and kind. I might displease him, but in the end, grace would trump disobedience and I would waltz into heaven.

I had learned how costly grace had been to the Savior, even though it was free for me. I had heard of “cheap grace” — treating God like a kindly grandfather and taking his love and mercy for granted — but that certainly was not my attitude, or so I reasoned. I would not have expressed it quite that way, but my behavior certainly showed it.

Did I really understand the freedom grace brings? Clearly not.

In John 8:34, Jesus told the Jews, “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” They too thought they were free. They had “never been enslaved to anyone” (v. 33).

Jesus made it obvious that their sin had captured them. And mine had snared me as well. I was trapped in a slavish cycle of sin, false repentance, and sin again. Only after decades of futility did I finally come to the end of myself and plead with God to truly set me free. And, gloriously, he did!

He always answers prayers like that. And he can answer that prayer from you, too.

Are you truly free from the cycle of sin?

Heavenly Father, thank you for never giving up on me! Thank you for setting this enslaved sinner free when I finally surrendered and called on you. Thank you that I now walk in freedom that will never end. Amen.

Take time to be alone with God today and ask him to show you any area of slavery that is keeping you from him. Then surrender it to him. Don’t let another day go by without experiencing his

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  Salvation Explained

•  Heaven: How to Be Confident You Will Go to Heaven When You Die

•  Reading the Bible – Where to Start?

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“And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips… And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”  Isaiah 6:5-8

Ever feel out of your element?

Not long ago, I was asked to work in an area filled with rough and ready guys whose language matched their demeanour. I am usually a “desk jockey,” surrounded by more genteel folk. After a few days in this barrage, I considered telling these men that their language was offensive to me. Instead, not wishing to risk confrontation, I tried to ignore it.

At his commissioning, the prophet Isaiah was certainly feeling out of his element. He recognized what was in his heart, and he knew he was undone in the presence of a Holy God. Yet in a few short moments, the prophet was transformed and could proclaim, “Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

What made the difference? Atoning grace! It changed a cowering man to one eager to go with God’s message. Out of the prophet’s heart came willing words of obedience. Jesus taught in Matthew chapter 15 that the mouth reveals what is in the heart. When my heart isn’t right, I often express my irritation about other’s words or actions – usually through sarcastic comments. If I had voiced irritation to my coworkers about their speech, it would have shown the pride in my heart. My lips would have been unclean as well!

What if, instead of being offended by the lost ones around us, we said to God, “Here I am! Cleanse my heart and enable me to speak gracious words to them.” Maybe a good question to ask ourselves at such times is, “How is my heart?”

Lord, so often I show little compassion and much irritation toward the people around me. Please cleanse me and tune my heart to yours. May my mouth speak words of grace – from a heart purified by you. Amen.

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•   Understanding the Holy Spirit

•   Struggles, Despair

•  Salvation Explained

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“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Sanctified, blameless. Those words have always seemed unreachable to me. I believe in and depend on the finished work of Jesus for the salvation of my soul. His grace covers me, of that I’m certain. But blameless?

What if the Apostle Paul looked into my brain and heart and saw all the wicked thoughts that still run through them? Forgiven, thankfully, but sanctified (made holy) and blameless? Can that ever be true of me?

Yes! Strangely, wonderfully, completely… yes.

By my own efforts — impossible. By grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) do I stand before my Heavenly Father, washed in the blood of my Lord Jesus. Walking in his resurrection power, brought from death to life, from darkness to light. That is who I am.

Perfect? Only in Jesus. How I look forward to the day that I’ll cast this flesh aside and walk forward into eternity, completed in Christ. No longer a work in progress. Walking in his healing grace, day by day, I know that it will someday be true! In the meantime, I pray that he will make my whole self — my all — as much like him as possible.

Are there days when you think that you will always fall short of God’s requirements? When it seems impossible to ever be fully his? Along with me, give him your all, each morning, confessing any known sin, and asking him to finish his perfecting work in you. He will always answer that prayer.

It just may take time for all of us to get there. And that’s okay. Never doubt he is still at work.

Lord Jesus, thank you for redeeming one as lost as I. You sought this broken soul and never let me go. Someday you will perfect me. All praise to you, my Savior. Amen.

By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

The Healing

More than a Father

The Powerful Reality by Ruth Calkin

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