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“Wait, what?”
This is a common reaction to stories that I might tell. Sometimes, I get ahead of myself and I tell some major things right off the bat. The one I’m talking to, usually my husband, has to say, “Wait, what?” and then I slow down and try to tell the events in order.
Does that happen to you? You know something is really important and you jump ahead and share that detail. But in the process, you skip over other important parts of the story.
Enter our friend Luke as an example. He’s writing his gospel and in chapter 3, he’s telling us all about John the Baptist. He’s just told us about how John was preaching repentance to the people. John was pointing out what the people were doing wrong according to God and instructing them on how to make it right.
Then Luke jumps ahead a bit and gives us a glimpse of what happens to John because of his bold stance and statements.
Luke 3:19-20
“But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.”
Luke 3:19-20
This is big! This is Herod Antipas, a Roman official. His family was corrupt, murderous and even incestuous. See, Herodias was his niece and also his brother’s wife. And he took her to be with him. John the Baptist called him out on it.
It was bold.
It was brazen.
It was righteous.
And Luke points out to us that John the Baptist was willing to serve the Lord, no matter what happened to him.
Even if it meant prison.
Even if it meant death.
Do we?
I know many times we say that if we were ever forced to choose between denying God or standing for Him, we would choose God.
But what about now?
How does our life display proof of our decision to FOLLOW Jesus?
Are we choosing to serve God now no matter what?
Why wait until we are put under the pressure of a choice? Who know’s when or if that will ever happen! We would miss out on so many opportunities to share the love of Jesus with others. This is what we were created for!
Let’s choose to serve the Lord today!
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