Don’t look back!
Scripture reading for October 22: Luke 7-9
“Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord’ but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62
It looks like a glamorous life to trust God and walk by faith. In reality, it involves some difficult choices in each individual disciple’s life. I made an initial commitment to follow the Lord when I was in my early teens. I went to an altar in a small country Methodist church and prayed to receive Christ as my Lord and Savior. I learned little about what I had done and was not really a committed follower of the Lord until my mid-20’s. By then, I had chosen to follow my father in the family farm business . My wife and I became youth leaders and I studied to become a lay preacher in the Methodist church. We were building our family and farming operation.
Like many young farmers, we raised hogs and built a big complex of buildings where we conducted our business. This required a lot of borrowed money and sweat equity! Then God broke into my busy world and renewed His call on my life to serve Him and preach His Word! We began to seek the Lord as a family and over the next 10 years worked toward a ministerial license through the Berean School of the Bible. We worked hard on the farm to get out of debt and to re-order our priorities according to Scripture. God worked with us and directed us step by step as we had asked Him to.
As I completed my study for license, we were finally debt-free and a door opened for ministry in our local church. We carefully followed as God directed. We spent another five years farming and at the same time serving as a staff pastor in a large city church. After that time, we had clear direction to stop farming and sell all of our equipment. A little later we also tore down our hog buildings and buried the remains. This was like Elisha burning his plow and not looking back! (1st Kings 19:19-21)
It has been exciting to follow Jesus! When we started, we did not know all that it would require. It has been difficult and full of trials, but His yoke is easy and His burden is light! We wouldn’t go back for anything! If God has called you to put your hand to His plow, do it with joy! The journey is worth it. Don’t look back!
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