“At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death.” (Luke 7:2 NLT)
Great problems can lead to great outcomes, it just depends on who’s deciding the outcome. In the story above a Roman officer has a slave who is very ill and, upon hearing Jesus has healed others, he enlists the help of some “respected Jewish Elders” to intervene on his behalf.
These Jews intercede on the officer’s behalf and Jesus begins to walk with them, but as they’re on their way some friends of the officer share a message with them that surprises and delights Jesus in ways that He’s not been delighted before. You see, this Roman Centurion is a man under authority, who has been given authority. So?
He understood in ways that many of us do not, that the solution to problems is knowing who has the authority to address them. He made the connection that sickness, as well as any other problem we have in this life, is subject to the authority of Jesus. So, he sends his friends to tell Jesus not to bother coming all the way to him, just say the word from where He is, and my servant will be well.
Ron Hutchcraft nailed it in a recent devotional when he wrote: “Amazing faith is all about authority and what authority will decide the outcome in your situation. Amazing faith believes that Jesus will decide the outcome and nothing else! The disease will not decide it, the boss will not decide it, the economy will not decide it, the election will not decide it, your enemies won’t decide it, the odds won’t decide it, the devil won’t decide it – Jesus will decide it!”
So, it begs the question: “With what problem are you wrestling in this season of your life?” I realize that some who read these posts are my contemporaries. What does that mean? It means you’re nearing your last lap around the proverbial track. A cold could turn into a life-threatening illness; a fall could break a bone that could compound and lead to the end of your life. Does that scare you? I hope not.
The reality is, regardless of your age, you could walk out the door in the morning and never return. Life is fickle and doesn’t always pay much attention to age or physical condition when it strikes. What’s my point? Simply this. Whether your 21 or 91 be ready to meet Jesus when you close your eyes each night.
To me, realizing I’m much closer to the end than the beginning stirs my heart to do as much as I possibly can to love well those in my spheres of influence. I want Jesus to decide my outcomes, in this life and beyond. How so? By preparing as best I can to set my house in order before I die. I don’t want there to be any doubt in anyone in my family that I love them, and I want them to serve Jesus.
Since I pay the bills and keep track of who to call in different situations, I’ve made sure when I die my wife doesn’t need to be worrying about any of that. From the moment I die I’ve left instructions as to who to call and what service they bring to the table. I’m writing letters to each of my kids, their spouses, my granddaughter and significant other people in my life, letting them know how much they mean to me and how much I want them to serve Jesus.
We don’t usually get to choose our problems, but we can choose who we’re trusting for their outcomes. The first step for anyone is to yield their life and allegiance to Jesus by confessing their sin and receiving the free gift of salvation through Christ alone by faith alone. Once we’re walking with Jesus, we know we’re never alone and we’ll never be dependent upon our own resources to receive a positive outcome.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 