October 16 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

If you were brought up as a Christian, you have often heard the story of the rich young man who came to Jesus. It's an upsetting story for anyone who is somewhat attached to worldly conveniences. There was only one way for that young man to show that he loved Jesus—by giving up everything else.

But every time our teachers and preachers told us this story, they probably gave us a bit of comfort by adding something like: "That does not mean you have to give up everything when you follow Jesus. The point is that your heart may not cling to your possessions."

That made us feel immensely relieved. We could follow Jesus—and our savings account was still safe. Of course, that is a form of self-deception, for the only way we can ever find out if our heart clings to our possessions is by surrendering them.

Our teachers and preachers feel called to assure us that life can be very ordinary, even if we are devoted to doing the will of God. In the face of the gospel's extraordinary demands, they still manage to send us home in peace. In fact, you may be sure that many preachers don't believe their own sermons. They would be flabbergasted if people really started to do on Monday what they heard in the sermon on Sunday.

Nobody has the right to say to anyone else that God does not require very much. Neither may we sow any doubts that God gives in extraordinary measure.

The story of the rich young man has a sequel. In answer to Peter's question, Jesus spoke of the generosity of God, who gives back "a hundred times as much" plus "eternal life" to those who surrender their treasures for Jesus (v. 29).

We must listen to Christ. He is reliable. Therefore we must do what he commands and count on his promises. But we may not reduce the Bible and the will of God to the size of "ordinary" Christianity.

REFLECTIONS

How can we be more open to any "extra-ordinary demands" that God may make of us?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.