The blessing of inconvenience

Click here to read Luke 5:1-11

"He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little way from the shore." Luke 5:3

Once upon a time, three fishermen were washing their nets beside a lake called Gennesaret. They had gone out to fish the previous night and tried their best all night to get a catch. However, their attempts were futile and yielded no result. Despite their hard work all through the night, the fishermen returned empty handed. They had two boats, one that belonged to a man called Simon and the other that belonged to James and his brother John. Meanwhile, Jesus was standing beside the same lake and the crowd around Him were pressing in on Him to hear the word of God.

Jesus noticed these two empty boats on the shore as well as the fishermen who were outside the boat washing their nets. He got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to draw the boat a little away from the shore. Once the boat was a little way from the shore, Jesus sat down in the boat and started teaching the crowd.

Now I want you to notice a few things about Jesus from Simon’s point of view. Simon had guided the boat ashore after a long night’s work. He was now cleaning up and getting ready to shut shop. At this point in time, Jesus gets into his boat and asks him to put out a little way from the shore.

Notice the etiquette:

Notice that Jesus did not ask Simon first and then get into the boat. Jesus got into the boat first and then asked Simon. Talk about etiquettes! I wouldn’t be very pleased if you behaved that way with me. It’s only polite to request my permission first and let me know why you need me to put my boat out. If I consent, you may get into my boat and I will put out the boat for you. Jesus on the other hand, gets into Simon’s boat and then asks him to put it out. Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus has perhaps required something from you – maybe an act of service, maybe an apology to make, maybe a financial offering? He has required a step of obedience in some particular from you, but it seems so very unreasonable and impolite. Has Jesus ever put you in such a spot?

Notice the choice:

There were two boats that were on the shore. Jesus could have got into any one of them. He CHOSE to get into Simon’s boat. He could have very well got into the boat that belonged to James and John, but He didn’t. Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus required you to take a step of obedience, but somehow you felt it did not apply to those around you? You do not understand why the compelling voice inside of you to “put out your boat” apparently does not seem to be compelling other people. Have you ever used that as an excuse to delay or reject your obedience to God?

Notice the inconvenience # 1 (past)

Simon had already drawn his boat ashore after working the whole night. It was a job that was already completed. One of the most frustrating things in life is for someone to cause you to undo a work that is already done. If Simon were to put out the boat a little into the sea, he would have to row it back to the shore all over again! His step of obedience implied inconvenience to his past. Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus has required you to take a step of obedience and its implication would mean inconvenience to something that already exists? Maybe it would inconvenience a relationship. Maybe it would it would inconvenience your ego, reputation or status. Have you been delaying or rejecting God’s command because it would inconvenience your past?

Notice the inconvenience # 2 (present)

Simon was working on cleaning his fishing net when the requirement to obey came. If he were to put out his boat a little away from the shore, that would mean an interruption to his work. His step of obedience implied inconvenience to his present. Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus has required you to take a step of obedience and its implication would mean inconvenience to something in the present? Maybe it would inconvenience your current activities or relationships. Maybe a habit. Maybe it would inconvenience the time you spend on some venture. You started off on something and you would really like to complete it, but obeying God would mean halting what you started. Have you been delaying or rejecting God’s command because it would inconvenience your present?

Notice the inconvenience # 3 (future)

Simon had worked all night and was now cleaning his fishing nets. If at all he had planned to go home and catch up on some sleep or do anything else for that matter, he could forget about it now. He had to get back to cleaning the nets once Jesus was done teaching. He had to guide his boat back on the shore too. If Simon were to obey Jesus, it would imply that anything he had planned to do as soon as he was done with cleaning the nets would be jeopardized. His step of obedience implied inconvenience to his future. Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus has required you to take a step of obedience and its implication would mean inconvenience to something in the future? Maybe a future relationship. Maybe a future opportunity. Maybe a future plan. Have you been delaying or rejecting God’s command because it would inconvenience your future?

Now after Jesus finished teaching, he tells Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” He did so and caught so many fish that John and James had to be called over to help him haul it into the boat – and they were all amazed. Now when Jesus wanted to teach the crowd, he told Simon to put his boat out a “LITTLE” from the shore. However when Jesus wanted Simon to cast the net, he told Simon to put his boat out “DEEP” into the sea. In other words, for Simon to reach the “DEEP” he didn’t have to start from the shore, but a “LITTLE” away from the shore. Why? Because the boat was already a “LITTLE” away from the shore! Pushing the boat from the shore out into the waters often requires more strain than rowing the boat when it is already on the water. Half the work had already been done due to a previous “inconvenience!” When God seems to “inconvenience” you on matters of obedience, it is often His way to make it “convenient” for you to receive your blessing!

Listen to God’s response to Israel’s disobedience recorded by the prophet Jeremiah: “For in the day that I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to them or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them, ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you.” (Jeremiah 7: 22, 23) Listen to that! “…walk only in the way I command you, so that it may be with you.” The reason why God wanted Israel to obey was so that it would be “well with them.”

When Simon obeyed Jesus in spite of the “inconvenience”

1. He became a channel of blessing for the crowd at large i.e. His boat became a pulpit for Jesus to teach the crowd

2. He became a channel of blessing to those around him i.e. James and John were not only blessed with fish, but they became disciples of Jesus

3. He received his fish, but more importantly got a call into the service of the Almighty – “…from now on you’ll be catching people.”

God blessed Simon’s past i.e. he failed to catch fish in the past, but now he had plenty. God blessed Simon’s present i.e. the very nets he had to stop cleaning became instruments to haul fish. God blessed Simon’s future i.e. he received a commission to “catch people.” If he hadn’t been willing to accept the “inconvenience” it would have been primarily a loss to the crowd, then a loss to those around him and finally a loss to himself. Every child of God is so universally involved in God’s purposes, that every positive or negative decision, no matter how small, affects not only him, but those around him and the world at large. Whenever I sense God’s “inconveniences” in His commands, I know blessings are just around the corner. Big time!

However one must note that Simon did not obey because he had the prior knowledge of the blessings that would follow nor of his personal loss if he didn't. Simon called Jesus as "Master" indicating that he obeyed because his heart wanted to and not because his mind calculated the losses he would incur if he didn't.

How much did those spices cost?

Click here to read Mark 15:42-16:7

“…bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body…” Mark 15:1

All of us love to serve God and want to be used by God. At times we make plans on how exactly we are going to serve God because we sense a need in the body of Christ. Over the years, I have also “sensed” a “need” and made appropriate plans only to find out that my view of the “need” was not really a need. Maybe you are making plans to serve God in some particular because you see a “need” in the body of Christ. What if you were to find out later on that those plans availed nothing? It can be quite disappointing.

We read of one such instance in the bible. Mark 15: 47 says, “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where He was laid.” Two women saw where the body of Christ was laid for burial. The Amplified Bible puts it this way: “they were attentively observing where He was laid.” The next verse, Mark 16:1 says, “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.” A few women attentively observed where the body of Christ was laid, and they “sensed” that there was a “need” to anoint the body of Christ. So after Sabbath was over, they bought spices and came to execute their “service” based on their understanding of the “need.”

When they came to the tomb, they found out that Jesus had risen from the dead and He wasn’t there! What were they going to do with all those spices they bought? I wonder how much it cost them to buy those spices. I wonder who took the trouble of carrying those spices all the way to the tomb. Maybe they shared the load. They had bought the spices on the previous day, so the spices had to be stored overnight at someone’s house. Let us suppose it was at Salome’s house. I wonder if anyone at home would have asked her what she intended to do with those spices. I am sure she would have told them about the “service” she and her friends were going to do the next day. I wonder if they had discussed between them on how they were going to anoint his body. “You do the hands, I’ll do the legs.” Maybe. Maybe not. Anyway, what’s the use? At least if Jesus had been there they could have showed Him the spices to let Him know how much they loved Him. What a waste. A waste of time. A waste of money. A waste of…

A few days earlier a sinful woman in the house of Simon the leper had broke open an alabaster jar full of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus. In response to this act, Jesus says in Mark 14:8: “She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.” Note the word “beforehand” The need of the body of Christ to be anointed for burial was already taken care of “beforehand!” Well you would say, if only those 3 women knew! It is not fair! It is out of their love for Jesus that they planned all this. Now all those plans have gone down the drain! How sad!

I have been there many times and the disappointment hardly lasts long. Why do I say that? Because they received a revelation of Christ that no one else had. Nobody else knew that Jesus had risen from the dead! These 3 were the first ones to receive that revelation. Not only that, they were also entrusted with preaching the news of the resurrection to the Apostles of the New Testament church! Can you imagine that? Mark 16: 7 “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'” WOW! The service they had planned to do was to anoint the body. However, an angel from heaven ordained them to the service of preaching the news of the resurrection to Peter & Co. Who cares about the spices now? :) A new revelation! A new ministry!

Sometimes the reason our eyes see a version of the “need” is so that we will get to the place where we can be entrusted with a greater ministry. If those three women did not act upon their “sense” of the “need,” they would have never got to the tomb. i.e. the place where they received a new revelation and a new commission. Never be disappointed when plans regarding service go wrong. It is often the place where a new revelation is born and a new commission is given. Never sulk about the price you paid for the spices. How much did those spices cost? I don’t know. But I do know the resurrection gospel is far more precious than that.

Having said all this, I get reminded of the story of a little boy whose name was David. His plan of service was to go and give food to his brothers. He found his brothers weren’t where they were supposed to be. His plans went wrong. He wasn’t disappointed though. He continued to search for his brothers and eventually found them. It turned out that his brothers were angry with him for being there. How rude! David had taken the trouble to come all the way there to give them food. However he did meet a man THERE called Goliath. The rest, as they say, is history.

Knowing God through the unknown mountain

Click here to read Genesis 22:1-18

"...I shall show you..." Genesis 22: 2

One fine day, God tells Abraham: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you. (Genesis 22: 2) I want you to notice the last part of that verse. It says Abraham was to offer Isaac as a burnt offering on “one of the mountains” that God “will show” him. God does not tell him which mountain. God does not tell him the name of the mountain. He just says it is “one of the mountains” in the land of Moriah. God does not tell him the size of the mountain. God does not tell him the location in Moriah where the mountain is situated. All God says about the mountain is “ I will show you” where it is.

Often when we receive a call from God; a call to obey in some particular, a call to serve, a call to worship, a call to let go etc, the vision may not be all that clear at first. There are things that God may leave untouched and unaddressed. Whenever the call of God comes, our natural instinct is to react and tell Him that He should be clearer about the call. You wish He would tell you exactly “which mountain.” Many times although we feel a tugging at our hearts to obey the call of God in some particular, we often delay it for the lack of “detail.” Although you know you have to obey, it does not make sense to obey because God has not shown you which “mountain”

So the last part of verse 2 says, “…offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” Verse 3 says “So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him”. Hold on right there! Verse 2 says that God “shall show” him the mountain. Verse 3 says Abraham set out to the place God “had shown him” So when did the “showing” actually happen?? Well it must have happened before he set out from home because it says Abraham “…set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him” How did Abraham know which mountain??

One of the greatest privileges a Christian has is to know God – to know Him, to know His ways. For us to fulfill any vision or call God gives us, we need a revelation of Him and His ways in order to fulfill it. Concerning the ministry of Moses, Psalms 103:7 says, “He made known His ways to Moses…” Once you come into a relationship with God, your greatest priority should be that you might know Him. Paul considered this top priority: “…whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul was willing to consider all things in life “rubbish” when compared to the value of knowing Jesus.

So between Genesis 22:2 (…I shall show you…) and Genesis 22:3(…God had shown him…), the revelation of God comes to Abraham. He heard the call of God, he made up his mind to obey, he went to bed that night, he rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. We do not know the exact time as to when the revelation came. But we do know it came at a time when Abraham decided to obey and consequently acted on it. We can never tell when the revelation of God will come through. We can never tell when God will reveal His word to us. We can never tell when He will chose to “make known His ways” to us. But we can make up our mind to obey and the revelation is sure to come.

The key to all revelation of God, the key to knowing Him, the key to understanding His ways, the key to comprehending His Word, is by obedience alone and nothing else. There is no short cut to it and there is no way you can buy it. John the disciple in his first letter best describes it: “Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments.” (1 John 2:3) Think about that! There is only one sure way to know that you know Him. i.e. if you obey Him.

Why is it so important to know Him, to know His ways, to know His word? The Bible says in Genesis 22: 9 “When they came to the place that God had shown him…” In other words, when he obeyed the call of God to go the mountain God had “shown him”, he put Isaac on the altar and was ready to kill him. Then Abraham heard from heaven again “Abraham, Abraham…” The more you walk in obedience to the revelation God gives you, the more God will reveal Himself to you. Abraham looks up and sees a ram caught in the thickets and sacrifices it. Abraham named that place “Jehovah Jireh”!! Genesis 22:14: “So Abraham called that place, “Jehovah Jireh” (The Lord will provide), as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided”

Think of that for a moment! As it is said to this day!! Even to this day! On the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided! If Abraham had never obeyed the call of God, he would have never got to this mountain. He would have never had a revelation of Jehovah as “Jehovah Jireh”. That is why it is important to know Him through obedience. If you are obedient to Him, you will know Him. If you know Him, he will reveal Himself as your provider. One principle every Christian should learn by heart is 2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” Everything needed for life! For life!!! Everything needed for godliness!! Everything!!! How?? Through the knowledge of Him!!! Everything, everything we need for life comes through the knowledge of Him. It is up to you to decide how important it is to make “knowing Him” your first priority in life.

Only a man, who obeys God, can know Him through revelation and only a man, who knows Him, can continue obeying Him. And through the knowledge of Him, everything for life and godliness is yours by His divine power. It says Abraham worshiped on that mountain. This is what true worship is all about. “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”(John 17:3) This is what eternal life is all about. Make the decision to go to the mountain unknown; you never know what God will reveal to you there.

The repeated lesson

Click here to read 2 Kings 4:42 - 44

“So he repeated…” (2 Kings 4:43)

There are many lessons that God teaches me – but some lessons can be really humiliating because I’ve learnt them before and yet I’ve failed to apply them. These lessons often pertain to the service I render unto God. We all at some point in time or the other have prayed that God would use us. It feels good when we sense that God is using us. However it is at times like these that I have often received the harshest rebukes from God, because my views about service to God tend to go a little out of focus.

In this passage of scripture, we read about a man from Baal-shalishah bringing food from the first fruits to Elisha. Now, Elisha was at a place called Gilgal and there was a famine there. This man whose name we do not know, brought twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain. Now this is ample food for one person but not enough for a hundred, which was the number of people that was present there at that time. “Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” (2 Kings 4:42, 43) Notice that it was not the man who brought food that said this. It was Elisha’s servant who did.

We are also servants of a Master and He often tells us things to do, that in our estimate, may seem absurd and insignificant. “So he repeated…” (2 Kings 4:43) When it comes to serving God, this is one lesson I believe the Master often repeats and emphasizes. So what is the repeated lesson? Read on… Most miracles in the Bible have a brief description about it. For example from the New Testament: “He took the five loaves, broke it and distributed…” or “He said “Lazarus, come out!...” or “He made mud out of saliva and put it on his eyes…”; from the Old Testament: “He told Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan seven times…” or “When their feet touched the waters, the Jordan was cut off…” or “God said “Let there be light” and there was light…” etc.

This particular miracle however has no explanation to it whatsoever. We do not know whether the loaves where multiplied. We do not know whether the loaves were broken. We do not know if the loaves were prayed over. How did all of them eat and yet there was food left? We do not know if the hundred people lost their appetites. We don’t even know what they ate. Why do I say that? - Because the man who came with the food brought both barley loaves and fresh ears of grain. Now the barley loaves can be eaten, but the fresh ears of grain obviously cannot unless they are cooked. Elisha says, “Give it to the people…” “it”? What’s “it”? He could have said “Give the loaves to the people…” But the Holy Spirit, under whose inspiration the Scriptures are written, did not choose to write it that way. The servant says “How can I set this before a hundred…” “this”? What’s “this”? He could have said “How can I set these loaves before a hundred…” but that’s not how it is written. So Elisha repeated “Give it to the people…” “it”? What’s “it”? Is the master talking about the loaves? Or is he talking about the fresh ears of grain? I hope not! Or is he talking about both? I have no clue!

The repeated statement: “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” Our understanding of ministry needs and the ways to meet them are sometimes very different from the Lord’s. According to the servant, the food was not enough to feed a hundred. According to the Master, the issue is not whether there is enough food or not. His concern is that the servant obeys the spoken Word. How often have we neglected obedience in private and given importance to service in public? Beware of measuring your walk with God according to your “usefulness” to Him in public. How much of a use you are to God does not depend on how much or little you work for Him, but on your degree of obedience to Him. The work you do for Him, should be an impulsive outpouring that comes from a life of obedience in private.

Look at what Philippians chapter 2 says in verse 7 and 8 about Jesus “…He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” These verses talk about His birth, and they talk about His death – but everything that happened in-between His birth and death is summed up in one phrase “obedient up to the point of death”. All the healing, all the preaching, all that He did from His birth to His death is summed up in that one phrase – “from the time he was born, till he died, he was obedient”. Think of that for a moment!

The first time Jesus revealed His glory caused His disciples to believe in Him. (John 2:11). This happened at the wedding at Cana. What caused the glory of Jesus to be revealed which in-turn caused the Apostles of the New Testament church to believe in Him? - Few servants who obeyed the Master in filling jugs with water. Did the servants have any clue that their obedience in private would cause the glory of Christ to be revealed? No. Did they know that their obedience in private would result in Peter, John & Co. to believe in Christ? No. Did any of us exist when Christ lived on earth and lived a life of obedience? No – But what He did back then causes lives to be transformed even today.

When we are so caught up in serving God, He often has to speak to us and say, “Martha, Martha…” Maybe you have a desire for God to use you and He has been dealing with areas in your life that requires obedience. You might say to yourself, “Oh well, that is really absurd and insignificant.” “Do I really have to do that?” Whenever there is an inner debate, stop. Proceed with the matter of obeying God no matter how insignificant it may seem. A person who constantly lives life this way really has no idea how much he or she is being used by God.

Setting “it” before a hundred people according to the servant made no sense to him – but when the servant obeyed the Master, it turned out to be a blessing to many. So what is the repeated lesson? It is the lesson of realizing that your usefulness to the Master depends on your obedience in private. It is the lesson of trusting the Master’s sense of service and not your own. It is the lesson of the Master compelling His servant to obey the spoken Word. “So Elisha repeated…”

“When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.”