#97: Forerunners of Jesus

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After these things the LORD appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go (Luke 10:1).

Scriptures say that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord (psalms 37:23). Have you found this to be true in your day to day life activities? Could this not mean that God is aware of everything that is happening to you and every step or progress you have made? And is indeed the one engineering them. For in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).

God has always been a tactical master planner. The marvel of it is how he puts the son of men in the centre of His plan (some times in our ignorance). As a master planner that He is, guiding our steps must be to a definite end and not altogether arbitrary. And that is what it has pleased Him to shed light to in this week's devotional. He has set us as His forerunners! It is something that the likes of Daniel and Joseph understood that made them live the way they did wherever they were.

Today's passage tells us that Jesus sent out the 70 to every village and town that He intended to visit. This is one thing every Christian has to note. Where ever we find ourselves, the first thing to come to mind is that God is the one who put us there and secondly it is because He wants to visit that place. It is no wonder He has made us His temple. He has set us as light for the earth and strategically put us on our hills; not to hide under bushels or to be at the background, but to shine.

How glorious it is that God finds us worthy to herald His glory. Are we going to be worthy ambassadors of Christ wherever we are? Are we going to be radiating the beauty of Jesus? Are we going to be preparing the hearts of men to receive from the Father? Or are we doing the opposite? Just mingling with the crowd, crossing legs, minding our business?

God is in the business of using men for the purpose of bringing His kingdom on earth. Do not be left out. Be a Jesus Ambassador. God has put you where you are because he wants to visit that office, school, community, household, hostel. Yield to Him.

Heaven is crying out today as Jesus did in the following verse:The harvest is great, but the labourers are few (Luke 10:2). Are you among the few that are forerunning the King's Business here on earth?

Thought: Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16 [MSG]).

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