2004-09-29 - Bounded By Strands

Encore 1996-10-09

Greetings my friends.

Once again I want to take a very familiar passage and try to gain new insight by applying the passage to our lives today. Isn't it awesome that the bible was written thousands of years ago, yet remains so relevant for us today!

Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Amen.

Lets look at the story of the rich young ruler from the perspective of both Christ calling for acceptance of Him as our Savior and mostly Christ calling us to full devotion to Him. Mark 10:17 17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Notice the attitude of the rich young ruler. He ran to Jesus. The ruler did not with arrogance call Jesus to him. Then the man fell on his knees. This is a clear sign of reverence for Christ. The title "Good" refers to God, as only God is good. Lastly the man who had all the wealth anyone could possibly want acknowledges that he is lacking the most important wealth. That wealth is the security of eternal life in heaven. He was sincerely seeking Christ. But, as you know, Christ demands full devotion. Tells the man to sell all and follow Him. Christ knew that the man's wealth was interfering with full devotion to Christ. Sadly the man chose his earthly wealth over eternal wealth. Mark 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. I want to take the liberty here of stretching the Greek translation of camel to the word cable. I do this only to illustrate a point and certainly not to re-write the Bible. ; )

Picture in your mind a cable or rope. Notice how the cable is strands of small cords tightly bound together. Each overlapping the other to form a large cable. A single simple strand could pass through the eye of a needle if all the excess ones were removed.

My question to you is this. What is binding you today? What is keeping you from becoming a more fully devoted follower of Christ? What excess cords do you need to remove? Is your life like a cable with strands of past sins? Past hurts? Past broken relationships? Past sorrows or regrets? How about present worldly desires? Are these strands binding you? Are they strangling you to the point of not being able to pass through the eye of the needle to full devotion to Christ?

Join me today and start unraveling the bondage of the past as well as present worldly desires. Pull away each piece and lay them at the cross. Let God take it. What an wonderful thought, giving it all to God. Who can better handle it than Him?

Dear Father, we place the strangling strands of the past at the cross. We know you want to take all of these strands away from us. We must relinquish them to you. Lord help us to let go. Forgive us for clinging to both past and present desires that are not in Your will. Help us to pass through the eye to being a fully devoted follower of Christ. We praise you and thank you Father. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

David Massey

david@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org
http://www.e-devotionals.org

Book Info: http://www.e-devotionals.org/book.htm