2006-06-15 - Changing Horses

John 6:66-69 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. ⁶⁷ "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life . ⁶⁹ We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." (NIV)

There is a saying that goes, "Don't change horses in the middle of the stream." If you are committed to a course of action, stick with it even in the middle of the struggle. Changing horses on dry land is not hard. Changing horses in the middle of a rushing stream is difficult and more dangerous. Adding wet boots and stirrups to the equation, and the possibility of falling in, hitting your head and drowning, and the changes become evident.

Jesus had just turned up the proverbial heat up. He had just given a very difficult teaching. Many who had called themselves Jesus' disciples packed up and left rather than struggle through the difficulty. They decided to put aside the things that they had seen and been taught up to this time, and go home.

Simon Peter had thought the matter through. When Jesus asked if the twelve would leave too, Peter gave the obvious answer. "Lord, to whom shall we go?" Where would they find the unerring truth that they had heard from Jesus? Their hearts had been stirred deeply. They had put aside their lives to follow the Master. They chose to believe that the current difficult moment would pass and they would eventually understand what Jesus had been teaching.

Are there things you struggle with? Are there verses and apparent conflicts that you can't resolve? Does human free will and the sovereign control of God have trouble merging in your heart and mind? What about children caught in gang crossfire or the theft of pension money from the elderly? Do you understand it? No? Good. God is not the Author of chaos. His ways are not always our ways. And if there was nothing else to learn, then what will you do when we all sit at the feet of the Lord in Heaven as He teaches? Is this blind faith? Yes and no. For now, we keep walking. We believe that your understanding will be cleared up in His time. Trust the One Who has led you this far.

Grace & Peace,
Mike

jmhoskins@gmail.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org