Pursuing Heavenly Matters Matthew 8:19-22
Matthew 8:19-22
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Matthew 8:19-22
“(19) And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. (20) And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head, (21) And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father, (22) But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.”
Matthew 8:20
“…Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Following Jesus
Understanding what it means to follow Jesus, some view it as a blessing; others view it as a burden. Which do you view it to be? This can be an indicator of your heart’s condition and where one’s true loyalties are. I’ve heard some say they like their lifestyle as it is and don’t want to change. Well, if you examine that for a minute, they are really saying they would rather live in denial of any wrong or sin than to be corrected. If we are honest with ourselves, there is always room for improvement; there is no perfection in our lives; even the goodness that we have comes from the goodness of God. Our ways are not God’s ways; His views are pure; ours can be distorted to appease an outcome that fits our lifestyle.
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:7-9
God Knows Best
Living a Christ-led life is having freedom from the bondage of sin. God wants to bless and take care of us as a Father would. Our responsibility is to invite Him into our hearts, cleanse us from our impurities, and teach us how to live a God-led life. When we walk in fellowship with God, we have the opportunity to lay any worry, sickness, or difficulties at His feet. When we release control of our expectations we have and surrender them to God, we exercise faith in knowing God has our best interest in mind and knows what’s best for us, even if we don’t understand the outcome. We don’t know the future as God does. He will prepare us for storms ahead if we trust in His guidance and decide to follow His path for our life.
Walking By Faith
When God asks us to do something, it’s best to obey and ask God for guidance to achieve what He’s asked of us. Often, taking the first actionable step of faith is what He is waiting for. One step is that we may not see the full picture, but having faith in knowing that if God sends you to do something, there is a reason. In all things, we should seek Him so that we can be sure our navigation is on the right path. God will supply every need we have, and when we follow Him, even if it’s at the cost of losing our old life, old friends, or in some cases family members. Remember that what is lost for the glorifying of following Jesus will be restored tenfold.
“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (35) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. (36) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:34-36
Sacrificial Love
When following Jesus, we lose the things that might be obstacles; to follow Christ, we must know that a life lived with God is fulfilling more than a temporal earthly life. Our life is but a vapour in time; (James 4:14) we are to lay our treasures up in heaven and not on earth (Matthew 6:20). To follow Christ is to be reunited with our Heavenly Father. This love cannot be explained. If you have children or grandchildren, you may have experienced one of the greatest loves in our lifetime; imagine the love that God has for us.
He came down in the flesh so that we would have the opportunity to be redeemed by accepting Him through His sacrifice. Through His sacrifice, He paid the sin debt for you and me. He did this with you in mind; even if you deny Him, He would still have come, just so you would have the opportunity to call upon Him for salvation. God does not want to force His love upon us; He gave us the choice. What decision have you made?
Overcome Challenges
God does not want to force us into bondage. The sad truth is, we are born into sin bondage already. To accept and follow Christ, we lay the things of the world down to seek His will for our life, one filled with abundance and blessings. This does not mean that our difficulties go away, or troubles fade. I’ve heard it said that the more impact we have for the furthering of the Kingdom of God, the more challenges we may face. This is where God comes in; He will always make a way for us when the storm rages. That’s the time to cling closer to God so that we know which way we need to turn. He will guide us through the most difficult times.
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9
Let the Dead Bury the Dead
This may seem an odd response from Jesus or even insensitive, but if we read this same account in Luke 9:57-62, we have a better understanding of why Jesus said this.
“Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. (61) And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. (62) And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Heavenly Pursuit
We are to focus on the things of heaven that are eternal and not of temporal earthly matters.
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
Purging what may not benefit us, to spread the gospel message of Jesus Christ. When serving God, this requires us to step out of our comfort zone; this sometimes causes us to leave a job, a friendship, or even family, etc to serve God.
When one becomes a Christian, we are set apart from the rest of the world. Being a child of God, one's goals change from an earthly inheritance to a heavenly one. Therefore, the things of this world are seen as temporal, whereas heavenly matters are eternal.
Jesus told the man to let the dead bury the dead; it was customary that a burial would last as long as a week to even a year. Jesus wasn’t being insensitive to the man about his father passing away; Jesus was making a point to let the carnal-minded be left alone. They are going to do what they will, but the kingdom of God will not wait.
“..forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Philippians 3:13
Before you go, let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for leading me through another devotion. I ask You to continue to guide me each time so that Your message will be clear. Bless each individual who has joined me through this devotion; may we keep the things of Heavenly concern in our priority of what drives us to make decisions each day. I ask that You forgive me of my shortcomings, unforgiven sins, and reveal to me those that I have turned a blind eye to. Help guide me as we continue to seek You in all things we do. Help us to keep the Kingdom of Heaven in our mind, so that we may seek opportunity each day in every circumstance that we may plant the seed of spreading the gospel message. Let us keep in mind each day to help add to the furthering of Heaven. I ask that You continue to guide each one here and bless them, for You know what needs they may have, to cure sickness, and above all, if anyone does not know You as their Savior, that they will seek salvation, for we are not promised tomorrow.
We ask this in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
Quick note:
Some Bible studies may take longer than others, as I am often led to explain certain verses in greater detail. I want you to know that these blog posts are written straight from my heart - they are not created by AI, so if you pay close attention, you may find my little nuggets of imperfections! What you read here are my own thoughts and reflections, guided by God, who leads me.
I am not a professional; I’m simply a southern wife and mother of five with a deep desire to share the truth of our loving Heavenly Father. He loves you, and He longs to have a relationship with you. We are not called to perfection, but we are called to be led by Him and be consistent.
God has placed so much on my heart to share, and my prayer is that these words bless and encourage you. I’m not here for recognition or fame - only to spread the message of God’s love to you, my new friend, and to our Creative Journey growing community.
