Let me ask you a really important question: What if, on this earth, you suffered day and night till God called you home – would you still follow Jesus? Would your Salvation alone be enough to follow Him?

Now, before you answer, let me share with you some things happening in the world today.

There are many preachers teaching that if you do certain things then prosperity will come to you. There is no place in the Bible that says that. If anything, following Jesus Christ costs something – sometimes your very life.

Then there are those who say to God, “I will follow you as long as … but take my child and I am done with this Christianity thing.”

So my question again is, Is Jesus Christ enough?

In the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, a lot of the Israelites were taken to captivity in Babylon. We know the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. But there is also another story that is very important.

There were three young Israelite men who, along with Daniel, vowed to only worship the true God, not the false gods of King Nebuchadnezzar. The three men were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They would not bow down to a statue that the people made for the king. So they were thrown into a fiery furnace. You know the ending – an angel was with them and they came out not even smelling of smoke. But what you may not know is a statement that any of us could live by till God calls us home. This is the story:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 NIV

That’s it! But even if I get cancer, if I lose my job, if I can’t pay my rent, if my spouse leaves me, … I WILL STILL FOLLOW YOU. WHY? Because our love of God should not be about what we think God should be doing for us. He already did it all. Why do we want more conditions to follow Jesus Christ? I think we all better stop this idea that we will follow God when it suits us.

This is why third world countries flourish in the gospel – they have nowhere else to go. We do, and that is the problem.

It is time for all of us to lay prostrate on the floor, yes prostrate, and ask God for forgiveness. We have sinned and we have chosen the world’s luxuries over God. Would you give up all you have to follow Jesus? If you hesitate, then you have a problem.

Lord, the time has come for us to come back to you alone, naked and without anything. Please help us to desire You and You alone God. When we take our last breath it will ONLY be You before us. Please forgive us for putting conditions upon You and for putting so many other priorities before you. Help us THIS DAY Lord to come back to You, broken in your presence. May we seek you again first, before we do anything else in this world. Please, Lord, help our heart’s desire to be You. Amen.

This is the beginning of revival in your heart. A revival, if only one person, is better than none. Let it start with you and I. If God does not come through the way you want Him to, will you still follow Him? – I pray that you do.

Copyright © Brad Henry. Used by permission.

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