Day 219 “Obedience in the smallest form leads to the greatest of pleasures.”

Day 219 Matthew 26:17-19 Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. While there are many areas of this passage for one to focus upon, I feel led to focus on the man who owned the home where the Passover was to be held. You see, there were a number of critical things that must take place in order for this home to be secured, yet the gospels make it so matter of fact, as I believe it was and still should be. This man whose home was to be used was obviously a believer in Christ. He may have been someone Christ healed or someone who saw and heard Jesus teaching, this we do not know; he was, however, a believer. How can I say this with such confidence you ask? It appears that God had spoken to this man, for Jesus simply sends His disciples to say that the Master has need and obviously he responds accordingly. You see, this man more than likely had been praying or had been visited and spoken to in some divine manner. He was ready to hear and ready to respond, thus he did. In both Mark and Luke's writing of this passage we see that the disciples were instructed to follow a certain man carrying a pitcher of water to the house he enters and there to address the master. Can you imagine how many men in Jerusalem at any one time could be seen carrying a pitcher of water? The point is that everyone involved in this interaction had two very important things in common: they were listening to the voice of God, and they were obeying. While the details may have been foggy and the exact path was not known, these people needed no other help than the guidance of their Lord to fulfill His will. I could tell you many, many stories of such occurrences in my own life yet, today, one in particular stands out. On one of our many trips to the San Francisco area, one morning I felt like blessing the team with freshly cooked bacon for breakfast, so I grabbed one of the leaders and off we went to find a market. We first, of course, prayed for God to use us and guide us, for we had no idea where there was a market or which one He would have us go to, so following His direction, we went to a particular typical corner grocery. You have Uncle Guido behind the counter giving his daily advice and update on politics to everyone who makes eye contact, which is, of course, the daily routine of folks seeking coffee, advice, and maybe a muffin. This in itself was quite the blessing. As we left the store, bacon in hand, we passed a young twenty-something woman near the front door and made our way down the block toward our destination. We had gone no more than half a block when we both felt the same realization that we were to return and speak with her. As we made our way, I felt very impressed to make her a flower from the balloons I carried and present it to her as a gift, a token of her beauty as seen by the Lord. As we approached her, she looked at us both as if she knew why we were there and, with tears in her eyes, she hugged us and thanked us for coming because she had been waiting. You see, the night before, her much older boyfriend had beaten her and she had spent the night on the streets, during which time she called her mom who prayed with her. Her mother had told her that God was watching over her and there would be people who would see her today and remind her that God had not given up on her. They would remind her that she was His child; a treasure in His eyes. You see, far too often we desire for God to thrust us into situations to allow us to see the outcome before we take the step of faith. Sometimes He just desires to give us a glimpse; sometimes He desires for us to take a step of faith, no matter how foolish it may seem. I suggest that we stop looking for the big picture and respond to the little promptings, for if we do, then God may allow us to view even more, and what a view it is! Daily Prayer: Father, I am blessed beyond measure, yet all too often I fear that I forget to wait upon You for the seemingly smallest of things. Show me how to hear Your voice, and help me to obey, I pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen. “Obedience in the smallest form leads to the greatest of pleasures.” Gene Burroughs, Pastor