Thursday February 09th, 2023
Meditate on: Luke 14:28 NLT
« But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it »
Read: Hebrews 11:8-16 NKJV
8 By faith Abraham obeyed, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he lived in the land of promise, as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he waited for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
11 By faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, delivered a child when she was past age (way past menopause), because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendant as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were persuaded of them (of God’s promised), and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth.
14 For those who such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
15 And truly, if they had been thinking of that country where they came from, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 Instead, they desire a better country, a heavenly one: therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared a city for them.
Understanding: Our Lord Jesus Christ did not impulsively come to the earth to die for our sins, He carefully considered all it would cost Him to accomplish this difficult task (Hebrews 10:5-7).
He considered the cost of leaving His throne in heaven, with an innumerable company of angels at his beck and call, to live on earth as one having nowhere to lay His head (Luke 9:58).
He considered the agony of rejection He would go through at the hands of those He came to save.
He considered the sorrow of having those He healed, cleansed and raised back to life crying “Crucify Him!” Above all, he considered the pain of becoming sin, hanging on a cross and being separated from His Father.
Shedding more light on this, the Holy Spirit says in Philippians 2:5-8 MSG :
5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.”
Having considered the cost of all this and much more, Jesus still chose to go through it all because of the joy of our salvation that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:3). What a wonderful Savior we have!
The Holy Spirit is admonishing us to have the same mind, which counts the cost of a task before undertaking it.
The lives of many Bible characters also reflect the principle of counting the cost. Abraham is one example;
he never once thought of going back to his native country after leaving it. He properly understood God’s instructions and followed through without looking back.
Also, the four Hebrews boys were well aware of what was at stake the moment they got of Babylon. They quickly counted the cost, and in Daniel 1:8, we are told that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego made a commitment to God that cost them the right to the king’s delicacies. Because they had counted the cost and made a firm commitment to follow through, they dared the fiery furnace and the lion’s den.
The good news is that when we made up our minds with a strong commitment to serve the Lord at all cost, it attracts great rewards from heaven.
Count the cost of going all the way with Jesus, surrendering all to Him and living holy, and then make a firm commitment to serve God’ no matter what it takes.
Action point: Restate your firm commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the cause of His Kingdom.
Author: Pst E. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
Freely you received, freely you must give (Math 10:8) , kindly share this devotion, and the Lord will bless you for it ♥
