Daily Devotion February 27

February 27: Mark 16:14-18

KJV Key Verse: Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Devotion:
When we lose sight of a target we do tend to give in or give up; for some reason so many of us need to have our eyes on the target to keep our minds focused on the task in hand. If we are encouraged to keep looking for the target as if it was just around the corner we may well be able to keep to the task in hand and not give up so easily. So it is little wonder that Jesus goes directly from telling the disciples off for giving up on the task to getting them to take ownership of the encouragement of others.

If we took a step back we would be able to see how we do give up and stop our jobs just because we slip up a little or forget what we were doing! It is not just us being totally useless or even us lacking faith… it is just a very human thing to do! That does not mean that it is right; just that it is human… Jesus knew the disciples were giving up because they had lost sight of the target so He is preparing them for covering that gap that others may not have to face it.

It is easy to say that we would not give up if we were constantly reminded but sadly that is not the case. Often we do get too used to being reminded and we then rely on those reminders rather than thinking for ourselves. I know that I rely far too much on my mobile phone as my alarm clock, diary, reminder, clock, address book, email appliance… and so many others things. What it cannot do is get me to read my Bible, pray to God and listen to God. Those are the things we have to take control of and make a part of our daily lives.

When we do make God a part of our daily lives we can then see when we fall short or recognise when we are losing touch. He then gives us the wherewithal to give up on the procrastination or temptations so we can continue focusing on Him instead. God wants us to be the constant encouragement others need to exercise themselves so they too become strong and live their own lives with God.

Points to Ponder:
Do you need reminders?

Are you trusting God?