Sitting at the tax collector’s booth.
Is that where you’re located today? Parked alongside the road, watching the Lord and others pass you by, all the while waiting to collect on their good fortune?
You’ve heard his preaching from a distance. Maybe even witnessed a miracle or two in his comings and goings, all the while sitting by nursing your curiosity, maybe even nursing a grudge. Feeling overlooked and underpaid, you linger with your coppers in the shadows of his passing grace telling yourself that they will be enough. That they are why you’re here. To collect your due and to do so using the law as your compass, not grace.
Collecting money or receiving grace. Collecting the approval of man or receiving the love of God. Where are you today? Sitting by the road thinking you haven’t been called or walking the road with Jesus knowing you have been called?
You’ve been called. There’s no “thinking” that you have heard otherwise. You’ve been called.
Now it’s time to walk. Time to push your chair away from the table, from what you thought you were supposed to be doing with your life. To leave the security of the few coppers of borrowed grace that have been surrendered to you by others and to start receiving the free grace that rightfully belongs to you as a child of God.
It’s not enough to notice Jesus. To make acknowledgement of his passing. To mentally ascend to understanding and truth. Noticing, acknowledging, and ascending can all serve as precursors to following Christ, but the real work of discipleship begins when you get up and follow him.
Get up from your complacency.
Get up from your comfortableness.
Get up from your high opinions.
Get up from your selfishness.
Get up from your self-importance.
Get up from your self-pity.
Get up from your pride.
Get up from your woundings.
Get up from your sin.
Get up from your excuses.
Just get up from the table of whatever is keeping you tied to the side of the road, and start walking with Jesus. You’ve been called, and the day will soon be over. The night is fast approaching, and the nighttime is not the right time to reason out your calling. The night time is the best time to rest in your calling—to know that you know that you know—that leaving your coppers on the table was the best leaving of your life.
Quit collecting on the grace of others, friends. Start walking the grace that is yours. Get up, and walk forward with Jesus. Today is the day of salvation. I’ll meet you on the road. As always…
Peace for the journey,
~elaine
PS: The winner of Nancy’s study according to random.org is Rebecca (the original winner, Leah, already has the study and wanted another of you to receive it). For another chance to win a copy, please visit Nancy at her blog and enter into the give-away. Leah, the study will be coming to you directly from Nancy!
This post was so inspiring, as always Elaine! Thank you for sharing!
Blessings,
Susan
What an encouraging and inspiring post! It is just what I need to do….GET UP and move forward with what the Lord has for me each day. Hugs to you today, Debbie
After having spent the morning on the side of the road, I will be getting up. Thank you so much for sharing.
I've already been here once – and left. I didn't have words to properly respond to this. Still don't.
Praising God for you–your insight, your talent. What a gift you are to the Body of Christ.
I am in awe of how well you put things, and the truths God reveals to you. What a blessing.
I'm sitting at the table of passivity, but I'm "gettin' up". Beautiful, Elaine!
Thought provoking. Thanks!
So why don't ya just come on over to the house and kick me in the backside? LOL ~~~ I SO need to get up from this grieving, I just don't seem to be able to find the strength!! Thank you for exhorting!!
Amen! I hear ya!
Timely for me to read! Thank you for allowing Him to speak through you…as always. Hugs my friend!
I love knowing that I'll meet you on the road, Elaine. What a comfort to have sisters walking beside me on the road of faith…
Good thoughts for me today. Hubby was told his pay is being cut by 30%. It would be easy to just sit somewhere instead of getting up.
I feel like over the last year I have gotten up, began walking the road pulling my table behind me then sat back down after only traveling a little ways. I am pray g for his strength to leave the table behind and continuing walking. Thank for the encouragement
"The night is fast approaching, and the nighttime is not the right time to reason out your calling. The night time is the best time to rest in your calling…"
Powerful!
An amazing word my friend! And I am walking…..following Jesus with all that I am…
Blessings,
Jennifer
Elaine – Sometimes in Blog Land I am just floored by a post that speaks to me at JUST the right time. Well, today this is the one.
I have recently been struggling with this "from the sidelines" feeling – and wondering what it is that God wants ME to do. Just in the past past few weeks, He's been niggling an idea to me. It involves a big, scary step out of my comfort zone. I've been praying about it, and He's been gracious to be sending me confirmations. But, in truth, I think I am stalling a bit. Using that old Christian excuse, "Well, I'm still praying about it. Want to make sure that it's what the Lord wants…"
While that is absolutely true – we must NEVER take a step without His leading – sometimes the guidance happens after we begin to step out.
So, you have given me the final confirmation – GET UP!
Let go of your excuses – yup, that's the one that hit home. I'd also have to say, let go of your fear.
I'll let you know what happens in my next steps. But thank you SO much for this challenging, convicting, and confirming post!
God used you today for me.
GOD BLESS!
Oooo, this is good, girl…just the kick in the tail that I needed!
Phenomenal….these words so embrace me today.
Pray for my daughter. She is in a heavy crisis as I write tonight. Thanks.
Living in His Embrace~Pamela
I'm walkin' in my callin' Elaine. What a good word! Thanks as always for sharing your heart with us!
Blessings ~ Danie
This is so very powerful, Faith Elaine. Haven't I been in all of those places? The devil loves to keep us sitting at that table. And I am having a little trouble getting up right now :). I think I needed your words today.
Thinking of you, praying for you in everything. Sending you so much love.
wifeforthejourney:
Our faith is so much of an active, rather than a passive kind of faith. Lord forgive me when my "waiting by the roadside" becomes a lazy expectation that you are going to not just call me, but pick me up and carry me along.
Sometimes it is a fine line, but often I will waste time trying to "collect" from others instead of following Jesus.
Thanks for the good word this morning!
Love you,
Billy
Wonderful post Elaine.
The call of mortal wealth can be a loud and seductive voice. Only however, through the grace of Christ can we truly receive the eternal rewards that await us when we follow Him.
Have a Blessed Day!
Such a wise & timely post.! It's just that simple too: Get up!! Jesus only asked that we follow, not forge a new or different way of our own. Following is easy but – as you say – it requires the leaving off of whatever else has captivated (or captured) us.
Dear Elaine,
As you know these are difficult days for me. And once again, your post speaks to me at the level where God speaks to me heart to heart.
Thank you… I have asked God for confirmation… if I should make a clean break with a past level of comfort, or should I move on… entrusting what lies ahead to God.
Blessings and love
Lidia
Let's go! GET UP!
This was so interesting, coming from your pen 🙂 I can even hear you speaking 'GET UP!'
Maybe I haven't known you long enough, but this blew me away. Loved the exhortation. It's so right on! But it doesn't sound like the Elaine I thot I knew. haha
Did you eat jumping beans for breakfast?
I think God is bringing you back around 100 fold! You are much wiser; stronger – like God lit your fire! So…Fan the flame, girl.
He's been reminding me of late that it only takes a spark to get a fire going – I think we must be seeing and hearing similar things 🙂
I sure liked this firecracker message. from glory to glory.
blessings
Patrina <")>><
ps – 🙂 my word verification is:
slosalt – that was too cute to not share 🙂
amen! thank you for lighting a fire under my …
amen!
I needed to hear the words of your post. I need to walk in the grace I've already so lovingly been given and quit sitting by the side of the road. Thanks for the great reminder!