“But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts his hand to the plough and then looks behind him is useless for the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62 (PHILLIPS)
REFERENCE:
Luke 9:57-62 (PHILLIPS)
Working with a plough is an old agricultural method of making ridges with a yoke of donkeys or oxen to which the plough is connected. The man driving the animals must guide them. He must always keep his hand and eyes on the plough, or else the animals will stray and ruin the ridges he is making. This is a call to avoid distractions when one has an identified assignment.
Jesus infers here that anyone who cannot give 100% in following Him will not amount to much and will be a lightweight in the Kingdom; he is unfit for His service. If you cannot give your all to whatever you do, you will not get the best out of it. That is why if all you seek is convenience and comfort, rising in life will be difficult, and your successes will be little and far between. Regardless of your sphere of influence, giving your all will always cause you to stand out.
I often say Satan’s greatest tool against saints (and perhaps people generally) is discouragement. Discouragement makes people take their hands off the plough. Satan keeps people’s focus on the difficulty and the price to be paid but blinds them to the prize to be won. If you have not dealt with discouragement, maybe you are not running the right race of destiny.
Many bible figures were discouraged: Moses, Elijah, David, and Paul. Moses lost out. God gave Elijah angel’s food. David encouraged himself. Paul was resilient; he said, “We are perplexed, but not in despair…” That is commitment; it takes dedication to a cause or pursuit to keep your hand on the plough. Proverbs 28:20 says, “A faithful man shall abound in blessings…”
Make up your mind today to keep your hand on the plough. Pay the price for your marriage, career, academics, business, relationship, ministry, etc. God is committed to your success; He only needs you to hang in there and not treat what you do with lassitude or nonchalance. He will help you and give you overwhelming success. He will breathe on all your efforts and ensure that after everything, you have straight ‘ridges’ and a taste of all-round victory, in Jesus’ name.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Ephesians 5:15-16, Isaiah 26:3, Proverbs 10:4, and Psalm 42:5-8
PRAYER:
+ Dear Father, deliver my heart from discouragement and send Your fire afresh in my heart. Give me the zeal and passion to pursue Your plan and program for my life relentlessly. Awaken the giant in me as I victoriously take the mountain of my academics, career, ministry, family, or professional exams. I refuse to be a victim of distraction or discouragement. I secure my future in God through the blood of Jesus – in Jesus’ name.
