Keeping Jesus to ourselves

^{by: carole l. haines}

⁴² When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. ⁴³ But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” ⁴⁴ So He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4:42-44 NASB)

The people searched for Jesus, and when they found Him, they tried to keep Him from going away from them.  So often I seem to keep Jesus to myself.  I enjoy His company, love spending time in His Word, sitting at His feet and learning from Him.  But just as God had a broader purpose for Jesus than just this one town, He has a broader purpose for Jesus in our lives, than just keeping Him to ourselves. Jesus said, “I must preach the Kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Even more for us, the Kingdom of God must go out to the ends of the earth.  People are longing for the Savior sent to us from Heaven.  The Bible says that:
“God has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NASB)
We all sense that death is not what we were born for.  We all desire to live long, fruitful, purposeful lives.  This is because God has set eternity in the hearts of all men and women, boys and girls.  God has put it in our hearts to want to live forever.   “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.” (John 17:13 NASB)

Let us ask God to reveal people who are around us, who are searching for that Eternity that is written in their hearts.  Let us be ready with the Word of Hope, the Good News of Jesus, to share with these searching souls.   Let’s not be keeping Jesus to ourselves, but sharing Him with others.  It is the purpose that we so deeply yearn for in our lives, that eternity in our own hearts. The apostle John said this:

“What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3 NASB)
Let us proclaim our precious Lord Jesus, to whomever the Lord brings to us each day.