I Tried

I TRIED

We often hear folks making statements in this fashion: wasn’t meant to be, devil prevented, not my job anyway, it can’t be done or I tried. Defeat rings louder than reports of success and travels far and wide. There are certain excuses that we earth bound creations of God offer as justification as to why we cannot obey the will of God. In a parable in Luke fourteen of a certain man’s feast Jesus spoke a few.

16 “Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.” Ephesians 5:6 “Let not man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” The servant said “I tried.” And he did try. However those who had before been invited and notified had excuses. We invite many to dine at the Lord’s Supper. They have all been invited and told the time is soon coming, be ready for the call. We get various excuses as to why they will not come. They purpose in their hearts to choose a more convenient time. We try. God gives us a directive and we try to complete or we make excuses. Really there is no excuse in failing if we have faith. Still, it is so. Little David faced a monumental task from God. Crossing the valley to what most watching felt was certain death at the hand’s of Goliath. But he went in obedience while proclaiming God as His power source. Stones from the brook were not his power when loaded into the sling. Davids skill with the sling was not his advantage over Goliath. God picked the stone, loaded the sling guided the stone into Goliath’s forehead and he fell before David. Disobedience to God’s commandments in our life’s efforts will fail if we are out of His will. Luke reports a simple example: (Luke 5:6) 4 “Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. Peter said, “I tried.” He did in fact try and try hard but he had been disobedient to Gods will and approached the task from the wrong direction. Easy for us to do also if we work out of the will of our Lord. Matthew reports it in this fashion when Peter grew doubtful while waiting on the Lord and turning back to His old profession: Matthew 14:2 “There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. (Boy how they tried) 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

Christians must be casting our pearls on the RIGHT SIDE. We will stand before God spiritually naked and without excuse. Disciples had power over devils but when faced with one greater than before encountered, they faltered in doubt because of the magnitude of the task. Mark 9:15 “Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.’

Nothing shell be impossible for us through the Lord Jesus. We have power not measurable through His name by faith. Jesus had given many people knowledge enough to bring the Jews into obedience but they would not. They tried as did the Lord Himself but free will, greed and denial kept them away.

Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”

Psalms 127:1 (A Song of degrees for Solomon.) Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”

I did it my way will be work in vain because too often we build on sand. 1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Know God, know peace. Amen. 03-22-2020 BLL