This book is a beautiful guide on how to follow the Lord in our lives. Following the Lord brings abundant blessings both physically and spiritually. But to serve the Lord requires self sacrifice. The sacrifice of living a life of faith doesn`t include the sacrifice of good works but of obedience towards the Will of God. To obey the Will of God simply requires a "yes" from our hearts. This is what pleases Him.
God loves His children, and as our Father, He knows what is best for us. At times it may be difficult serving the Lord, and denying ourselves can sometimes feel like torture, but God would bring no harm to us, for He loves us and knows what`s best for us. That is why He has prepared the Church for His children to be nurtured and kept safe. God has placed the predecessors of faith in the Church, who guide and instruct us by the will of God. We must always listen to them because it is God who is speaking to us.
"Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another." (1 Peter 5:5).
John the Baptist is our predecessor of faith, the greatest born of a woman (Matthew 10:11).
The first chapter in the book explains who John the Baptist is, a messenger sent by God six months prior to the coming of Jesus, to transfer all our sins onto the Lord at His baptism. John the Baptist was also saved by believing that the sins of the world were transferred onto Jesus. The born again have the same faith today.
In order for John to prepare the way of the Lord (Malachi 3:1), he led a life separate from the people of this world. He lived in the wilderness eating locusts and wild honey. John didn`t live as ordinary people do, having a regular job, wife, or children. He lived in the wilderness until he appeared to Israel, telling them to "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 3:3).
We may not live in the wilderness or eat locusts, but we should aim to live the life of little `John the Baptists` in this world. This means we should not run with the current of this world, have idols before God, or follow our fleshly desires. We must remain inside God`s Church serving the gospel.
"Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins" (Matthew 3:5-6). The Israelites knew that John was a prophet of the Most High. They believed in the Word of God he was preaching, and many came and were baptized by him. He wasn`t like other false prophets. He wasn`t interested in money or fame; he came to his own people to tell them about Jesus, and they listened to him. This is the life that leads many souls to the Lord.
Is your heart like the field by the wayside? In this chapter the author explains the four different types of ground that take in the seed of Truth. The good ground accepts the Word as it is and bears much fruit. The other types are thorny ground, stony ground, and the wayside, none of which are good grounds to plant a seed. The good ground has been tilled, weeded, and watered, ready to accept the gospel. If we allow the cares of this world to take a hold, or if we stumble over our tribulations and persecutions or succumb to the lusts of the flesh, then the Word won`t take root in our hearts. Satan will come along and take the little faith that we had. We must become the good ground by believing in the Word of God and accepting it as it is.
The author talks about the heart of Andrew and Peter, who left their nets to follow the Lord. Fishermen need their nets to make a living, and without them, they cannot fish.
However, these disciples left their nets to follow the Lord. They believed that the Lord was their Savior and He had everything they could ever need and more.
We should not hesitate to leave behind anything that the Lord requires us to. Paul said, "I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8). This is the heart that is good ground.
The final chapter explains how abundant God`s salvation is. As the miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fish fed thousands of people, so does God`s grace bless the entire universe through His Church. We can be united to the works of God through His Church when we deny ourselves. When we come together, pray with one heart, and serve the gospel, many souls come to receive the remission of sins and hear about the gospel of the water and the Spirit for the first time. This makes God`s heart happy.
May we join our hearts and efforts together, preach the gospel to the entire world, sharing the bread of life until the end. Amen.
