Before You Go

Before You Go

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

I don’t know about you, but I find that a familiar passage of scripture sometimes leaps off the page with a flash of new meaning, like a lightening bolt blazing from the sky. As I read the above passage the other day, the order of two small words jumped off the page at me – All and Go.

I am privileged to be a Nurse practitioner and love my job interacting with orthopedic patients. But, many times the hurt and suffering I see face to face goes far deeper than my limited skills can help. A cast or brace or injection cannot heal fractured hearts or bandage wounded souls. I am aware that my patients desperately need Jesus. But in the few minutes that I have, how do I point them to Him and tell of His love? Sometimes, I feel an overwhelming pressure to meet their needs. I have found a new grace-full, prayerful peace as I go about my day if I practice His “All” before I “Go”.

Lord Jesus, let us be people who practice that You are our All in our everyday life through prayer!

ALL. We have to be grounded in this fact – ALL authority in Heaven and earth belongs to Jesus. He sees the end from the beginning. He is in charge. He will win in the end. He is ALL knowing, ever present, and all powerful. This truth changes the way I see the reality of my everyday. Personally, I have to start my day by silencing my heart in awe in His presence. This focuses my energy in my “going” throughout the day. He is at work in the world and every person I interact with may be a divine appointment.

GO. We are commissioned to go into the world and make disciples. We don’t have to go far; the world is all around us. As I touch my patients and interact with them, it gives me release and peace to pray for them as I care for them. I ask Jesus, Who has ALL authority, to reveal Himself to them. I offer myself to Him as a living sacrifice to be used for His purpose in that moment. I pray for them to come to know that love that He has for them.