Take a Risk for Christ

Read: Genesis 29 & 30; Mark 15

“…and he gathered up the courage, went before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.” Mark 15:43

Examine:

Joseph had just seen the greatest man he had ever known suffer as brutal a death as he could have imaged. The Council had made an example for everyone who believed in Jesus, making sure that all would fully understand the risks of following Him. In the hours following the death of Jesus something flipped inside of Joseph. He got up, manned up, confronted his fears, and took a risk for Christ.

Apply:

Get up, man-up, confront your fears, and take a risk for Christ.

Pray:

I do not want to be reckless in my pursuit of You, but if I honestly evaluate my life I have to say that making mistakes by being to aggressive in chasing Your vision for my life is not a pattern. In reality, the pattern is that I am too conservative. I am too fearful. I hold back and wait too long. I allow life to unfold around me and watch time pass me by. The routine of my daily life slowly sucks life from my soul and I die a little each day. The question that haunts me as I look at my past is not, “Why did I do that?” The tormenting phrase I hear is, “Why did you not do something?”

Fear has cost me more than anything in my life. Fear of man, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of embarrassment, fear of loss…regardless of its form, fear is a nasty power and an affective thief. Lead me today to align my heart with Yours, gather up my courage, and get busy living boldly the plans You have for me. Twenty years from this day I pray that I look back on my life and marvel at Your movement and see no hint of a life consumed by fears.