Galatians 2:20.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

DAILY READING 1 Corinthians 16; 2 Kings 12-13; Micah 3

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Historians have long researched and written on the life of the Christianizing Spanish explorer and Conqueror, Hernando Cortez. Quite fascinating is the story of how he conquered the great city of Aztec in Mexico in 1519.  At this time, the Aztecs were a large and powerful empire that had been in power for over six centuries. They were known to hoard what was deemed then as the world’s richest treasures, which no army had ever been able to plunder. 

However Hernando Cortez, believed he could overcome the Aztec stronghold and cart away their riches. On April 21st, 1519, he sailed into the harbor of Vera Cruz, Mexico, bringing with him about 500 soldiers and 100 sailors with  11 ships. These band of Spanish soldiers were no match for the great army of the Aztec empire, but they landed on the shores of Mexico, with only one objective; to seize the great treasures. Before leading the men into battle, Cortez rallied them round and uttered these  three words “Burn the Ships”. Initially he was met with resistance from his men. Why would they burn the ships they were meant to escape in? “Burn the ships,” Cortez repeated. He then said “if we are going home, we are going home in their ships”.

Finally convincing the men, Cortez and his soldiers burned their own ships. And by burning their own ships, the commitment level of the men was raised to a whole new level. With no more option of retreat, amazingly, the men conquered the Aztecs and succeeded in something other armies had been unable to accomplish. With the victory Cortez and his men took the treasure. 

It is believed that why they succeeded against all odds was because they had no retreat plan, no fall back position. Their ships were burned, they had no way to get back, therefore they had no choice! It was all or nothing! It was “succeed or die’’ It was a Complete and Total Commitment to their cause. 

The question then is; If these men could be so dedicated in their quest for gold, how much more dedicated should we be in our quest for God?

In Galatians 2:20, Paul states “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

In our Christian walk, we have to decide to burn the ship and follow Christ wholly. We must make a commitment to go forward with Christ and live for God alone. We have to come to the point where we decide it is going to be God or nothing else. We live in a world that loves compromises, and teaches that we are free to pick and choose what suits us religiously. But Christ tells us that to follow Him, means to take up our crosses and never look back. To follow him is all or nothing. Indeed we can never serve God and mammon. There is no cheap grace. To serve God acceptably, means we are to die to everything else and live fully for the one who has saved us.

Dedication has been described as deadly commitment. It means putting your hands to the plough without the option of turning back. 

Our commitment as Christians cannot be complete until we come to the decision to serve God totally. We have to burn our ships and believe that the only way to go is forward. 

Retreat is easy when you have an option. But when you decide like Paul that to live is Christ and to die is gain, then there is no option but to go forward.

That is why in the armors listed in Ephesians 6 there is no defense for your back, because you are never meant to turn back, you must keep pressing forward. 

Your choice for dedication today guarantees your distinction tomorrow. Glory will not come until the mystery of dedication is in place- When our lives are completely given over to God and the cause of His kingdom, then we will keep advancing from glory to glory. Indeed, when we know that turning back is never an option, our lives can only go one way; forward. 
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to be totally dedicated to You. Please grant me the grace to make You my top priority in life, Having put my hands to the plough, please help me to never turn back in Jesus Name. .   

QUOTE 

Your heart needs to be filled with The Word of God to the point of overflow. – WORDBITE 222. 

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]