What’s Mine Is His

John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.”

John 3:27

John the Baptist had cornered the market on the repentance message, and people were streaming to him to hear his blunt, pointed preaching. John’s disciples had a personal investment in his ministry. They were identified with him and his message and had made personal sacrifices in order to follow him. Whatever affected his ministry affected them.

Now Jesus had come on the scene, and the crowds were drawing away from John the Baptist. Jesus’ message and John’s were the same:turn away from your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. You can imagine the concern of John’s disciples that a new upstart rabbi was appealing to the same crowds that had once followed their leader, so they aired their concerns to John: “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us” (v.26).

This is the setting in which John spoke the words in today’s verse, defining a promise that John understood and lived by. When success comes into your life, it is because God has given it. When success comes to another, it is because God has given it. When John’s audience began to shift to Jesus, that was the pinnacle of John’s success. That was the reason for his ministry—to hand it all over to Jesus.

What might you feel competitive about? Or proud about? Or possessive about? Is there anyone whose success causes you feelings of bitterness instead of pleasure?

Listen to this promise: “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.” Can you rest in the truth of these words and release any sense of slight or of ownership? If you do, you will find rest for your soul.

Lord, thank you for what you have designated and assigned. My greatest success is to hand everything over to you.

If someone is leaving you behind, and you are becoming jealous and embittered, keep praying that he may have success in the very matter where he is awakening your envy; and whether he is helped or not, one thing is sure, that your own soul will be cleansed and ennobled.

William Law(1686–1761), British theologian and writer