MAKE ROOM FOR JESUS IN YOUR HEART

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

APRIL 07, 2023

TOPIC: MAKE ROOM FOR JESUS IN YOUR HEART

BY T. O. BANSO

“Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, ‘Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’” (Mark 14:14 New King James version).

In Luke 2:7, the Bible says that Mary brought forth her firstborn Son, wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. Just as there was no physical room in the inn for Mary to lodge in and accommodate her Son, Jesus, it’s possible for someone not to have room for Jesus in His heart.

There are many people today who have heard the message of salvation many times but are yet to make room for Jesus in their hearts. And this is not because the gospel is complicated. Paul said, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 New King James Version). Such people have room for other things in their hearts but they have not made room for Jesus.

In the last days of Jesus before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, He ate the Passover with His disciples. He sent two of His disciples to go and prepare for this. He told them that they a man would meet them carrying a pitcher of water and they should follow him. “Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, ‘Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’” (Mark 14:14 New King James Version).

Jesus said the owner of the house would show them a large upper room, furnished and prepared. He told these disciples to make preparations for them there for the Passover. Just as it happened in the case of the colt that Jesus rode on His triumphal entry to Jerusalem, the disciples found things just as Jesus had said and they prepared the Passover (Mark 14:15-16).

The owner of this house had a guest room reserved for Jesus! There is no suggestion that Jesus had met this man before and He had arranged to use his guest house. But He didn’t only know that a man would meet His disciples in the city carrying a jar or pitcher of water but He also knew that the owner of the house he would enter had a large upper room, furnished and prepared for Him and His disciples to eat the Passover there. And when His disciples told the owner of the house the Teacher (Jesus) said, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples,” he made it available just as the owners of the colt released it to the disciples of Jesus for Him to use.

As the owner of this guest room made it available to Jesus to use, people need to make room for Jesus in their hearts. The Bible says all things were made through Him (Jesus or the Word), and without Him, nothing was made that was made. So if the Creator is asking His creature for a room in his heart, it is a request that should be gladly granted.

Jesus needs your heart if you haven’t given your heart to Him. You were created for Him, not for yourself. Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (New King James Version).

Also, Revelation 4:11 says, “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created” (New King James Version). Make room for Jesus in your heart. He is the most important Person you need in your life. Paul said whatever was to his profit or was gain to him, he considered a loss for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:7). Everything else is useless without Jesus in your heart. As Jesus says, what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? He says what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36-37).  

Make room for Jesus in your heart. Don’t close your heart to the message of salvation. Jesus says in Matthew 13:23 that anyone who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Open your heart to receive Jesus. When you receive His Word and understand it, you receive Jesus into your heart.

On the day of Pentecost, those who listened to Peter’s sermon made room for Jesus in their hearts. They were cut to the heart by his sermon and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation’” (verses 38-40 New King James Version).

Consequently, the Bible says, those who gladly received Peter’s word were baptized and that day about three thousand souls were added to the church (verse 41). They became Christians when they made room for Jesus in their hearts.

Don’t make light of the Word of God you hear. Make room for Jesus. Receive His Word with gladness. Acts 8:14 says that the people of Samaria received the word of God and when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard it, they sent Peter and John to them.

Also, the Thessalonians received the Word of God that was preached to them. Paul says, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13 New King James Version). Receive the Word of God; don’t reject it.

Acts 17:11 says the Bereans were more fair-minded or noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Like these Bereans, receive the word with all readiness and search the Scriptures daily. Make room for Jesus in your heart.

You cannot become a follower of Christ without receiving the Word (1 Thessalonians 1:6). The Gentiles wouldn’t have become Christians if they didn’t receive the Word (Acts 11:1; 10:44). Paul says, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’” (Romans 10:14-15 New King James Version).

Open your heart to Jesus by opening it to His Word. Make room for Jesus in your heart. Jesus said to the church of the Laodiceans, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20 New King James Version). This lukewarm church, which prided itself on being wealthy and having need of nothing, not knowing that it was wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, had shut out Jesus. But He was still willing to come in if it would repent.  Lukewarm Christians also need to repent and make room for Him.

Sinners and saints must make room for Jesus. Is there room for Jesus in your heart? Let Him in today and obey Him. If you abide in His word, you are His disciple indeed (John 8:31).

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Jesus, I repent of my sins and accept you as my Lord and Saviour; come into my heart today and reign there. Father, I pray that everyone yet to make room for Jesus in his/her heart will do so, invite Him in, and follow Him forever.

(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

 

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org