Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If
anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24
We can
take God’s presence for granted. We can assume that because Jesus said He would
be with us always, He will follow us wherever we go (Matt. 28:20). Jesus
does not follow us; we are to follow Him. You do not invite God to join
you in your activity. He invites you to become involved in His activity.
Jesus said: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Following
Jesus requires absolute obedience. He does not seek our counsel about which
direction we think is suitable. God already knows what is best without ever
having to consult with us.
Following
Jesus will lead you into experiences you never dreamed of! You will be with
Jesus as He weeps over those trapped in sin. You will feel the pain that Jesus
feels. You will see those who were spiritually blind experience the joy of
coming to see God for the first time. You will see lives that were broken, made
whole. You will see marriages restored; those in bondage, released; and those
who mourn, comforted. At times it will be easy to follow Jesus. At other times,
you will be tempted to abandon Him. Following Jesus can mean going through a
storm or standing on a mountaintop.
You may
have stopped following Jesus, but now you want to follow again. When you
stopped following Jesus, you did so on your terms. But
the returning to Jesus is strictly under His conditions. He is God,
and you are not. Are you willing to follow Jesus anywhere, at any time, under
any condition? That is the only way you can follow Him.
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