Follow God

There are times when God asks his own to follow him even when it seems to make no sense to them at all. How his children respond will determine whether a blessing is received or lost, and whether the Saviour will rejoice or be grieved.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

This instruction is contrary to our very nature….we want to lean on our own understanding. To trust God with all or our heart when our understanding is leading us otherwise is a step of faith that God longs for us to take.

“Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.”

Luke 5:4-6

Simon was a professional fisherman and his best efforts had not produced any results whatsoever. How foolish it would have seemed to follow the instructions of a man who had been a carpenter all of his life! God wants to be in control of even those things that we are very good at.

“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”

Genesis 22:1-2

“And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

Genesis 22:15-18

What could possibly have seemed more wrong than to make a human sacrifice of your only son? This was completely contrary to God’s nature and yet, this is what God asked Abraham to do. Praise God that he never contradicts his own nature.

“Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.”

Luke 9:16-17

Why even attempt something when to all “common sense” there was no point in trying? See the wonderful results that came from obedience!

“ And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.”

Acts 8:26

“And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”

Acts 8:38-39

Philip had just been used of God in a great revival in Samaria in which multitudes came to Christ. Why on earth would God ask him to go out into the lonely desert? Couldn’t he be more greatly used somewhere else? See how God is interested in each individual.

“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.”

Luke 18:17

To a grown person, the command of God to become as a little child in order to receive his Son as Saviour is contrary to their understanding. Surely, one may say, God would want me to lean upon all that I have learned in my lifetime in order to come to him! But, my friend, this is not God’s way. It is not according to our own understanding. It is simple child-like faith that God has been waiting for you to place in him and him alone. Nothing else will do. Why not believe God when he says that you are a sinner in desperate need of a Saviour? Why not trust the fact that Jesus Christ paid the complete penalty for your sins? Why not come to him in repentance today, become his child, and receive his gift of eternal life? Don’t keep him waiting.