[Matthew 14:15]
Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."
:: Following
Part of following in Jesus’ footsteps means we take heed of His flock and make ourselves available to their needs, spiritual as well as physical. The twelve disciples, who had been with Jesus the most, are given an invitation to show love to Him by responding to the needs of His flock. They have an opportunity to be the leaders Jesus has been training them up to be. How often do we languish in our faith because we fail to take initiative and demonstrate to others what He has been revealing to us all along? If we pass up chances to act for the Lord in the benefit of others, we miss the blessing of being used for His purpose, and growing in our faith. If we live out our Christian walk always looking to be fed but never feeding others, how will Christ be magnified in our lives, and His Word multiply into the lives of others?
Imagine the impact the disciples would have had on the crowd of people, if instead of trying to send them away, they turned in faith and started proclaiming the greatness of the One they had all been following? If the people had witnessed the overwhelming blessing of worship and praise of who Jesus was from His closest companions, I wonder if their physical hunger would have been such a need in the moment?
Every new day is another opportunity to walk the faith we profess. To live it out purposefully for His glory. Love Jesus by being His messenger, taking the initiative. How will you feed His flock today?
:: Prayer
Heavenly LORD, You are my Shepherd and the One I choose to follow. Give me the Words to speak when I see someone in a desert place. Help me to bless them with Your presence and feed their need on the bounty of Your Word. Give me eyes to see the spiritual hunger in the people around me, so I can help meet their need and bring glory to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
[Matthew 10:16]
"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
:: Following
To truly follow Jesus means that we are not above the same persecutions He endured. Therefore, we need to be clothed in wisdom and righteousness, being innocent about evil and wise in what is good. A soldier is not sent out for war without first being trained in combat. Likewise, a team does not compete without first practicing. To do His will, we need to be trained in His Word, and be able to discern evil so we are not easily led astray. Just as Jesus subdued those who opposed Him, we need to be ready to stand firm and speak boldly, in love, wisdom, and truth. Our inability to do so, is just that- our inability, not His. He has not called us to go forth unprepared, but sends us out in the power of the Holy Spirit, who will speak the word through us and enable us to stand firm. It is up to us as His followers, to rely on the Spirit and allow Him to do His work through us. God is sending you out with a spirit of boldness, not timidity, to represent Him before men.
Do not fear the ones who will reject you, but do what He calls you to do in His name. Proclaim the Word unabashedly, expose the evil of the day, and bring all things into the light. Above all, remember who you serve and glorify Him.
:: Prayer
My Father, it is You I seek, You I choose to follow, You I will speak about to all I encounter. Because I have been bought with the precious blood of Christ, I am not my own, and I do not belong to this world, but to Your Kingdom. You have called me in righteousness and have equipped me with truth- not for me to keep hidden, but to proclaim, so You will be glorified. I boldly profess You today and seek ways to glorify You wherever You send me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 15:8
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
:: Following
Every day we face a battle between our flesh and the Spirit. Who will you choose to follow today? Will you orchestrate your day around your own desires, or will you bear your cross and do what He asks you to do? Have you made yourself available to Him today, and are you looking for ways to demonstrate Christ’s love through you? When we continue trying to maintain a certain standard for ourselves, pressing on toward our own goal, it seems as though we are running in circles, never producing or accomplishing anything eternal.
Jesus has invited you to be His disciple. He has called you to follow in His footsteps, to integrate your life and conform it in obedience to Him. It is a calling that sacrifices self daily, and learns how to extinguish the desire for personal worldly needs. Your life is to be lived in obedience; pleasing to God and available to go where He leads you. When we confess Jesus as Lord of our life, our goal is no longer to live for our self, but to glorify God as Jesus lived to glorify Him. The resulting fruit brings glory to God and conveys our commitment to Him.
Our obedience requires putting God’s plan first, waiting instead of acting, and choosing to follow and not question even when the road is unclear.
:: Prayer
Almighty God, I choose today to become Your disciple. No longer do I choose to live for myself, but to follow the path Jesus has called me to. I want to bear fruit in my life, fruit that will last, and brings glory to You. You have sacrificed so much for me, LORD, help me to live sacrificially for You every day. I know the journey is uncertain and requires commitment on my part, but I can rest assured that You already know the way and I am not walking alone. May my obedience to you never waver, and the fruit that I bear have eternal rewards. Amen.
[Matthew 6:6]
“ But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
:: Following
When the apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray He gave them a model that would help their hearts be in the right place before God. It is often noted in the gospels how Jesus stole away to be alone with His Father. He would purposely block out the crowd and retreat in private. What does your prayer life look like? Do you find you have little time for prayer because of worldly distractions, or are your prayers full of self gratifying requests? Are you following the example Jesus set for His disciples in consecrating your time alone with God? There is a model of prayer often used called “ACTS” - which stands for “adoration,” “confession,” “thanksgiving,” and “supplication.” Praying in this way helps us to approach the Father with reverence, and holiness. It prevents us from being distracted from our wants and from approaching prayer with a gimme-gimme attitude. Jesus tells us to “go into your room and shut the door,” meaning we need to come into prayer without distraction, being fully present to God. God knows our needs before we ask Him.
The focus of our prayer should be to commune with Him in worship and confession, with humility and gratitude for His goodness, and lastly to bring about His will through us. Commit yourself to following after Jesus by relishing a healthy prayer life that honors God.
:: Prayer
Almighty Father, I pray that my prayer life will be something I hold dear; a precious gift You have blessed me with in Christ Jesus. Through His blood, You have granted me the privilege of approaching Your throne. Help me to guard my prayer life and keep it honoring to You. To know that when I call to You, You will listen. May I approach Your holy place with reverence, humility, and gratitude, and may I pray with a desire for Your will and not my own. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
REVEALED: FOLLOWING
As followers of Christ Jesus, we are chosen and called to imitate His Holiness. We are His disciples and are commanded to go out into the world, and through our lives show love to God and people by spreading the good news of salvation in Christ Jesus.
[Matthew 16:16]
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
:: Following
Do you know that you are called? How honored you are that God has chosen to reveal His Son in you, and has made you His follower, His child. He knows you, even the very hairs on your head, and has a plan for His glory in you. Who do you say that He is? As His child, are you living called, proclaiming His Kingdom, confessing His salvation, and blessing others with the knowledge that God has invited us to fellowship with Him? Like Peter, our witness begins when we confess Jesus. To follow Him means we live with boldness and certainty, and a passion that is not hidden or ashamed. Live with assurance and conviction of your belief, and in what Christ has done for you.
Be kingdom-minded with your eyes set on following and emulating the One who has redeemed you from death and has entrusted you with the revelation of His Son. Be blessed today knowing that you are commissioned and He has made you worthy.
:: Prayer
Father God, I know that it is by Your Holy Spirit that you have revealed Your Son in me. You have called me to be a light and to testify of Your greatness. Let my life be a sacrifice to you and my mouth speak in boldness for Your Kingdom. Strengthen me with Your Righteous Right Hand, and equip me to proclaim Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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