"You Can’t Follow Jesus

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You Can’t Follow Jesus Posted: 18 Apr 2014 04:00 AM PDT Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me?  John 13:36-38 The propelling force behind Peter’s denial wasn’t his lack of faith. Otherwise he wouldn’t have made the claims he did. It was his overestimation of his faith. He believed he was ready to die for Jesus. But he wasn’t, and Jesus knew it. So Jesus said the unthinkable: you can’t follow me. That doesn’t sound like Jesus. After all, this is the Jesus who had told Peter to leave his family, profession, and home to follow Him. Now Jesus is telling Peter he can’t follow Him. Sounds schizophrenic. But it wasn’t. Jesus knew exactly what He was doing because He knew the exact measure of Peter’s faith. Peter had initially followed Jesus. Peter had followed Him on the water. But he wasn’t ready to follow Jesus to the cross. Peter wasn’t ready to follow Jesus everywhere. Not at that moment. You’re not ready to follow Jesus everywhere either. Not at this moment. And here’s the truth: Jesus isn’t expecting you to. While we definitely often overestimate our own faith, I think we underestimate the grace and patience of Jesus for our lack of faith even more. Jesus expects you to exercise the faith that you have, not the faith that you still have to develop. There are places in your life where your faith is still lacking. There are moments where you still struggle. The question for you in those places and in those moments is the same as it was for Peter: will you really lay down your life for Jesus? And the answer is no. But that is why He laid down His life for you. That’s what He was leaving to do when He told Peter he couldn’t follow Him. And that’s what He’s done for you when you can’t follow Him. Practice the measure of faith that you have. Follow Jesus where you can. But know that His grace covers you when you can’t and He is patient with you while you are developing the faith to follow Him where you can’t go right now.

God's Will

I've realized lately that I need to do a better job at being a follower of Christ, and maintaining a healthy relationship with Him. I havn't been spending much time with my word. Nor have I gotten in a quiet place listening patiently as He pours into my spirit.. and I cannot afford to not spend time with God. So, I suggest we all do a self examination to make sure where we are spending our time, money, talents, and energy is going towards the Kingdom of God. 

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Stay Close To God, 

Tiffany ❤️

Highly Worthy

You deserve the very best. And you deserve the experience of creating it in your life.

Those who tell you that you’re undeserving are wrong. Those who tell you that you can have something for nothing are just as wrong.

Yes, on this very day you are worthy of the best life you can imagine. And on this very day, you have the opportunity, and the responsibility, to bring that life into being.

What a waste it would be to live at less than your highest level. What a shame it would be to squander even one day of your unique, highly worthy life.

What you have is amazing and filled with great promise. So put in some effort that’s fully worthy of that great promise.

You deserve a life that’s rich and full, and you deserve to be the one who makes it happen. So get up, get busy, get going, and discover how truly deserving you are.

— Ralph Marston

Be truly inspired

Be inspired by life, and yet go beyond being merely inspired. Act on your inspirations.

Let life stir your passion, and let that passion push you into action. Let the outstanding, meaningful ideas flow, then do something real and useful with them.

Each time life makes a profound impression upon your heart, resolve anew to make a difference.

Take the real goodness you see, and be the living instrument through which it is amplified and expanded.

There is so very much that can inspire you, in the ordinary moments as well as in the extraordinary experiences. Consider each inspiration as a starting point from which you can do truly amazing things.

There is a reason why you feel that warm, right and wonderful sense of inspiration. It resonates so well with you in order to give power and authentic purpose to your actions.

Follow that purpose, and make the most of that power. Be truly inspired to act on your inspirations, and lift all of life to inspiring new heights.

— Ralph Marston

Reminder

Just a thought to encourage you this week coming from Isaiah 45:19 (NLT)  "I publicly proclaim bold promises.  I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner.  I would not have told (my people) to seek Me if I could not be found."  

God is good. He has incredible plans for your life. Sometimes, that can be hard to believe when we look at what's unfolding around us in life...  KNOW THIS: the things He's been whispering in your spirit aren't just you or your imagination. It's the voice of a true God who is faithful to His word. He is good in His gifts to us, and does what He says He's going to do.  

Be encouraged this week. You've got this! 

Today's Truth

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:11, NIV)
Friend to Friend
As a little girl, I really did have a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow. I can remember the day my mother showed me the lamb and explained that she did not have a bottle with which to feed the stray lamb. I did. I agreed to let the lamb have my bottle if I could have the lamb. I have been fascinated by the unique relationship between sheep and their shepherd ever since.
Shepherds live with their sheep, finding places for them to eat and drink, providing shelter from the storms and protection from the heat. Sheep must eat the right amount of the right kinds of grass at the right times…or they will die. If the sheep eat too little one day and too much the next day, some of the bacteria that live in the stomach of the sheep will reproduce abnormal levels, creating toxins that cause sudden death. This problem was even more complicated for the shepherds of the Bible.
The type of shepherding referred to in the Bible is not the farming of fenced pasturelands, but nomadic grazing. The shepherd must carefully plan the path and lead the way so that the sheep have neither too little nor too much grazing and are able to get to the water hole on time. Pastures are often lost to extreme heat that means the shepherd has to scour the countryside in search of green grass. Several flocks of sheep are gathered together at night in a sheltered place so that shepherds can share the watches of the night, protecting the sheep from wild animals and thieves. Good shepherds are always willing to risk their lives to save their flocks from any harm, any enemy and even from themselves.
Sheep are dumb, can never be left alone and often stray, requiring the shepherd to find and rescue them. A shepherd never pushes his sheep but rather leads his sheep, going before them, making sure they are not walking into danger. The needs of sheep, compared to the needs of other animals, are greater because of their instinct to be afraid and when faced with a fearful situation, to run. Without a shepherd to care for the sheep, they will not last long.
Personally, I definitely fit the profile of a sheep. I can’t count the number of times I have stubbornly stuck to my plan, foolishly thinking that it was better than His plan, only to end up in some pit somewhere, calling for help. Psalm 40:1-3 has become my life maxim – with one exception. I rarely wait patiently! Remember, I am a sheep!
Psalm 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD” (NIV).
I sometimes allow fear to drive me to a place where I am trapped by doubts and darkness…until He rescues me. I try to satisfy my hunger by eating the wrong things found in the wrong places at the wrong times. The result is always the same; my soul remains ravenous for what is good while stuffing my heart and mind with what is bad.
Like every sheep, I don’t like to be pushed. Good shepherds do not push, no matter how great the temptation. A good shepherd stands in front of his sheep, gently calling their names, leading them to a place where he has already been, positioning himself between danger and his sheep. When I am tired and ready to give up, I tend to withdraw from the other sheep and even from my Shepherd. Many of us have somehow bought into the lie that they can make it on their own or that the rules, the commandments of
God, do not necessarily apply to them…just those other sheep. The longer I serve God, the more I realize just how much we need each other and how much we need Him. When will I learn that I cannot do life on my own – as a sheep or as a shepherd?
A good shepherd is willing to lay down his life for his sheep, just as Jesus Christ laid down His life for you and for me. I am so glad He was willing to lay down His life for every single sheep – the cute, fluffy ones as well as the dirty, broken lambs like me. Maybe it is time for us all to stop, listen for His voice, seek His plan and remember that we are indeed needy sheep who are called to love and lead other needy sheep to the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
Let’s Pray
Lord, I am so thankful that You are my Shepherd and that no matter how deep the valley or dark the pit, You have gone before me and made a way. Help me to understand that Your ways are higher than mine. Forgive me when I complain that the way You have made for me is harder than I want it to be. I
surrender my life to you, Lord, my God and my Shepherd.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now it’s Your Turn
Here is a challenge for every Girlfriend in God. Read Psalm 23 once a day for one month. Record it in your journal. Let every word soak into your heart, mind and soul. When fear comes, turn to God. When you are in need, trust the Shepherd. When confusion surrounds you, trust God to make the crooked paths straight. Rejoice daily in the fact that you are His lamb and He is your Shepherd.
More from the Girlfriends
I truly believe that most of our stress in life is rooted in our refusal to trust God as our Shepherd. Escaping the Stress Trap is not just a book I wrote. It is based on Psalm 23 and is my story of learning to understand that I am His sheep and He is my Shepherd. Check it out!
Need help learning how to study the Bible? Check out Mary’s weekly online Bible study, Light for the Journey. The current topic is How to Tame Your Tongue. And be sure to connect with Mary on Facebook or through email

Change of Plans