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From: Durham, Michael
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 9:17 AM


Why Can I Not Follow You Now?
“Peter said to Him, ’Lord, why can I not follow You now?’” John 13:37
There are times when you can’t understand why you cannot do what you want to
do. When God brings a time of waiting, and appears to be unresponsive, don’t
fill it with busyness, just wait. The time of waiting may come to teach you the
meaning of sanctification— to be set apart from sin and made holy— or it may
come after the process of sanctification has begun to teach you what service
means. Never run before God gives you His direction. If you have the slightest
doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt— wait.
At first you may see clearly what God’s will is— the severance of a
friendship, the breaking off of a business relationship or something else you
feel is
distinctly God’s will for you to do. But never act on the impulse of that
feeling. If you do, you will cause difficult situations to arise which will take
years to untangle. Wait for God’s timing and He will do it without any
heartache or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of
God,
wait for God to move.
Peter did not wait for God. He predicted in his own mind where the test would
come, and it came where he did not expect it. "I will lay down my life for
Your sake." Peter’s statement was honest but ignorant. "Jesus answered him,
’ .
. . the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times’ " ( John
13:38 ). This was said with a deeper knowledge of Peter than Peter had of
himself. He could not follow Jesus because he did not know himself or his own
capabilities well enough. Natural devotion may be enough to attract us to Jesus,
to make us feel His irresistible charm, but it will never make us disciples.
Natural devotion will deny Jesus, always falling short of what it means to truly
follow Him.


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