Will You Pass the Salt?

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." (Matthew 5:13).

     When sitting at the table for a meal, if you want the salt, you are taught from a young age to not reach and grab it. You were taught from a young age to say, "Will you pass the salt, please?"

     Jesus compared us to salt because in those days, salt was very valuable. It was used in trade of commodities and even used sometimes as pay for workers instead of money. Salt has many uses; even today that we can compare to what we should be in this life.

   Salt is a preservative. It is used on foods to keep them from spoiling. God has called us to be a preservative to this world to keep souls from perishing. We are to preserve God's Word, His laws, His commandments and His ways. If we fail to preserve these things, the future generations will have no hope. (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).

     Salt is also used for healing. We gargle warm salt water for sore throats or sore gums. Hospitals use saline solutions to help with healing and cleansing. We, as God's children, are to help strengthen those who are weak and help lead them to their Spiritual healing.(2 Kings 2:20-22), (2 Chronicles 7:14). 

     Salt adds flavor. We don't like it when the doctor puts us on a diet of no salt. We call this food "bland". It is tasteless and we do not enjoy eating it. We should be adding flavor to this world and causing them to want to partake of the things of God. We should be influencing them to follow Christ. (Psalm 34:8)

     Salt produces thirst. When we eat salty things, it makes us want water to drink. The more of the salt of the earth we become, the more of His Living Water we want to partake of. The more of the salt of the earth we pass to others, the more of His Living Water they will want. They should want to know more about Him by being around us. (John 4:28-29, 39).

     Salt melts ice on steps, sidewalks and roads. If we are truly the salt of the earth the way Jesus told us to be, then the cold hearts of people around us will melt and become softer to be receptive to the things of God. (Proverbs 15:1). 

     Salt is used in fertilizer. This helps things to grow faster, stronger and more productive. We should be trying to help all those around us become stronger and more productive instead of beating them down and holding them back. We are called to strengthen and uplift. (Galatians 6:1). 

     Then there is the salt covenant mentioned in Numbers 18:19:

"All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee." 

     This was a covenant entered upon by two parties; usually a business agreement. In this covenant, one party would bring the bread, and one would bring the salt. The salt was sprinkled upon the bread, the bread was broken, and shared between the two parties.
     Jesus is the Bread of Life who was broken for us (1 Corinthians 11:23-24).  We are the salt. You can see how the two go together to form a covenant. 

    So, when Jesus told us that we are the salt, He wasn't just picking an object off the top of His head. Salt is very important and valuable. There are many purposes for salt, some not mentioned here.  In order to be useful, we cannot stay in the salt shaker where we feel comfortable. God did not call us to sit and do nothing. If we do nothing, we lose our saltiness, and our verse tells us that we are good for nothing; except to be thrown to the ground and stepped on.  If salt is mixed with impure substances, it is useless. If we are diluted with sin, we are useless as well. Just as salt in a salt shaker must be shaken to be used, sometimes we experience a shaking in our lives. It seems everything is upside-down. It could be at that time that the salt is being passed to help us or someone else. Don't despise the shaking!

     Will you pass the salt?

Time to Clean

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."                  (Romans 13:12).

     We all have taken on the task of cleaning out closets, drawers, attics, basements, or any other storage place where things get thrown into with the hopes of someday organizing.  When the time comes to organize and clean, we usually find every excuse to put off the task, because we just don't want to deal with it. However, once we begin going through all the stuff, we are always shocked at what all we find. We think, "Where did all this come from? What is this? Does it even work anymore? Why do I still have this? I don't even know where the rest of it is. I don't even know how to use it." On and on the comments come as we find more things that we didn't even know we had.

     Sometimes, we look at our floors or tables and furniture and wonder where all the dust and dirt comes from. It seems like we clean it, and a few minutes later dust and dirt have come back.  The dust is in the air and is constantly moving around waiting to settle onto something. The floors get dirty due to us walking out into the world to work or wherever, and we track it into our house. We have to be cautious where we walk outside so we do not track things onto our floors. 

     So it is with our spirit man. We know we need to purge and clean our hearts and lives, but we would rather put it off until another day. We find something else to do to take our mind off of the clutter and junk in our lives, but every day that we postpone dealing with it, adds to the mess. We must be careful how we walk in our daily lives. When we walk in the sinful world, if we don't guard our heart, it will soon come into our spirit man. We may not realize it at first, but before long, we will see how dirty we have become and wonder how we could have let it get that way.

     When we stop everything and focus on the task of cleaning our hearts and lives, we will often find there are things in there that have been there a long time. Some of the things in our minds and hearts we didn't even know was there. We don't know where it came from, we don't know why it is even there. As we look through our hearts and minds, we may find things like anger, unforgiveness, bad attitudes, rebellion, criticism, complaining, grudges, backbiting, bitterness, sinful desires, evil thoughts, doubt, habits that are not Godly, time-consuming and time-wasting activities, prayerlessness, or sins of any kind. 

     We may not always intend to keep these things, we just don't make an effort to get rid of it.  It can seem overwhelming sometimes to try to get rid of these things, but it must be done. Our Scripture tells us to cast these things off. This means to get rid of them, to walk away from them, to shun them and avoid them no matter what. 

"But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;" (Colossians 3:8-9).

"Abstain from all appearance of evil."  (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

      Anything that separates us from God needs to be removed today. The longer it is allowed to stay, the harder it will be to get rid of. Search all areas of your life today and ask God to search. When we search, we tend to leave things that we want to keep. When He searches, He reveals all things that need to go. Our flesh doesn't always like that, but it is beneficial for us in the long run.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139: 23-24)


     Let today be the day that all the things that are displeasing to God go from our lives. Truly search your heart and mind. Ask God to search your heart and give you a heart that desires what God wants. Ask Him to purify your heart and change you from the inside out. He is willing and ready to do so. Give it to God and He will cleanse you! You don't need to hold onto any of it any longer. It is profiting you nothing. Repent and walk away from it. Cast it off and don't pick it back up. Let Jesus set you free!

     "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7).

Are You Murmuring Away Your Blessing?

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings:"  (Philippians 2:14). 

      We all know of people who complain all day long every day. If it's hot outside, then  they say it's too hot. If it's cold outside, they say it's too cold. They complain if the son shines, because they are too hot. They complain if it rains, because they get wet. They complain no matter what. It seems they are always searching for something to complain about. No one likes to be around someone like that. They cannot be pleased no matter what. They are miserable most or all of the time.

     The children of Israel in the book of Exodus were notorious for being complainers and murmurers. They complained when they were in bondage under Pharaoh. They wanted to be free. God set them free and they were not happy after awhile because they didn't like the Manna He was miraculously giving them. He brought water from a rock for them to drink, and even that wasn't good enough. Their shoes never wore out in forty years. They had protection from the enemy, food and water given to them, and yet they were murmuring and complaining saying they wished they had stayed with Pharaoh. They would have rather stayed in bondage; being worked like slaves and beaten daily, than to trust God to see them safely to the Promised Land. They murmured about everything and were constantly complaining to Moses. Because of their murmuring, they were not allowed to enter into the Promised Land, but were made to wander in the wilderness the whole time. 

     Sometimes, bad things happen in our lives. We aren't promised that everything will be fun, jolly and pleasant all the time. That doesn't give us the right to complain and murmur about it. We are to be joyful no matter the circumstance we find ourselves in. This isn't easy, but it is possible. If we rely on the Lord for our strength, then we can go through any situation without complaining. It takes effort; however. The enemy wants us to complain our way out of the victory God has for us. We wants us to murmur away our blessing. We should be praising away our defeat instead.

"And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,  And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house." (Acts 16:22-32).

     If anyone had a right to complain and murmur, Paul and Silas did. They were beaten with many stripes and  put in stocks in the prison. They did not rob, kill or mistreat anyone. The only reason they were in prison was for preaching in Jesus' name. They could have blamed God. They could have gotten angry and accused God of not caring for them. After all, they were preaching about Him; telling others about Him, and yet He let them be beaten in prison. They could have complained, griped, murmured and blamed God. Instead; however, they sang praises and worshipped the Lord in the midst of their darkest hours. They never lost their deep joy for the Lord. They never lost focus of Him. Because they rejoiced and praised the Lord, the jailer and his household received salvation!  If they had not blessed the Lord, that would not have happened. 

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." (Philippians 4:4).

    We are not told to rejoice only in the good times. We are not told to praise the Lord only when things are going the way we want them to. We are not told to be joyful only in the easy times. We are told to rejoice always...all the time...no matter the situation. It isn't always easy, but it is possible. He would not tell us to do it if it were not possible.

     Renew your mind starting today. Determine that you will not complain and murmur. It kept the children of Israel out of the Promised Land. There is no way to know what blessings we are missing out on because of our complaining. Nothing is worth missing out on the blessings of God. Complaining accomplishes nothing. Murmuring doesn't get anything productive done. 

    

     What is coming out of your mouth today, praises or complaints? 

Forgive the Unforgivable

 "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." (Matthew 18:21-35).

     Forgiveness is a topic that people don't like to discuss much. We want other people to forgive us when we wrong them, but we are not always so quick to forgive them when they wrong us. We feel they don't deserve forgiveness. We just can't seem to forget the hurt and pain they caused us, so we can't forgive. Peter was struggling with this issue and asked Jesus how many times a day he should forgive someone who sins against him. He was probably hoping Jesus would say a really small number, then he would be justified in holding unforgiveness in his heart toward someone. Jesus told him seventy times seven. Now, I'm sure Jesus wasn't saying walk around with a note pad and pencil or calculator and actually keep count of how many times they sin against us in the same day. He was just saying, forgive no matter how many times they say "I'm sorry". Our mindset seems to be after one or two times that we are not obligated to forgive them anymore. This is not the case. How many times does Jesus forgive us? He is patient with us and forgives us when we ask. Should we not show the same patience toward others?

     It isn't enough to say with our lips, "I forgive you", but we must show it with our actions. Forgiveness brings peace and joy. Forgiveness shows God's love. If we do not truly forgive others, then we cannot expect the Lord to forgive us.

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15).

    This passage makes it very plain to understand. If we want God to forgive us, we must forgive others. If we do not forgive them, He will not forgive us. If He doesn't forgive us, we cannot enter into Heaven. It's that simple. To be forgiven, we must be willing to forgive. 

    People may have done some terrible things to you. They may have hurt you in ways unimaginable. They may have done things that would seem unforgivable. Sometimes, we cannot forgive on our own merit or strength. We can't find it in our hearts to forgive them. This is when we ask the Lord to help us forgive them. They deserve forgiveness just like we do. They deserve grace and mercy to be shown to them just like we do. Once forgiveness has been given to others, the peace of God that comes can not be compared to anything else in this life. 

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). 

     When Jesus was hanging on the cross, dying for the sins of the whole world, He forgave the men who were torturing and crucifying Him. He showed the greatest love, mercy and grace by forgiving them for their terrible actions toward Him. He could have retaliated and fought back. He could have cursed them and called angels to come and take Him down from the cross. He did not do those things. He forgave. He showed them love. 

 "And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."  (Acts 7:60). 

     Stephen was being stoned to death because He followed Christ. As they were throwing these stones at him; cutting into his flesh, knocking teeth out, hitting his head and taking his life, he prayed for them and asked God to forgive them. These men were angry at him. They were hurting him. They were killing him. They were not showing him love, mercy or grace; yet that is what he was showing them. How could he do that under such terrible circumstances? It says he was filled with the Holy Ghost (verse 55). He knew that forgiveness of other people would benefit him as much as it would them. He knew the importance of forgiving others...even when they don't ask for it.

     Did someone hurt you? Did they wrong you? Are you holding unforgiveness toward them? Do you think you cannot forgive them? Do you feel they do not deserve forgiveness? Maybe they don't seem sorry and haven't asked for your forgiveness. Forgive them anyway. That's what Jesus did, and He is our example to live our lives by. That's what Stephen did. Pray and ask the Lord to help you forgive others, no matter how deep the hurt they may have caused you. Pray for them as Jesus and Stephen did.  

Have you asked Him to forgive your sins? Ask Him today. He is faithful to forgive you.  He will not hesitate to forgive you if you ask Him. All you have to do is call on Him.  

Your eternity depends on it

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

No More Excuses!

"And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." (Genesis 3:12-13).

    Since the beginning of time, people have been offering excuses for wrong doing. We are always trying to blame someone or something else for our mistakes and sins. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. It is the same today. Someone blames someone else and they blame another. The cycle never ends. We make excuses why we don't pray, study the Word, attend church, or help others. We make excuses why we fail, make mistakes, get angry, get bitter, hold grudges, or any other sin. We are good at making excuses, and not good at being accountable and taking responsibility for our actions.

     "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man," (Romans 2:1).

      God did not accept Adam's excuse; and He didn't accept Eve's excuse. He won't accept our excuses either. All throughout Scripture, people offered excuses to God, but it did them no good.

"And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."  (Exodus 4:10).

      Moses offered excuses to God as to why he couldn't fulfill the call on his life to deliver the children of Israel from Pharaoh's bondage. He offered several excuses; and for each excuse offered, God came back with a reason why his excuse was null and void. Moses had no choice but to obey.

"Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak." (Jeremiah 1:6-7).

      God had called Jeremiah to minister to the people, and Jeremiah felt he couldn't do it. He offered an excuse to the Lord, and just like with Moses, God did not accept it. When God asks us to do something, He enables us to accomplish it. We don't accomplish it in our own strength anyway; it's by His strength and power that we do anything.

     The devil will offer us many excuses that sound good and make sense at the time. He will give us any excuse to avoid doing what God says. God gives us every opportunity to obey. When we disobey, we are cursed. When we obey, we are blessed. It's that simple. 

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."                   (Philippians 4:13). 

"for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5).

     These Scriptures tell us that through Christ, we can do whatever we need to do; but without Him, we can't do anything. So, if we are going in His strength, then He will not allow us to fail. We should not fear or worry. We should do what He calls us to do without offering excuses as to why we can't. He wouldn't ask us to do something if He knew we couldn't do it. 

     So, the days of making excuses are over. No more making excuses for our sins. No more excuses for failing to obey. No more excuses for neglecting God and His Word. No more excuses for ignoring His voice. No more excuses for breaking His commandments. No more excuses. 

     Today is the day to stop sinning, stop disobeying, stop making excuses. Start taking responsibility for your actions, start obeying and walking in faith to fulfill God's call on your life. 

     When we stand before God on Judgement day, will we be full of excuses? Will we blame everyone else for not obeying God? No matter who or what we blame, the responsibility rests on each of us individually. Determine today that the excuses will stop now. Jesus said...

"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"         (Luke 6:46).

What Do You Do When An Enemy Is At The Door?

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8).

    Most people today have locks on the doors and windows to their homes and automobiles. They lock things in safes and lock boxes, and tuck them safely out of sight. Some people even have alarms and security cameras on their homes to notify them if the doors or windows open, or if a stranger approaches. Much money is spent on locks, keys, alarms and security devices. Why? Simply put, they are protecting what is theirs and do not want a thief to come in and steal the things that belong to them. 

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10).

     We have an enemy of our soul: the thief, the devil. He wants to steal the things in our lives that God has given us. Rich treasures like joy, peace, faith, hope, strength, salvation, healing, direction, zeal, passion for Christ, love, or anything else he can steal from us. We must make it impossible for him to break through and steal. We shouldn't leave the doors open or unlocked to grant him access to our lives. 

"Neither give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27). 

     Instead of locking those doors and keeping him out, many people leave the opportunity wide open; allowing him to come in and take over. Guard your heart, protect your mind, pray, study the Word, control your tongue, and trust the Lord. These are ways to lock the door to keep the enemy at bay.   Jesus wants access to your heart, mind and life. Don't shut Him out. Don't ignore His knocking at the door. Jesus always knock and waits for you to open the door. He never forces His way in. 

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20).

   Let the Lord in, keep the enemy out. God never takes from you. He only gives. The devil never gives to you, he only takes. Would you rather be given the blessings of the Lord, or stolen from  by the enemy? The answer is obvious.  Don't give the devil the opportunity to steal. Choose to not get angry. Choose to forgive. Choose to love. Choose your words wisely and kindly. Choose Jesus. Choose life.  Protect what is yours.

  How hard is it for the devil to steal from you?  Do you make it easy for him? Do you give in to his lies and lose your faith or joy or peace or any other gift from God? Do you leave the door wide open for him to come in and steal from you?  Failing to pray, neglecting the study of the Bible, association with the wrong crowd, worldly influence,  sin, or any disobedience will allow him direct access to your life, then he can take anything from your life. 

     Be careful who you open the door to.

Losing Weight

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," (Hebrews 12:1).

     Most people don't like to step upon the scales, because they think they weigh too much. They will often go on a special diet, exercise and even take pills or drink special shakes in order to lose weight. Many will join a local gym or fitness center with a special trainer in order to make sure the weight comes off. They will go walking, jogging, running, or cycling to try to lose the weight. There is nothing wrong with these things. It is important to take care of our physical bodies. However,

"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."           (1 Timothy 4:8).

    
     We are told in Hebrews 12:1 to lay aside the weight that easily besets us. In other words, we are to get rid of anything that hinders our relationship with the Lord. It doesn't matter if it is a relationship with someone, a job, a habit, a sin, an attitude, anger, grudges, unforgiveness, complacency, traditions of men, a lifestyle, or whatever it may be, if it hinders our relationship with the Lord, we are to lay it aside. It doesn't say in this verse that God will come and remove it from our lives. It is up to us to lay it aside. It's our choice to get rid of it. It's our responsibility to shed that extra weight. Just as we do things in the natural to lose the weight, we are to strive in our spiritual walk with the Lord to lose these unwanted weights. Prayer, fasting, studying the Word, renewing our minds, changing our habits, changing our lifestyle, repenting of sins, seeking the Lord, pursuing righteousness, and fellowship with like-minded believers are ways to shed these extra weights.

    A few years ago, I began going to our local walking track and walking two miles every day, due to a heart condition I was diagnosed with. I needed to lose about 20 pounds to strengthen my heart. The extra weight was putting e strain on my heart.  I was diligent with this walking every day after work. Even if it rained, I took an umbrella. I took a watch, and every day tried to complete the two miles faster than the day before. It became an obsession to me. One day, while I was walking, I sensed the Lord speaking to my spirit about how I was working so hard to strengthen my natural heart, (which is a good thing to do), but what was I doing to strengthen my spiritual heart? Wow. That really stirred me. I began to realize that I was carrying extra weight in my spiritual life and it was putting strain on my spiritual heart. I needed to lay aside those weights in order for my spiritual heart to be strengthened. 

       Hebrews 12:1 tells us that we are to run this race with patience. Now, you can't run a race carrying extra weights with you. You can't wear heavy coats and boots and carry concrete blocks while trying to run this race. Carrying all this extra weight will soon wear you down and you would not be able to finish the race effectively. God tells us to lay aside these weights.  Lay them down, don't expect God to remove them from your life. He tells us to get rid of them. 

    What weights are you carrying around today? You don't need to carry them any longer. God has given you the strength and power to lay them aside and walk away from them. Shed the extra weight, strengthen your heart, then you can run this race and cross the finish line victorious in Jesus' name!

Hold On

"Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children." (Matthew 15:32-38).

      Jesus had been teaching for three days, according to this passage of Scripture. These people had stayed with Him during this time and had eaten nothing. What He had to say to them was much more important that natural food. He realized; however, that they were getting hungry. He asked His disciples to give them something to eat. They knew they didn't have enough food to feed that many people. They gave Him what they had and it was multiplied to feed the multitude.

     I am sure it was tempting for these people to leave to go home and eat. I'm sure their bodies were tired, and they were hungry. They probably wondered if He would stop soon so they could get something to eat.  It is not easy going three days with no food. Yet, they stayed with Him; and because they tarried with Him, they witnessed and partook of a wonderful miracle! They were amazed at what was done that day, and I'm sure they never forgot it. I'm sure they told their children and grandchildren of the miracle they witnessed that day. They would not have been a witness to this miracle if they had given up and gone home.

     Many of us today are on the threshold of a miracle. It may be today, it may be tomorrow or next week; but it is soon to be. How many of us get tired of waiting and we walk away right before the miracle comes?  How many of us stop praying for something right before the answer would have come? How many of us give up right before we see the promise fulfilled?  

     If God promised it, He will fulfill it. Don't give up. Don't walk away. Don't stop praying. Don't stop believing.  He will come through for you, and your miracle will come when He says it's time. You may feel like He has forgotten about you. You may feel forsaken, abandoned and starved. Don't give up. Hold on. Stay with Him and watch what He will do.

Following Him

"Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.  And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:54-52).

     Have you ever needed to follow someone from one destination to the other, because you did not know the way and they did? If you followed them down the highway, you paid close attention to every turn they made; you made sure you stayed close behind them so you could see every move they made. If you lagged  behind and followed too far behind, then other vehicles could get between you and the one you are following, and you could end up lost.

      This story in the Bible is a very sad one indeed. Peter had been with Jesus throughout His ministry. Peter had walked on the water with Jesus. Besides Jesus, no one else in history has ever walked on water. (Matthew 14:28-29). Peter had confessed that Jesus was the only One to go to and that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God (John 6:66-69) (Matthew 16:16). Peter had promised Jesus that he would never deny Him and would even die with Him (Luke 22:33). Peter had even cut off the ear of the high priest who came to arrest Jesus. This was his way of showing that he would protect Jesus and take care of Him. (John 18:10).  Peter had a relationship with Jesus that few had. He didn't take this relationship lightly.

      Then we see Peter in the above Scripture deny that he even knew who Jesus was:  not once, not twice, but three times. How could Peter come from the place in John 6:66-69, where he proclaimed that there was no one to go to but the Lord to saying he didn't know who He was? How could he proclaim that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God in Matthew 16:16, then say he didn't know Him in Luke 22? How could he go from being so bold in his faith in Chris that he cut off the high priest's ear, to lying and cursing denying his association with Christ?  

       Peter began his downfall when he began to follow afar off. He was following closely enough to see and hear what was going on, but far enough he felt safe from any attacks against him. Fear caused him to back away and not follow the Lord as closely as he had been following Him. He felt that if they associated him with Jesus, then he would be persecuted also, and he just wasn't ready for that. He wanted to stay in his comfort zone and watch from afar. He was still following; after all.

       This is where many Christians are today. They pray once in awhile, they read the Bible occasionally, they attend church now and again, and live a clean lifestyle. These things are all well and good, but how closely are they following the Lord? Jesus wants us to follow Him so closely that if He whispers our name, we hear it. He wants us so close to Him that we walk in His path. If we follow from a distance, we might step in a pitfall that could have been avoided by staying close to him.

      When I was a child, I had to walk to the end of my road if it had snow on it, to meet the school bus.This road was about a mile long. Daddy would park at the end of the road, because our road couldn't be driven on if there was much snow. So, he and I would walk to the end of the road together. He walked in front and I would walk behind him, stepping in his tracks. I made sure I stepped exactly where he had already cleared the path. I knew then that it was safe. I tried so hard to stay right with him and not follow too far behind. This way, he was there to help me if I slipped and fell, which I often did. 

     God is the same, caring, loving Father. He walks the path with us and wants us walking as closely to Him as we can. He wants us to follow up close and personally, not from a far as Peter did. When we follow from afar, we don't have the relationship with Him that we could have if we followed up close. When we follow from afar, it isn't as easy to talk with Him and hear His voice. When we follow afar off, we are more easily distracted and lured by the enemy. This passage tells us that Peter warmed himself by the enemy's fire. He would never have done that had he not been following from afar. This type of relationship causes us to do things we would not have ordinarily done. It causes us to fail in our witness to others. We might not come right out and say "I don't know Him", like Peter did, but when we fail to let people know that we do know Him, then that is the same as admitting that we don't.

     How closely are you following the Lord? You can walk just as closely as you desire to. Don't follow so far behind that other people and things get between you and Him. Stay close enough that you can reach out and touch Him at any time. He wants you near Him, but will not force you to follow Him. He will not kidnap you and make you follow Him against your will. It's your choice. Look at what the Psalmist David had to say about it:

"My soul followeth hard after thee:" (Psalm 63:8).

     In Jesus' ministry, there were throngs of people who followed Him everywhere He went. In every town He entered, there were multitudes of people following Him. However, when He began to teach the truth, and the reality of the cost of following Him, most of them walked away. Following Jesus is not just attending church. It is a daily sacrifice and daily lifestyle. It is being that light and witness to this lost world. It is putting your own needs and desires aside for those of others. It is praying, seeking His face, studying His Word, wanting His presence, wanting His will, wanting His heart, wanting His mind, and following His will. It is doing the will of the Father, not what satisfies your flesh. 

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23).

    Are you willing to lay it all down and follow Jesus all the way? Are you willing to follow Him closely enough that others will recognize Him in you? Are you willing to follow hard after Him no matter the cost? That is what He is looking for.

     Peter's story doesn't end with his denial of who Jesus was. He repented and made things right. We read of the accounts of Peter in the book of Acts, and he made sure from that day forward to not follow from afar again. It's not too late for you to follow Jesus up close. Determine that nothing or no one will get between you and Him anymore. Chase Him today, then follow Him closely from this point on!