The Wednesday Word ~ 19 March, 2025 A.D.

FOLLOWING JESUS

by D.G. Miles McKee

“I am born for God only. Christ is nearer to me than father, or mother, or sister - a near relation, a more affectionate Friend; and I rejoice to follow Him, and to love Him. Blessed Jesus! You are all I want -a forerunner to me in all I ever shall go through as a Christian, a minister, or a missionary."

-Henry Martyn: 19th century Missionary to India and Persia

"My sheep hear My voice, and they follow Me."  -Jesus

As believers, our whole life is to be one continuously following the Lord Jesus.     

We started our Christian journey by looking to Jesus. Why change this? Remember when you got saved? Looking to Jesus, by faith, brought peace to your soul. It was wonderful, but for many, the wonder has faded.  The reason is tragic, we are no longer looking unto Jesus.

Have you moved away from the simplicity in Christ Jesus? Horatius Bonar, one of the mighty Scottish preachers of the 19th century said, “As a Christian, should your eye ever be withdrawn from the cross, you will be sure to go backwards, to grow cold, and to forget that you were purged from your old sins (II Peter 1:9). That cross is life, health, holiness, consolation, strength and joy; let nothing come between it and you.”

The way to follow is to look unto Jesus. We may think we know this but, when we play "follow the leader," we should check to see who is at the head of the line. Are you sure you are following Jesus?  Give yourself a spiritual check-up. Maybe your leader is your Church, your career, your ambitions or your dreams? Is Jesus really your leader and life?

It takes spiritual strength to become a real follower. And here’s a lesson to be learned … our help comes from Him (Psalm 121:1-2.)

So, who are we following today? Is it Him? If we are following Him, it is because of grace!  Grace is a conqueror! I love what W. T. P. Wolston said, and I quote, “Christ blessed, healed, and helped people right and left by thousands, yet He never urged one such to follow Him … not one. He never told anyone who had been healed by His mighty power to follow Him. No, grace does not buy hearts; it wins them.”

As His followers, we can thank Him for His grace toward us.  It was grace that won us! And remember; no matter how dedicated we are to Him; we still need His grace moment by moment!  Why? Because, although we are believers, we are still sinners through and through. What suitable candidates, therefore, we are for the grace of God.

As we look daily unto Jesus and live in His Grace, we will not, as some contend, sin more. On the contrary, grace gives us a clearer understanding of the nature of sin and makes it more wretched and contemptible in our own eyes. Grace will break us and cause us to see that the Lord Jesus willingly endured the most painful, horrible, and disgraceful death for us. The more we know of the sacrificial love of Jesus for us, the more we will hate those sins which put Him on the cross.

May we think often and continually of Jesus and meditate on Him and His cross.

 

“Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.”

 

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

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