Peter said unto Him, Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now?

     — John 13:37

There are times when you cannot understand why you cannot do what you
want to do. When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill
it in, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what
sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach
you what service means. Never run before God’s guidance. If there is
the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt
– don’t.

In the beginning you may see clearly what God’s will is – the
severance of a friendship, the breaking off of a business
relationship, something you feel distinctly before God is His will
for you to do, never do it on the impulse of that feeling. If you do,
you will end in making difficulties that will take years of time to
put right. Wait for God’s time to bring it round and He will do it
without any heartbreak or disappointment. When it is a question of
the providential will of God, wait for God to move.

Peter did not wait on God, he forecast in his mind where the test
would come, and the test came where he did not expect it. ""I will lay
down my life for Thy sake."" Peter’s declaration was honest but
ignorant. ""Jesus answered him …The cock shall not crow, till thou
hast denied Me thrice."" 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, of what he was capable. Natural devotion may be
all very well to attract us to Jesus, to make us feel His
fascination, but it will never make us disciples. Natural devotion
will always deny Jesus somewhere or other.

On this day...

• He who meditates - 2011
• The Eternal Wonder of Three Simple Words - 2011
• Fighter Verses - 2011
• Don't Eat the Bread of Anxious Toil - 2011
• Does God Make Much of Us? - 2011
• Did Christ Die for Us or for God? - 2011
• United with Christ in Death and Life, Part 3 - 2011
• Representative democracy - our contribution - 2011
• Boldness in the last days - 2011
• Born Blind for the Glory of God - 2011