“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” – Matthew 4:19 (NIV)
What did the Lord say in the verse above? Our responsibility is to follow Him, and He’ll see to it that God fulfills our calling and destiny. But how do we follow Him?
You do not have to follow Him from street to street, village to village, or town to town, as happened in Israel when He was on earth. It’s beyond that.
Judas, who followed Jesus physically, ultimately betrayed Him and lost out in the end with God, proving that following Him physically wasn’t enough.
The first aspect of following Jesus is to follow Him in the Word. John 1:14 (NKJV) tells us, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” When you follow His Word, you’re following Jesus Himself and the example He set on earth. The written Word is all about Jesus.
Secondly, you must follow Him through the Word. As you study the Word, you’ll find Jesus and understand His mindset, His beliefs, and understand His actions. You’ll see how He responded to everything. For example, His response to a billowing tempest where He demonstrated authority over nature and His ability to bring peace even in the midst of chaos (Mark 4:38-39).
The Word reveals everything about Jesus. You learn how He responded in various situations, providing valuable insights for our own lives. When He became hungry, what did He do? When He felt tired, what did He do? He did all He did to show us how to follow Him.
It, therefore, means that we must follow Him through and by the Word. Following Him by the Word means to act on His Word, to do what He says. James 1:22 (NIV) says: “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Prayer
Dear Father, thank You for the privilege of following Jesus in, through, and by the Word. Help me to immerse myself in Your Word daily so that I may receive deep insights into its mysteries and apply the principles and teachings in my life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Read: John 8:31-32; James 1:22-25
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 38:1-12; Luke 7:11-35; Numbers 23:27-30; Numbers 24; Numbers 25; Numbers 26:1-11
