What other scriptures emphasize the importance of following Jesus despite uncertainty? Peter’s Question Still Rings John 13:36 captures the tension we all feel: “Simon Peter asked Him, ‘Lord, where are You going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.’” Snapshots of Immediate Obedience • Matthew 4:19-20 – “‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and followed Him.” • Mark 1:20 – “Immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.” The disciples stepped away from security, income, and family ties before knowing any details. Faith That Steps Into the Unknown • Hebrews 11:8 – “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was going.” • 2 Corinthians 5:7 – “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” • Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” God treats uncertainty as the soil in which true faith grows. Counting the Cost and Following Anyway • Luke 9:58 – “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” • Luke 9:60 – “Let the dead bury their own dead; but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” • Luke 9:62 – “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” • Mark 8:34 – “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Jesus never hides the cost, yet He insists the reward outweighs the sacrifice. Anchored by Promises, Not Explanations • John 14:1-3 – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well… I am going to prepare a place for you… I will come back and welcome you into My presence.” • John 14:6 – “I am the way and the truth and the life.” • Romans 8:28 – “We know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” • Philippians 3:13-14 – “Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.” • Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” His character and promises light the next step—even when the horizon is hidden. Living Out Uncertain Obedience – Keep Scripture in view; it steadies today’s choices. – Respond quickly to conviction; delay multiplies doubts. – Measure decisions by eternal reward, not temporary comfort. – Trust that “you will follow later” (John 13:36); every obedient step brings you closer to seeing where He has been leading all along. |
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