“The gatekeeper opens the gate, and the sheep listen to His voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice…My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. The Father and I are one…It is the LORD your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him.”
John 10:3-4, 27-30; Deuteronomy 13:4
How Interested Are You in Following God?
How well do you follow God?
God is the leader and you are the follower.
This is not negotiable if you want an earthly life of inner peace and joy.
The world is going to tempt you to follow the crowd.
Don’t!
The world will lead you to destruction. The world will lie to you and then laugh at you when you fall.
God’s way is the only way to real peace and true and lasting success.
Your turn …
List all the areas of your life – family, friendships, work, recreation, etc.
Now, honestly answer the following:
Whom are you following in each of these areas?
If not God, who/what? If not the Lord, why?
How is it going?
If not God and it’s going well in your mind at this point, prepare. That will change in ways you never expected.
Make a change now before it’s too late. Follow the Lord in all areas of your life. No, you won’t fit the pattern of the world. You aren’t meant to. You were created for His kingdom.
Now reverently pray this truth and commitment …
“Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. The unfolding of Your word gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commands. Turn to me and have mercy on me, as You always do to those who love Your Name. Direct my footsteps according to Your Word; let no sin rule over me. Redeem me from human oppression, that I may obey Your precepts. Make Your face shine on Your servant and teach me Your decrees.”
Psalm 119:129-135
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it…They will follow the Lord; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life…Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me…Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Matthew 7:13; Hosea 10:11;John 8:12,12:26; Ephesians 5:1-2
God will lead if you will follow Him.
How to do this as a weekly Bible study
Day One: Experience
Read the entire devotion. Do any verses stand out to you? If so, write it down and work on memorizing it over the week. I personally love the app “Scripture Typer.”
Day Two: Observe & Read
Chain. Look up and chain verses (For example on how to chain verses, see this video).
Day Three: Interpret
Read through the chain of verses starting with the first one. What do they say? Do you notice when it says “never” or “always” or “If, but, however, therefore, all…..”
Day Four: Application
Do “Your turn” and make a list of people that God has put on your heart when you read this.
Day Five: Testify
Who in your life, right now, can you share this with? There is somebody in your life that needs to hear this. Close your eyes. What name came to mind?
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How Interested Are You in Following God?