follow JESUS

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."
~Matthew 16:24

We can follow through with God's guidance as best we can. We can leave the results to God. We can do this obediently and faithfully with no question that if the working out of the guidance is left in God's hands, the results will be all right. We can believe that the guidance God gives us has already been worked out by God to produce the required
results according to our case and in our circumstances. We can follow God's guidance according to our conscience. God has knowledge of our individual lives and characters, our capabilities and weaknesses.

"I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel." Isaiah 45:3

What we perceive as dark periods in our lives are designed to be treasures from God. They are actually riches stored in secret places. We cannot see those times in this light because of the often accompanying pain or fear that prevents us from
accepting these times as treasures. They have a particular purpose from God's viewpoint; "so that you may know that I am the Lord who summons you by name."

You see, unless we are cast into times in which we are completely at the mercy of God for breakthroughs in our lives we will never experience the faithfulness of God in those areas. We will never know how personal He is or that He can be trusted to meet the deepest needs in our lives. God wants each of us to know that we are "summoned by name." Every hair of our head is numbered. Every activity we are involved in He knows. His love for you and me knows no bounds, and He will take every opportunity to demonstrate this to you and me.

Has God brought you into a place of darkness? Trust Him today to allow Him to reveal that hidden treasure that can be found in this darkness.
Let Him summon you by name.

Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker.
Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy.
Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot'
than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that
seem important to you, stand up and be counted
at any cost.
-- Thomas J. Watson