For many today, there is real confusion and anxiety about what is true and whom to follow. Politics is described by one as a combination of two words. “Poly” – a many sided figure and “tick” – a blood sucking insect. Some information we receive is human error, but it seems the vast majority are blatant lies. The Bible states that “if the blind lead the blind, they both shall fall into a ditch”. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19 and 16:24, “Follow me”. But following God is not always the easy road and herein lies the problem. Many would choose to be comforted rather than to be a comforter. Nothing keeps people from following God like comfort does. Proverbs 20:4, “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold;…” There is certainly a spiritual application to this text. A.B. Simpson wrote, “If we would be enlarged, we must accept all that God sends us to develop and expand our spiritual life. We are so content to abide at the old level that God often has to compel us to rise higher by bringing us face to face with situations that we cannot meet without much greater measures of His grace. It is as though He had to send a tidal wave to flood the lowlands where we dwell to compel us to move into the hills beyond. God, like the mother bird, sometimes has to break up the comfortable, downy nest, letting us drop into empty space. There we must either learn to use an entirely new and higher method of support or sink into failure and loss. We must do or die, fly or fall to our destruction.”

Joseph was sent into Egypt…to save much people alive because no one else in Egypt would care for the Jews. Paul was sent to prison in Phillippi…because no one else in jail would care for the prisoners. Esther was sent before the king at the risk of her life…because no one else could plead for their deliverance. We know there are many, even those very close to us, who would persuade or hinder us from following the Lord. When I was ordained to the ministry in 1980, one of the songs that we sang was “I have decided to follow Jesus”.

I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus,

I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.

The cross before me, the world behind me…

Though no one join me, still I will follow…

When Napoleon was engaged in the great and momentous battle of Waterloo, among those taken prisoner was a Highland piper. Napoleon, impressed by the man’s strange mountain garb and determined air, struck up a conversation with the captured but unvanquished foe. Seeing that he had his instrument with him, Napoleon asked him to play a tune. The highlander obliged. “Now play a march,” said Napoleon. Once again, the Scotchman did as he was told. Finally the Emperor said, “Play a retreat.” “Nay, nay,” said the highlander, that I cannot do. I never learned to play one.”

I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back!

Patience is a virtue. Luke 21:19 states, “In your patience possess ye your souls.” Patience is steadfastness, constancy, endurance, perseverance. The Geneva commentary tells us that though you are surrounded on all sides with many miseries, yet nonetheless be valiant and courageous, and bear out these things bravely. One Pastor wrote, “I have not so great a struggle with my vices, great and numerous as they are, as I have with my impatience.” If you want to help the cause of Christ, work on your patience.

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” Romans 12:12. “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” I Thessalonians 5:14. The importance of patience cannot be overstated. Spurgeon wrote, “There is not a more God honoring grace of the Christian character than patience….it will enable you to bear with dignity, calmness and submission the rebuke of the world and the wounding of the saints.” With what thoughtless and impatient hands we tangle up the plans the Lord hath wrought. The verses are endless, but let me draw your attention to some of them. “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Luke 8:15. “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;” Colossians 1:11. “That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.” Titus 2:2.

A.W.Tozer, in his book “The Pursuit of God” writes, “A generation of Christians reared among push buttons and automatic machines is impatient of slower and less direct methods of reaching their goals. We have been trying to apply machine-age methods to our relations with God. We read our chapter, have our short devotions and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting… The tragic results of this spirit are all about us: Shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies,… the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, quasi-religious fellowships, salesmanship methods, the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit. These and such as these are the symptoms of an evil disease, a deep and serious malady of the soul.”

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;…” Isaiah 40:31. Eugene Peterson writes, “In prayer, we are aware that God is in action and that when the circumstances are ready, when others are in the right place, and when our hearts are prepared, he will call us into the action. Waiting in prayer is a disciplined refusal to act before God acts.” Waiting, for a lot of people, is interpreted as pain, inconvenience, punishment or a waste of time. Waiting in the Bible is interpreted as patience.

“And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5. “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:4.

Psalm 107:27 speaks about those that are “…at their wit’s end.” This reminds us of the story in Acts 27 where the Apostle Paul and the men aboard the ship were in a terrible storm. Verse 20 states, “And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.” Nothing else they could do! Matthew Henry writes, “This may remind us of the terrors and distress of conscience many experience, and of those deep scenes of trouble which many pass through, in their Christian course. Yet, in answer to their cries, the Lord turns their storm into a calm, and causes their trials to end in gladness.” In Exodus 14:13, “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord,…” The Egyptians were behind them and the Red Sea was in front of them. There was nothing else they could do but to stand still. In Exodus chapter 15, Moses was singing a song of deliverance. Isaiah 50:10, “Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” Let me say today that there are many of us who have been in a storm or great trial and have seen the salvation of the Lord. I have been many times at my wit’s end only to see His hand! STAND STILL. STAY UPON GOD. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10. In Exodus 14, Moses said, “Fear ye not!” In Isaiah 41, God said, Fear thou not!” Let’s speak the same word and take the same advice.

There are three things you can do when you are at your wit’s end. First, you can take a stab in the dark. Not a very wise thing to do. Many foolish decisions are made this way. Next, you can follow someone else who is taking a stab in the dark. Matthew 15:14 states, “…And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” The third thing that you can do is follow God. Now we’re getting somewhere. Bob Jones Sr. said, “Wisdom (God’s wisdom) is knowing how to use knowledge to successfully meet the emergencies of life.”

When we in darkness walk, Nor feel the heavenly flame;
Then is the time to trust our God, And rest upon His name.
And when thy eye of faith is dim, Still trust in Jesus, sink or swim;
Still at His footstool bow the knee, And Israel’s God thy peace shall be.
Not a bad place to be…your wit’s end. It can be the beginning of a whole new path.

“Heavenly Father, it is rather thy business than mine; it is quite beyond me, and I now leave it in thy hands to guide me.”

There is a great blessing in being submissive and obedient to our all wise Father. God comforts those that will comfort others. He guides us that we may not lead others astray, but walk in the light as he is in the light. No “blind leading the blind”. He fills us that “our cup” may run over and quench the spiritual thirst of all those around us. I John 3:16 states, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” In Genesis He blesses Abraham and makes him a blessing, but how quickly we can fail as Abraham did. Joseph Parker writes, “As the minister of God, Abram is great and noble, but as the architect of his own fortune, he is cowardly, selfish and false. Abram went out at God’s bidding, cheerfully encountering all the trials of pilgrimage in unknown places, yet he cannot trust God to take care of his wife. How little are the greatest men! If we are never stronger than our weakest point, we should take heed lest in our proud sufficiency the dart strike us in the vulnerable spot.

I Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” The devil is an opportunist! Carradine writes, “Peter never dreamed at first that he was capable of denying the Lord, but under circumstances of testing in which we find involved man-fear, self-interest and self-protection, he went down. Saul, the king of Israel, had a new heart and started out humble enough, but temptations to pride and self-will soon came in sufficient number and force to show him he was not really as lowly as one would have supposed when he was found “hiding in the stuff.” David, in spite of his beautiful psalms and leaping before the ark of God, had a weak place in his character and there was most likely to fall. In due time the circumstance came which revealed the vulnerable spot. He got to know himself under the sad power of temptation.”

1 A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

2 Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.
You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.
Martin Luther

Romans 8:31, “…If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Ephesians 3:17-19 states, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love,” “May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;” “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” I want to draw your attention today to a statement in verse 18, “able to comprehend”.  In his commentary on Ephesians entitled “The unsearchable riches of Christ” Martin Lloyd-Jones devotes 5 chapters to this one thought, “able to comprehend”. The chapter titles are as follows: “Able to comprehend with all saints.” “Breadth, Length, Depth, Height.” “Knowing the Unknowable.” “The Innermost Circle.” “Seeking to Comprehend.”

Our capacity to understand is directly related to our faith in God’s Word. Jesus said in John 8:43, “Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.” The Bible teaches that “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”  Some would call this blind faith. No! Faith is seeing Him Who is Invisible. Unbelief is blindness. And what are we able to know by having this faith? Verse 19 says, “…to know the love of Christ,…”. The results of knowing this is “…that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” To know the wonders of redemption is a marvelous knowledge. But to understand the motive for that redemption is to have our heart open to God. The greatest story ever told is “God loves you”. It has been stated many times that God’s greatest attribute is His love. “God is love”. Spurgeon wrote, “Consider what you owe to His immutability. Though you have changed a thousand times, He has not changed once.” His love is constant, consistent and eternal. Romans 8:28-39.

I remember, when I was a boy, going to a missionary meeting. A missionary was there from Africa, and was showing us a whole lot of curious things, and then he said, “Now, boys, I want to tell you the kind of Gospel we preach to the people of Africa. How many good boys have we here?” A lot of us thought we were good, but our mothers were there, and so not one of us dared hold up his hand. “Well,” said he, “not one good boy here; then I have the same message for you that we have for the heathen in Africa; God loves naughty boys. “My,” I thought, “he is getting all mixed up,” for you see I had heard people say, “If you are good God will love you.” But, dear friends, that is not true. God is not waiting for you to be good so He can love you; God loves sinners. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
— H. A. Ironside

“Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made;
Were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill, And ev’ry man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,Though stretched from sky to sky.”
— Song