Follow Me and I Will Make You
Jesus, when He was on the earth in the form of a man, had men and women turn their hearts and lives over to Him.
Some turned away from sinful lives of stealing and cheating people of their money and possessions. Some turned away from promiscuity and sexual perversion, but some that followed after Jesus were not necessarily living in what we would call bad lives-they were just going about their own business-doing their own thing, absolutely without God involved.
There were two men, Andrew and Simon Peter, who were fishermen-nothing wrong with that. But, you know, when you lay down your body and leave this earth-you are judged and it won't be according to your job or good deeds. The Bible clearly let's us know that the one point that makes all the difference is if we received the gift of salvation that was bought and paid for by Jesus.
Once you've gone through and experienced that part-then you will be rewarded by the things you have done on the earth that were according to the will of God.
So, anyway, these fishermen left what they were doing. Jesus said something very important to them. What was it? He said, Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men!
After you receive Jesus as Savior-you make Him your Lord. There is a process of following Him one step at a time. Let's put what Jesus said in personal terms, Follow Me and I will make you.
We All Have a Purpose
What will Jesus make you? He will make you the person you were created to be. How many of you honestly believe you are living the life God originally designed for you and created you for?
Yes, you may be saved but then we need to follow Him and as we need to follow Him and as we dedicate ourselves to follow Him we will begin to see changes as He makes us (molds and shapes us) into that which we have been created.
What He is doing on the inside of you will reflect on the outside.
In the book of Exodus the Lord was telling His people about how they were going to enter in and possess the land that He'd given them. You can look at it like, how are you going to enter in and possess the good things God has waiting for you?
Yes, there can be enemies which stand in your way to the Promise Land God has laid out for you. Whenever we start to follow in obedience to Jesus, it seems like all of a sudden the enemies of our soul appear.
But when you start walking in the things of God, He'll show you things that need to be removed-yes, you'll have to get rid of certain things, including your enemies. But through His power you can do it.
Only then can the good things surface He has for you. However, they won't just fall on you-you will have to do something-possess them!
Some can never understand why nothing good ever happens to them! Are you walking in the counsel of the One who set you in the earth? Who knows the destiny of the created more than its Creator?
Well, you might say, If I only had enough will power I could make the changes I need to make, I could keep a job, I could stay off alcohol. No, it is your will and his power!
Say, It's my will and His power. He made you to have a free will, but you make the choice.
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land.
(Deut. 30:19-20)
Only God Can Fill The Void
That land for us is the plan of God for our lives-that very thing on the inside of you that will satisfy the longing of your soul. There is a place, a void, for God and the things of God, the plans of God, and the purposes of God on the inside of each one of us.
You yearn for it but don't even know what it is...you just know it is something that needs to be satisfied. So you try to satisfy it with drugs, alcohol, sex, anger or whatever and that thing will not ever be satisfied until it is filled with the thing it was created for-GOD!
The Lord gives us the choice-life or death; blessings or curses. We are absolutely free to choose. So, what do you choose? If you don't deliberately choose life then you automatically default into the death/curse mode because that is what is operating naturally in the earth.
God is love and He loves you, before you ever did anything right or anything wrong, He loved you and planned a good life for you. You won't experience love without experiencing God. And when you really experience God you will experience real love.
Do we really know the love of God experientially? It is not just a thing...it is something real, a real experience that will compares with none other that life could offer. He wants to fill that void you have with His love and goodness.
The Apostle Paul prayed, And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. By the Holy Ghost, God will make Himself more and more at home in your heart.
What would someone that felt at home do? Well, they might rearrange the furniture, throw some old things away, or spiff up the place a bit. But we tend to argue with God when He shows us stuff that needs to be thrown out. We say, But God, You don't really want to throw that disappointment out of my heart, do You? I mean, I have had that since I was a child. We grew up together. I hold on to that thing as if it were an old friend.
Always remember that He is more at home in your heart as you trust Him (see Eph. 3:14-20). Do you trust Him? We need to trust Him more and more each day knowing that He only has His best for us.
Just take it step by step and learn to trust Him and you'll find Him more at home in your heart. And as you follow Him, He will make you!
Sandra Hughes is an ordained minister, compelling speaker, and Director of All Nations School of Ministry located in Houston, Texas. She is a graduate of DOMATA Missions Training School and has served as Director of The Family Life Institute for Biblical Studies at Lakewood Church. Visit http://www.sandrahughes.org to book Sandra Hughes for your next church service, conference, meeting or retreat.
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