Why Can I Not Follow You Now?

Peter said to Him, ’Lord, why can I not follow You now?’ — John 13:37

There are times when you can’t understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings a time of waiting, and appears to be unresponsive, don’t fill it with busyness, just wait. The time of waiting may come to teach you the meaning of sanctification— to be set apart from sin and made holy— or it may come after the process of sanctification has begun to teach you what service means. Never run before God gives you His direction. If you have the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt— wait.

At first you may see clearly what God’s will is— the severance of a friendship, the breaking off of a business relationship, or something else you feel is distinctly God’s will for you to do. But never act on the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will cause difficult situations to arise which will take years to untangle. Wait for God’s timing and He will do it without any heartache or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move.

Peter did not wait for God. He predicted in his own mind where the test would come, and it came where he did not expect it. “I will lay down my life for Your sake.” Peter’s statement was honest but ignorant. “Jesus answered him, ’ . . . the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times’ ” (John 13:38). This was said with a deeper knowledge of Peter than Peter had of himself. He could not follow Jesus because he did not know himself or his own capabilities well enough. Natural devotion may be enough to attract us to Jesus, to make us feel His irresistible charm, but it will never make us disciples. Natural devotion will deny Jesus, always falling short of what it means to truly follow Him.

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我為什麼現在不能跟你去？

彼得說：主啊，我為什麼現在不能跟你去？（約十三37）

你有時真不明白，為什麼不可以照心裡所希望的去做。當神給你一張空白的紙，不要擅自填上什麼。要等候。這白紙可能是要教你明白成聖的意義；也可能是要你體會成聖之後事奉的意義。切勿走在神的引導之前。若有絲毫的疑惑，就不是他的帶領了。什麼時候有疑惑，就不可動！

起初的時候，你會很清楚看見神的旨意－－與某某朋友絕交，與某某人斷絕商業上的關係。這些事，你在神面前覺得很清楚是祂的旨意要你這樣做；但是，千萬不要單憑那一種感覺的衝動而貿然行事。否則，所造成的許多難題，可能要費多年的時間才能夠彌補的。只要等候，神會完成他的工作，這不會使我們傷心或失望。既然是神的旨意，就等神去動工吧！

彼得併沒有等候神，他只憑己意揣測試煉會什麼時候來，誰知試煉就在他意想不到的時候臨到。 [我願意為你捨命。]彼得的宣告雖是誠實，卻是無知的。 [耶穌說…雞叫以先，你要三次不認我。]耶穌說這話，表明他認識彼得，比彼得認識自己更深。彼得沒有跟耶穌去，因為他不認識自己，也不知道自己的有限。以人本身的熱誠，固然可以引導我們就近耶穌，使我們感受他的奇妙，可是卻永不能叫我們成為門徒。人天然的熱誠總會有一日否認主，不是此時，就是那時。

祈禱◆我何等渴望被你－－熾熱、光輝和榮耀的你－－完全充滿，以致除了你那恩典的光輝外，再不能容下別的東西。