Devotion: WHEN Do You Follow?

Have you ever had one of those days? You know, where you don’t feel like talking to anyone or doing anything. It happened to me a few days ago.

You see, it was a typical Friday morning and my two daughters wanted me to ride my bike to school with them. I did and got a flat tire on the way home. Soon after that I got a huge headache and couldn’t look at a TV screen, computer screen, or phone screen–so I laid on the couch thinking about all the things I needed to do. To top it off, I received a call from one of my friends telling me that a good mentor of mine had a heart attack and passed away that afternoon. Needless to say, it was a horrible day.

Maybe you have had days like this before? Days where you want to give up and just go hide. Days that make you wonder if God is really there and if this whole faith thing is worth it.

But check this out, as Jesus was preparing to die He told His disciples this:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

You hear that? Jesus didn’t promise that following Him would end all of your problems or give you an easy life. In fact, He told us to expect pain and suffering but also to know that through a life lived with Him He would give peace and victory. I don’t know about you, but Jesus’ words give me an amazing sense of comfort. I know that even when bad things happen to me, that Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection three days later give incredible power.

We might not always feel like following Jesus through our storms of life, but as a disciple, Jesus tells us that it’s worth it. He has ultimately defeated sin, death, and the devil–even when we struggle with them in our daily lives. May you come to know that following Jesus every day, in our good and bad days, is not always easy, but it’s made possible through the Holy Spirit who was given to you through your baptism to give you comfort and peace.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I live in a world of sin and suffering. Some days I don’t feel like you are there. Remind me of your power through the cross and help me to follow you all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Published July 2013

Published July 25, 2013

Devo-Discipleship John 16

Related Resources

From Surviving to Thriving Back at School

This is the second devotion on the back to school year. Stress and social anxieties that accompany school experiences, but God is with us. He cares for us as our refuge and strength in trouble.

Starting Seasons Smoothly

This is the first devotion dedicated to transitioning back to a new school year. As we enter a new season, let’s embrace our new routines and live daily in God’s presence and providence.

The JOY of Living Love for Servant Events

This Bible study series reviews five scriptural stories of people who were called out of some particular place or situation by God and into service to Him and to others. This series was originally created to serve LCMS Servant Events during their week-long programming.

Heart of a Servant

In this six part Bible study and devotion series, we will look at what the a servant heart looks like. Explore how God is and makes us willing, prayerful, compassionate, brave, broken, and hopeful servants. This study was originally designed for 2018 LCMS Servant Events being held over a week.

Real. Present. God. for Servant Events

Real. Present. God. is a six session study with parallel devotions that takes passages from the book of Psalms, full of material about our God’s power and presence.