FOLLOW AND TRUST JESUS
To follow Jesus is more than to admire Him from a distance; it is to leave the familiar ground beneath our feet and place our whole weight upon His word. Trust is not formed in the abstract—it is forged in the daily decisions of obedience, when the path ahead is unclear and the cost feels real. He does not merely call us to believe certain truths about Him; He calls us to come after Him, to walk where He walks, and to rest our lives in His faithfulness.
Jesus spoke plainly about the nature of discipleship. He said that anyone who desires to come after Him must deny himself, take up his cross each day, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). In that single sentence, the Lord reorients our understanding of life. Trusting Jesus means surrendering the illusion of control; following Him means accepting that the way of life often passes through sacrifice before it reaches glory. Yet this call is not harsh—it is honest. The One who asks us to lay down our lives is the same One who laid down His life for us.
Trust grows as we learn His heart. The Word of God tells us that Jesus is gentle and lowly in heart, inviting the weary and burdened to come to Him and find rest for their souls (Matthew 11:28-29). He does not manipulate or mislead. He does not promise ease, but He promises presence. He walks ahead of His people, not driving them with fear but drawing them with love. When we follow Him, we are never following blindly; we are following the Good Shepherd who knows the way because He is the way (John 14:6).
There will be moments when obedience feels costly and faith feels fragile. In those moments, we remember that trusting Jesus is not trusting our own strength, wisdom, or consistency. It is trusting His character. The apostle Paul reminds us that the Son of God loved us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20). That love did not falter at the cross, and it will not falter in the ordinary trials of our lives. What He begins, He is faithful to complete.
To follow and trust Jesus, then, is to live with open hands—receiving His mercy, submitting to His lordship, and believing that even when the road is narrow, it leads to life. The world offers many voices, many shortcuts, many counterfeit hopes. Jesus alone offers Himself. And He is enough.
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Lord Jesus, teach us to trust You where we are tempted to fear, and to follow You where we are tempted to stay comfortable. Lead us in Your truth, hold us by Your grace, and keep our hearts fixed on You. Amen.
BDD
