Continue With Jesus

There was a time, which I recall fondly, when a friend and I walked the block each day - it was roughly five miles. Read this: "From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more" (John 6:66, ESV). That is perhaps one of the saddest statements in Scripture! The circumstances of our lives aren't always the best - in truth, at times they are just hard and unpleasant. It is our inclination to turn back, lose heart, abandon ship - we just have the stomach for it! How easy and convenient it is to profess and sing of Him in the good times but [I'm sure you will agree] the enthusiasm and eagerness are lacking in times of trouble. We love to recite Romans 8:29 - "We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" - but we neglect to see the eternal good of the working-of-all-things: note the "good" is that we be conformed to the image of Jesus (V.29). God is always at work in our circumstances to shape us into something more, something better, something gloriously like Jesus. Walking five miles seems like a lot - especially today as I'm no longer able to do that - but as we walked, the fellowship was great and the hour passed sweetly. May each of us be named among those of whom Jesus said in Luke 22:28, "you are those who have continued with Me." Will you pray for grace to ... continue with Jesus?