It’s true that Jesus Christ is with us in our trials, but are we with him in his? “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). Many of us stop going with Jesus the moment we have our first spiritual experience. We are so amazed by what our Lord has done for us that our experience of it becomes our focus, and though we continue to wear his badge, we take our sights off him. The trials of Jesus continued throughout his earthly life, and they will continue throughout the life of the Son of God in us. At certain times, it’s easy to stand by Jesus. But watch out when God shifts your circumstances. Are you standing by Jesus when the world turns against him, or are you siding with the world, the flesh, and the devil? Are you going with Jesus in the life you are living now?
We have the idea that we should shield ourselves from some of
the things God brings around us. Never! God engineers our circumstances, and whatever they may be, we have to face them while abiding with him in his trials. His trials do not test our human nature; they test the life of the Son of God inside us. Remember that the honor of Jesus Christ is at stake in your life. Are you remaining loyal to the Son of God when his life in you is under attack?
Do you continue to go with Jesus? The way lies through Gethsemane, through the city gate, outside the camp. The way lies alone. It continues until there is no trace of a footstep left, only the voice: “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19).
