1月4日我为什么现在不能跟祢去？

你有时真不明白，为什么不可以照心里所希望的去做。当神给你一张空白的纸，不要擅自涂上什么。只要等候。这白纸可能是要教你明白成圣的意义；也可能是要你体会成圣之后事奉的意义。

切勿走在神的引导之前。若有丝毫的疑虑，就不是祂的带领了。什么时候有疑惑，就不要动！

起初，你会很清楚看见神的旨意－－与某某朋友断交，与某某人断绝商业上的关系。你这样做，很清楚是神的旨意；但是，千万不要单凭那种感觉而贸然行事。

否则，所造成的许多错误，可能要费多年的时间才能矫正。只要等候，神会完成祂的工作，这不会使我们伤心或失望。既然是神的旨意，就等神去动工吧！

彼得并没有等候神，他只凭己意揣测试炼会什么时候来，谁知试炼就在他意想不到的时候临到。[我愿意为你舍命。]彼得的宣告虽是诚实，却是无知的。

[耶稣说……鸡叫以先，你要三次不认我。]耶稣说这话，表明祂认识彼得，比彼得认识自己更深。彼得没有跟耶稣去，因为他不认识自己，也不知道自己的有限。

人的热诚固然可以引导我们就近耶稣，使我们感受祂的奇妙，可是却永不能叫我们成为门徒。人天然的热诚总会有一日否认主，不是此时，就是那时。

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.