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Welcome to those of you who have found your way here after reading my Proverbs 31 Encouragement for Today devotion. If you haven’t read it, click here to see what we are commetning about today.

You back? Good. Let’s chat.

Have you, like Peter, ever followed at a distance?

Are you ever tempted to now?

What part does the Bible play in helping us to stay close behind Christ, following His lead?

These are the things we are chatting about here today.

Leave a comment today about this topic and you will be entered to win a Walking With Jesus giveaway. It includes:

~ A copy of our newly released NIV Real Life Devotional Bible for Women. {A $34.99 value!}

~ A $10 Target card

~ A Ghiradelli Intense dark chocolate bar

Winner announced Wednesday.

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Speaking of winners, the winner of Julie GIllies book Prayers for a Woman’s Soul is: Maryann Schwinge. Send your home address to [email protected]

232 Comments

  1. Today your chat comes at a time when I am really working not to follow from afar. Due to an auto accident my sister had I find myself closer to Him than ever. During the weeks they were hospitalized and it was uncertain if my sister would ever be the same or that 2 of her 4 children would ever be the same God was with our family through it all. As the blessings continued to flow I found myself more excited and sharing the story with anyone who would listen, I even shared it with a telemarketer. Wait let me share the short version with you all! Mar 2 my sister and 3 of her 4 children were returning from a church function. She missed a stop sign and went over an embankment into a stand of trees. She had compound fractures of her left arm, leg, ankle, as well as a broken heel and 6 broken ribs on the right side. Her youngest daughter had to be resuscitated at the scene and had multiple compound fractures of her left arm. I live in CA and she is in TX. She and her other daughter were in the hospital in Tyler, and the youngest was sent to Dallas Children’s hospital. With in minutes members of her work and church were at their sides and provided physical presence that I could not. Her job has provide a way for her to get payed and work from home as long as needed. Her youngest daughter is out of hospital and even though they were uncertain she would ever use her left arm the fingers are working and she has feeling down the arm and into her hand. (they thought they might have to amputate her arm). Her sister had a hangman’s fracture of the neck with very little spinal column damage. She must wear a brace for many months but her neck is realigning it self quickly. When the dr. told her he was surprised at how fast she was healing she smiled her 15 year old smile at him and said I am not surprised for God has had his hand on all of us since the point of impact! Six months ago I would not have shared this with anyone but close friends and family. I realized that God was teaching me through my nieces just how to get closer. I prayed with many who were with them and often was given a verse to think about.
    As I reflected on this change I realized that I had been getting closer to Him through Melissa Taylor’s OBS studies and I realized that much of what you talked about in Let Go was being shown to me not just in my reactions but in those of others. Control has always been an issue for me especially when I cant do anything about it. Getting deeper in the word is something we must schedule time for. The P31 Devotionals are a wonderful source and I cant wait to delve into the New Bible! Thank You Karen for your compassion and grace! May God abundantly bless you!

  2. Thanks for he reminder. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who goes through this. I need to get in my Bible more and cultivate the intimacy I so long for with The Lord.

  3. I read your post today on Encouragement for Today Devotions. It touched me because I have been struggling with feeling like people dont want to hear the things I post on facebook but I post a lot about what im learning in my devotional time every day. I do it because i have been learning and growing a lot over the last year and a half and I feel closer to God than ever before. I want that for other people too. This post reminded me that God’s opinion is the one that matters most. Instead of not posting I should be bold for him.

  4. I have been searching out ways to be more in God’s word. I am the mother of six children ages 13 to 8months and often have a hard time finding the time I know I need and want to be in the word.

  5. I am guilty of following distantly. I think I start relying on myself too much and that tends to get me in trouble. I love the idea of the new Bible devotional. Proverbs 31 ministry is such a great way to start the day.

  6. I think that this happens all the time in life. We seem to forget that we need to sit down and read our Bible everyday and do a devotional. I’m guilty of this. The Bible helps us stay focused on what is most important. God our Father. We forget going through our day especially if we are really busy with kids, home, for some a job, or whatever else keeps us busy that we need it. Look at the Bible as an instruction manual of what we need to be doing everyday. Praying and reading it daily. My senior director in Mary Kay said the other night that we need to pray like we’re praying to the God who parted the Red Sea. Remember the Red Sea was three miles long and 5,000 people wide. If He could part the Sea like that imagine what He can do for us if we just take the time and ask and pray. We need to be that close to God..He is our Father.

  7. I fail at this every day. I keep thinking I will “do it later” and I never get around to even opening my Bible. I feel like I am always an arms length away. Its difficult because my teenage daughter is putting up a fight lately about going to church on Wed night. She says church is just a social club for the rich kids who cant drive yet and when they can drive, they stop going. I told her that the point of being there isn’t just to socialize but to spend time in a small group studying the Word. I said this is especially important if you haven’t been able to discipline yourself enough to read alone at home on a daily basis. I admitted that I failed at this myself but I wish I was setting a better examole for her.

  8. Awesome reminder! Thanks for sharing your gifts and talents with us as we continue our daily walk with the Lord. Trying to re-prioritize some of my daily activities. This sure spoke to my heart.

  9. great things to think about. yes, it’s all too easy, sometimes, to follow at a distance it’s more comfortable and i am in control. Father God, forgive me, help me to run to you instead of following you at a distance………………..

  10. Wow this really hit home. How I’ve been walking at that distance you talk about, close enough to see him but where others can see me close to him. Thank you so much for this devotion! It really opened my eyes and has helped me to ask the Lord to forgive me for keeping him at a distance and improve my relationship with Him from here. I don’t know where to start, but I know God will guide me as I ask him in prayer. Thanks again!

  11. Thank you for the encouragement…..I couldn’t agree more — it is the Bible that keeps us walking closely with Jesus. It is day by day — I can tell the difference just by not starting off my day in the Word.

  12. thank you for the encouragement. This has been on my mind for the last few days, esp. the same part as you mentioned, ” when I saw that my new-found faith wasn’t so readily accepted by certain friends at school, I’d backed off from associating myself so publicly with Jesus.”- I tried to put into conscious practice putting Jesus first in my life despite what my close friends may think about it….quite challenging at times, but we must :)

  13. About 10 years ago I was very close to God and had a very close relationship with him …..I spent time with him daily n was receiving many prophecy and operating in the gifts that God has given me……but we had many tragedys our 10 yr old daughter found my husbands best friend dead in our living room on mothers day , my husband began having serious health issues & even flatlined at one point in the ER , my mother in law fought cancer for 9 years before loosing the battle , lost everything in a house fire, we had a so called friend get jealous n file a bogus accusation against us which resulted in us loosing 2 boys we were fostering and about to adopt, life got crazy n chaotic with rebellious teenagers and before I knew it I was following God at a distance just like Peter…….but about 8 months ago we started getting involved in a little church in our community and since then that desire to walk closely with God is getting very strong and I can feel that flame in my spirit beginning to flicker…..God has given my husband and I a vision that we believe will help us reach out to the kids in our community and help them to take a stand for Christ and resist the temptations of the world……we are ready to get our flames burning brightly so we can help train up a mighty army of God that will change the our future and the future of our community…….

  14. I guess I have been following afar for awhile now.I let circumstance overwhelm and oppress me to the point that I just coast through life because I have convinced myself God can’t use me,my mind,body,and family are too broken.

  15. Ive been trying to follow jesus closely. Seems so easy in the m orning during my quiet time, then life steps in and I forget the closeness I had just felt. I leave sticky notes or index cards around the house as reminders

  16. It’s like my resolution, I was drawing closer daily and then life turns upside down and its hard to stay afloat. I know I hear God calling me back, I don’t want to follow from afar!

  17. This was such an encouraging devotion. We often don’t realize that we can be following Jesus at a distance. Sometimes you don’t realize it, or even intend on allowing distance between you and the Lord. How does that happen, when He is someone you love so much! I will pay attention more closely to staying close to his heart! Not just that is known by me, but is recognized by those who see me. May my heart say, Your face will I seek! Thank you for the words of truth and encouragement! It stirs up the desire in me to follow hard after Him!!

  18. Thank you so much for this encouraging devotional today! I have to admit that I have gone through some pretty distant stages in my walk with The Lord over the past 10+ years. I was on fire for The Lord & loved Him passionately when I was in high school & college but unfortunately I have often allowed the stresses & busyness of grown up life to take priority over walking closely with my First Love. As one who grew up in the church it has been all to easy to go through the motions…still truly loving The Lord but not walking as closely as He or I would like. I have also struggled with seeming to not be able to go deeper with The Lord even though I desperately wanted to have Him take me to the next level of intimacy with Him. Through all of my fears, failures, doubts, stresses, and busyness as a wife & mommy, I can hear The Lord beckoning me back to my First Love. And, as you have encouraged in this devotional, I know I need to start with immersing myself in His Word & in quiet alone time with Him. I’ve been allowing myself to make too many excuses but no longer! Thank you, Karen, this was exactly what I needed! :)

  19. Thank you for this devotional. Like Peter we often do follow at a distance. And also, like Peter we think that our relationship with our Saviour is strong when we are really on the edge of betraying Him by placing other things first and denying Him first place in our lives.

  20. I followed Jesus at a distance the vast majority of my life. It wasn’t until April of last year that I realized I never had a real relationship with The Lord. I was never really a child of God. I surrendered my life to him then and I haven’t looked back. I still slip and at times find my self backing away and walking farther from Him, especially in my speech, but I am closer to Him now than I have ever been. It’s a great feeling to be in the word and learning more about Him and his word. I want to help others on their journey too.

  21. I’m afraid I do this more than I’d like. I’m actually not that sure how to live differently, and I’d love to win. :)

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