Day 67

Numbers 17-18 | John 6:60-71 | Psalm 29

They walked away.

Not the Pharisees. Not the religious leaders. Not the crowds who had always opposed Him.

His own disciples.

“After this, many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.” (John 6:66)

They had followed Him. Listened to Him. Watched Him multiply bread and heal the sick.

But when His words became difficult, they were done.

And I can’t stop thinking about that.

Because following Jesus is easy when He’s handing out miracles. But what about when He’s leading us through something harder?

When Faith Requires More Than We Expected

I understand why they left.

Because sometimes, faith asks more of us than we’re ready to give.

I’ve felt that in this season.

I’m heading back to San Francisco next week to see my surgeon. The next surgery is coming, and I know what that means—more healing, more discomfort, more therapy, more work. Another step backward so that I can, eventually, take a step forward.

And my job? The uncertainty still lingers. The waiting continues. The outcome hasn’t changed.

I’d be lying if I said there weren’t moments I wished I could just skip ahead—to the part where everything is settled, where the decisions have been made, where I don’t have to keep walking through the unknown.

I want the security. I want the resolution. I want the end of the struggle.

And that’s exactly where these disciples found themselves.

They followed Jesus when He was feeding the multitudes. But when He started talking about surrender—about fully depending on Him, about giving up control, about walking in faith even when it didn’t make sense—they couldn’t take it.

“This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (John 6:60)

And so they walked away.

What Will I Do When It Gets Hard?

Jesus didn’t chase them.

He didn’t soften His message to make it more appealing. He didn’t beg them to stay.

Instead, He turned to the Twelve—the ones who were still standing there, watching the others leave—and asked a simple but piercing question:

“Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67)

That’s the moment.

That’s the question.

Because faith in Christ isn’t proven when things are easy. It’s proven when things require more than we expected.

And Peter’s answer? It’s the kind of faith I want to have.

When There’s Nowhere Else to Go

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)

Not “We understand everything You just said.”

Not “This is exactly what we expected.”

Not “This road looks easy.”

Simply—where else would we go?

Because there is no life apart from Him.

Even when the next step is unclear.

Even when the road is long.

Even when obedience is costly.

He is still good. He is still faithful. He is still the only One worth following.

Staying When Others Leave

John 6:66 is one of the saddest verses in Scripture.

So many left. So many turned back.

But the next verse tells a different story.

The ones who stayed.

The ones who didn’t have all the answers but still believed.

The ones who didn’t have everything figured out but still clung to Christ.

The ones who didn’t walk away when things got hard.

And that’s what I want.

Not to follow Him only when things are easy.

Not to seek Him only when He provides.

Not to walk away when I don’t get what I want.

But to stand with Peter and say—

Lord, where else would I go?

A Faith That Stays

I don’t know what’s next.

I don’t know exactly what my surgeon will say next week, how many more months of therapy I’ll need, or when my job will officially come to an end.

But I do know this: I don’t want to be one who turns back.

I don’t want to let difficulty shrink my faith.

I don’t want to let delay discourage me.

I don’t want to let uncertainty shake my trust.

Because He alone has the words of eternal life.

And I have nowhere else to go.

Lord, I don’t want to be someone who turns back. Keep me close, even when the road is long. Strengthen my faith, even when I don’t understand. You alone are life itself. And I will follow. Amen.