Friday, October 17, 2014

Following the leader wherever he may go.

Do you ever ask yourself: "Where am I going?", either in the context of driving, walking, biking, unicycling or with regard to career, life and purpose?

Do you know where you're going? 

Following the leader, the leader, the leader..

If someone asked me that, I'd like to say, no, based on my current life situations. But that would be a bit of a misconception. In a sense, I am going to the Father. Not in the same way and timeline as Jesus did, but as a Christian, I am on my way to being in a relationship with the Father - I am on my way towards holiness. 

While I may not know the concrete destination of my life on Earth, I know that my earthly life is serving to bring me to my final destination of holiness, and an eternal life - a life in the presence of God. 

As people, we tend to get hung up on each step of the journey. We want to know what the journey will be like, to prepare ourselves for each moment and situation we encounter. But we will never know, because we really don't know the way. John 14:5-6 talks about what the way is all about: 
"Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:5-6)
Jesus establishes that He alone is the way. If we have given our lives over to Him, and desire to be with the Father, we have no choice but to trust and obey; we have no other option but to follow Jesus. Indeed, we can only come before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ, but as we journey in life, we will find Jesus is the only way, the only one who knows the path to the Father.

Jesus does direct us step by step, He goes before us, walks beside us and directs from behind. In all ways, He guides, because He knows the way and is the way. 

This reminds me of Isaiah 30:19-22:
"19 For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction,yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 22 Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”"
On our journey through this life, we do like go our own way. We like to get ahead of ourselves (and Jesus), sometimes get too scared to proceed, or get fearful that we won't end up in the right spot or reach the end at all. And yet, all God asks of us is to follow Jesus. As our relationship with Him proceeds, humility and trust enables us to see that we must follow Him, and by the power of the Spirit, we want to. 

When we listen and see that He knew the way all along, we will cast down all other idols, all other "guides" and look to Him to lead us. 

Jesus' leading is constant. He doesn't guide us from a distance, or direct us from afar. He stands close beside, before and behind us. It's actually us who like to scamper off if Jesus tells us "Wait." or "Stop." And when things go wrong because we've wandered away, He is still close beside us, faithful to lead us back. 

The hymn "All the Way My Savior Leads Me"  declares the realization that in surrender to Jesus, He will take us where we need to go, He is the way we need to take if we are ever to be with the Father. 
"All the way my Savior leads me;
  Oh, the fullness of His grace!

Perfect rest to me is promised

  In my Father’s blest embrace.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
  Wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages:
  Jesus led me all the way,
This my song through endless ages:
  Jesus led me all the way."






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