Follow Me
My husband and I switched seats in Decatur, just outside Ft. Worth. It was now my turn to take the last leg of the 17 hour drive from Colorado and I was so glad because I do love to drive and am pretty much a night owl I am not sure exactly when I discovered the leader that I chose to follow, but he was a grand Marshall almost all the way to Houston. He drove a white pick up truck and was pulling two SUVs on his trailer. The thing I loved most were the lights on the back of the trailer; they were low and in a horizontal formation extending from the right side to the left with alternating red and white lights that made a stripe across the lower trailer. They were easy on the eyes and also easy to track.
We stayed in sync, changing lanes at different intervals and sometimes I would stay in the left lane and he would know that I would hold back if he needed to get in front as to pass an 18 wheeler. It is kinda funny to me how people on the road sometimes become acquainted just by similar driving routines on similar routes. But I followed and it didn’t seem to bug him, and when he finally moved over to the right lane I knew my guide, who had allowed me to trail him for hours, was finally headed for the exit. I passed him by and signaled a ‘thank you’ by waving, don’t know if he saw me and maybe he didn’t even care. But I did…for he was my guide, and I appreciated the help even if he didn’t recognize that he had done me a great favor.
All this to say; it made me think about following Christ. I followed this guy because I knew he was heading in my direction but when he exited, it was then that I had to negotiate the rest of way without a guide. God has called us to follow him, wherever he leads; for he knows the way that is best for each of us. No, he doesn’t have trailer with horizontal lines, but he does have a life path that we can all follow… and it is through prayerful desires, concerns and watchful cues that he directs us as to where we go, what we do and how to handle faithfully whatever circumstances he allows to come into our lives.
God never exits our lives. But it is God who has chosen to be our leader and guide us. It is us who often times choose to step away from what we know to be right and follow God’s direction. We often times choose instead to let the world who is incessantly calling us, to be our guide, God stays on the HIGH way leading us and directing our paths which will ultimately lead us to his Heavenly home. His lights shine bright in the hearts of those who are following him. He is willing each day to share in the travels of where life leads us. For it is God who has initiated those very plans that challenge us to grow in stature and trust the very road that he has placed or allowed us to be on.
He may cause us to change lanes occasionally to avoid distractions and keep us out of harms way, and he even may delay us so that we can recalculate the importance of his presence. Sure we will have detours and plans that we ourselves make and they will often times be diverted. But God, in his wisdom and love will help us, when we ask, and sometimes even when we don’t ask, to pull us back to his HIGH way and help us find our way back to HIM and lead us off of the back roads when we find ourselves lost in uncertainties and searching for direction and wisdom to get back to a peaceful and recognizable route of God’s goodness and love.
We are all on the road at some point, traveling from here to there. We all need direction and a trusted guide to lead us through and to the HIGH ways of life… God has said “follow me” and when we submit to his calling it is there that he will shine his light into your heart, give you wisdom and show the way to his joyful countenance, and sprinkle his grace upon you as you journey on.
There are scattered verses in the bible citing Jesus calling others to follow Him,,,for he knows the value of the lessons he teaches, and the blessings that come from God the Father...lessons of forgiveness, grace, love, power, insight, wisdom, etc. If we choose to follow Christ, not only will those lessons strengthen our lives and our faith and help us understand the glory and magnificence of who he has and what he has done, it will give you a story to share with others that will give them hope and an anchor through storms and darkened times.
Such we will be called fishers of men.
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!
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