On Following Jesus

Some encouragement on following Jesus for your Monday: ♡

I hope I never forget how the rafters of our nave resounded with the visiting Nigerian bishop's urging: "you can trust Him, you can trust Him." Yesterday, he told us how God asked Abraham, at 99 years old, to "walk before Him"-- not behind Him, not beside Him, but walk BEFORE the Lord! And my mind was just blown-- isn't this always what he asks of us? Isn't this why following him can be so insanely hard sometimes? Because we cannot see our Father in front of us-- we have to listen to his word guiding our footsteps instead. It would be so much easier, take so much less faith if we were granted the chance to see him in front of us! But God asks us to trust him. To listen for his voice. It's the most wonderful, mysterious thing to me that in the kingdom of God, what it means to follow Jesus is flipped from how this world defines "follow." We use "follow" to mean walk behind someone. But God asks us to follow in front of him.

Lord Jesus, you know how much harder this is for us. But you ask great things of us, because you want us to believe, to trust you. Because you know the deep springs of joy that well up for us when we tackle and conquer impossible things in your name, all because you were guiding us. And maybe you ask us to do such a hard thing, so that your provision will be all the more lavish and miraculous to our eyes. We ask that you would put your hand on our shoulder here and there, let us feel your breath on our necks as we plod along on this wearying road. Give us ears to hear you, and a heart entirely willing to take you at your word. Amen ♡.