Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
Lead me by Your truth and teach me,
for You are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in You.
Psalm 25:4-5 NLT
Series: Games People Play
Do you remember this song from Disney’s Peter Pan movie?
We’re following the leader, the leader, the leader! We’re following the leader wherever he may go.
I can’t help but sing along as my eyes scan those words. This song was a huge part of my childhood. As a fun game, I remember following the leader (or getting to BE the leader) as the single line of kids mazed up and down and all around the church courtyard after services. And, having the shortest legs and lowest head in my family, I frequently trailed behind everyone else. I often followed the leader to the excited beat of this very song, whether my mom sang it out to keep us all in step or if it just chimed in my little head.
As a believer in Jesus, “Following the Leader” took on a new meaning. No longer a fun childhood game or song. Instead, it became my life’s mission. Am I following Jesus? How do I follow Him? Am I going wherever He goes? Or am I headed somewhere He is not? Let’s turn to a few scriptures.
Deuteronomy 13:4 (NIV) says:
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him.
Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV):
The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
From the very beginning, God instructed people to follow Him. To do so meant to reverence Him, obey Him, serve Him, and cling to Him. The promise was that He would always be with them, leading them as they go.
Jesus confirmed these truths as He led and taught His disciples. Mark 8:34 (NIV) says:
Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.”
And in John 12:26 (NIV), Jesus taught:
“Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me.”
Denying self and taking up their cross are added to the list of requirements to follow Father and Son. The list can seem unattainable and overwhelming. But let’s revisit the rules of the childhood game.
When playing “Follow the Leader,” the leader is out in front, and all eyes are on the leader. The players studiously watch the leader so they can go where the leader goes, do what the leader does, say what the leader says, and act like the leader acts. In the game, we see the very things God calls us to do to follow Him. And Jesus provides us with the perfect example.
To follow the Lord, we must study Him, esteem Him above all others, learn His ways, and copy Him. We do this by seeking Him in the Bible, setting our minds and our hearts upon Him and His truth, worshiping Him, praying to Him, denying our own will, and choosing to serve Him and others.
It is a high calling. We cannot do this on our own. Thank God, we have the deposit of His Holy Spirit in our hearts to help us, teach us, comfort us, and guide us. As God said in the beginning, we are never alone. Yet, we have a choice. Do we choose to surrender all and follow Him? Or are our eyes set upon something or someone else?
There are many we can allow to lead us in this world. To set our eyes on anything but Jesus can cause us to drift down a path not meant for us. Instead of getting entangled in the cares of the world, the desires of the flesh, and the accolades of people, may we keep our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. May we keep in step with His Spirit and watch intently for His next move.
As we do, like Isaiah prophesied, we will hear His voice saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” For He assures us in Psalm 32:8 (NIV):
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Then, like Jesus attests in John 5:19, we, too, can say, “I can do nothing by myself; I can only do what I see my Father doing, because whatever the Father does, I also do.”
Let’s keep following Jesus—one step at a time.
Holding Fast to Hope,
Maryann
Scripture References: Psalm 25:4-5, 32:8; Deuteronomy 13:4, 31:8; Mark 8:34; John 5:19, 12:26; Hebrews 12:2; Galatians 5:25; Isaiah 30:21
