A dear sister in Christ shared with me a story today of another time in which she was struggling in her walk with the Lord.  A year later she ran into an old friend who was in a time of severe struggle.  As she listened closely to her friend she was reminded of how the Lord gave her victory the previous year and how he gave her an image that made a lasting impression. 

Picture this:  you are walking behind, faithfully following the Lord Jesus Christ who is walking in front of you.  Your hands are placed firmly on the back of His shoulders as He leads you forth.  You are not trying to get ahead of Him or push Him faster down the road.  But you are straining to look over His shoulders, attempting to peer around His sides, jumping to see over His head.  Where is He taking me?  Why don’t my circumstances show me what lies ahead for me?  Why can’t I see where we are going, the point to all of this agony? 

 

Now that doesn’t look much like following in faith now does it?  Yeah.  I have been there too.  Trying to get ahead of the One Who loves me and has carefully crafted my life as His own child, under the protection of His loving arms.  Instead I am going to remember the image that my friend said came next:  she gently looked down, perhaps drawing a little closer to His mighty frame, and simply walked behind Him in His footsteps.  She let the Lord lead her through the trials and in due time they ended.  And a year later her tenderness for her friend encouraged both of them.  I am sure of it.

My friend shared that in her heart long ago she heard the words, “where do you think I was taking you?”  Where indeed.  May our answer always be, “anywhere you lead my Jesus.”  Anywhere.  JJ