Chris Tomlin is a praise and worship leader and singer who I enjoy listening to on our local Christian radio station, JOYFM 99.1, located in St. Louis. His song, I Will Follow, includes the following lines:
Where you go, I'll go, ...
All your ways are good...
I will trust in you alone...
How you serve, I'll serve...
If this life I lose, I will follow you.
Hearing those words being sung a few days ago, I gave thought to a Bible study lesson that Cynthia has been doing at church with the children. They've been reading through Genesis's account of Abraham. I put the song and Genesis 12:1-4 together and thought how Abram (his name had not yet been changed) did as the LORD told him. Now, he didn't tell the LORD beforehand that he would go wherever He wanted Abram to go, as far as we know from scripture. But the LORD did indeed tell Abram to leave his home and he obeyed. Abram trusted the LORD. Abram followed the LORD's directions to go to the place that He had chosen. There are so many lessons in these few lines of scripture from Genesis 12, but I'd like to focus on the idea of following. How often are we asking ourselves- Am I following where the Lord wants to lead me? In Matthew 9:9 we read these words:
Then He said, "Follow me..."
"Follow", in the Greek, is the word "akoloutheo"- a verb meaning to follow one who precedes, join as an attendant, disciple, or become a disciple. In order to follow Jesus Christ we have to leave whatever path we are on, don't we? And that is what stops people sometimes, literally and figuratively, in their tracks whether they are new or experienced students of the Bible. Old Testament or New Testament, we read about people leaving behind family, friend, and possessions in order to follow the Bible. If we accept the Bible as God's Word, we learn more about the nature of our Father and His Son to the point of trust and faith. The Word reveals that accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior means that as He was sacrificed on our behalf, we also accept a life of surrender and sacrifice. Mankind tends to be self-centered and self-consumed. It's difficult to give up or surrender our wants and desires to follow a way of life that goes against the grain of society. Become a servant? Tend to the needs of others, including the poor, widowed, and orphan? There is the unknown factor: How do we know where we're headed if we choose to follow Christ? At least if we're the one that draws out the map and plans the itinerary, we know our ultimate destination. Or do we? Becoming a Christian, or Christ-follower, involves a surrendering of our will and our way to Jesus Christ who is the Way. The only Way.
I am the way, the truth and the life.
John 14:6 (NIV)
No one forces us to make a decision to follow Christ, anymore than the LORD forced Abram to follow His directions. But there's no way to make the best decision for our life if we don't find out what the decision is, can we? Taking more than just a glimpse at the Bible, we find much more than what has been shared through this post. Find out more, much more, about the Father and the Son He sacrificed for all
Chris Tomlin's song ends like this:
You're the one I seek, knowing I will find...
In you there's life everlasting...
Today, we should ask- Am I following where the LORD wants to lead me? Am I following His way? If we are following Him, if we are letting Him lead the way, we know that we're on the right Way to the Truth and the Life.
... God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life;
1 John 5:11-12 (NIV)
Where you go, I'll go, ...
All your ways are good...
I will trust in you alone...
How you serve, I'll serve...
If this life I lose, I will follow you.
Hearing those words being sung a few days ago, I gave thought to a Bible study lesson that Cynthia has been doing at church with the children. They've been reading through Genesis's account of Abraham. I put the song and Genesis 12:1-4 together and thought how Abram (his name had not yet been changed) did as the LORD told him. Now, he didn't tell the LORD beforehand that he would go wherever He wanted Abram to go, as far as we know from scripture. But the LORD did indeed tell Abram to leave his home and he obeyed. Abram trusted the LORD. Abram followed the LORD's directions to go to the place that He had chosen. There are so many lessons in these few lines of scripture from Genesis 12, but I'd like to focus on the idea of following. How often are we asking ourselves- Am I following where the Lord wants to lead me? In Matthew 9:9 we read these words:
Then He said, "Follow me..."
"Follow", in the Greek, is the word "akoloutheo"- a verb meaning to follow one who precedes, join as an attendant, disciple, or become a disciple. In order to follow Jesus Christ we have to leave whatever path we are on, don't we? And that is what stops people sometimes, literally and figuratively, in their tracks whether they are new or experienced students of the Bible. Old Testament or New Testament, we read about people leaving behind family, friend, and possessions in order to follow the Bible. If we accept the Bible as God's Word, we learn more about the nature of our Father and His Son to the point of trust and faith. The Word reveals that accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior means that as He was sacrificed on our behalf, we also accept a life of surrender and sacrifice. Mankind tends to be self-centered and self-consumed. It's difficult to give up or surrender our wants and desires to follow a way of life that goes against the grain of society. Become a servant? Tend to the needs of others, including the poor, widowed, and orphan? There is the unknown factor: How do we know where we're headed if we choose to follow Christ? At least if we're the one that draws out the map and plans the itinerary, we know our ultimate destination. Or do we? Becoming a Christian, or Christ-follower, involves a surrendering of our will and our way to Jesus Christ who is the Way. The only Way.
I am the way, the truth and the life.
John 14:6 (NIV)
No one forces us to make a decision to follow Christ, anymore than the LORD forced Abram to follow His directions. But there's no way to make the best decision for our life if we don't find out what the decision is, can we? Taking more than just a glimpse at the Bible, we find much more than what has been shared through this post. Find out more, much more, about the Father and the Son He sacrificed for all
Chris Tomlin's song ends like this:
You're the one I seek, knowing I will find...
In you there's life everlasting...
Today, we should ask- Am I following where the LORD wants to lead me? Am I following His way? If we are following Him, if we are letting Him lead the way, we know that we're on the right Way to the Truth and the Life.
... God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life;
1 John 5:11-12 (NIV)
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