Following the Good Shepherd: Day 6- Trust: Chris Shook
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“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”
John 16:7 (NLT)
With enough time, every friendship will experience hardships and pains. A mark of a true friendship isn’t the lack of difficult seasons but rather how two can overcome struggles together. Will there be trust in the relationship after the storm subsides? Deep, lasting friendships are built on trust and faith. Even the strongest of our friendships here on Earth are just an obscured reflection of what The Good Shepherd is longing to have with us. He is waiting to bring us into a beautiful relationship that is meant to sustain us and give us joy unlimited. Our responsibility is to enjoy and trust.
Enjoying God’s gifts can be easy. The whole Earth and everything in it beckons us to praise God. Sunsets, beaches, mountains, hikes, picnics, family hangouts, date nights, good meals, and laughs with friends are simple ways to enjoy the goodness of God. Christ’s presence is calling us to enjoy this life. Even on our worst days, if we sit still and focus, we can conjure up a few things that spark joy in our hearts. For sheep following a shepherd, we always have a beautiful place to rest, eat and enjoy.
Trusting God is a daily challenge. Jesus’ prompt to His disciples cuts straight to the point in Luke 9:23 (NLT) “…If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me”. As sheep following The Good Shepherd, we can’t settle to follow God only when it feels right. Yielding our control and freedom to someone else seems antithetical to our culture. We are constantly told to “follow your heart” or to “just do you” when, these mantras can lead us down a dark path. It isn’t always overt, but we are to submit every area of our lives to God. From daily decisions to complete lifestyles, we must surrender every choice to Jesus. Christ is calling us to give up what we think is best and trust Him with our lives, even when we feel like we know best or don’t understand why.
In John, the people closest to Jesus began to despair that He would have to die. However, Jesus reminds them that when He goes, the Holy Spirit will guide us. It can be the same for us sheep trying to follow The Good Shepherd. We become frightened when He leads us down a path that we don’t want to go or angry that it isn’t what we wanted. Something about the way it looks, feels, or appears doesn’t sit right with our desires. And maybe we have found a better path, one that suits what we think is best. Will we rely on our own wisdom? How foolish would it be for a sheep to believe it has a better judgment or clearer reasoning than the shepherd over it. Our hearts must be postured in a way that we will follow The Holy Spirit’s voice whenever He calls. He is sent to us from God and is meant to guide us down the perfect path.
What paths are you on right now? Think about those paths and where they will ultimately lead you. Are they the paths that The Good Shepherd is sending you down? Or are they your own desires? Look into every aspect of your life. Begin to pray for The Holy Spirit to guide you. Pray that your ears would be attuned to His voice. He is guiding us down the path of righteousness, and it may not be easy, but it is good.