Following the Good Shepherd: Day 7 - Chris Shook
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"When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
John 8:12 (NIV)
Driving around in a new neighborhood or city can be nerve-wracking and exhausting. Trying to get to a new destination in an unfamiliar environment without the use of modern GPS is absolutely terrifying. How did anyone do it before Siri? With other cars, one-way streets, two-way stops, four-way stops, and hard-to-read street signs, a competent guide is vital to get us where we are going. Clear and easy-to-follow directions help us get to where we need to be. Sometimes, automated GPS guides can fail to do that, or maybe it is us failing to understand the instructions. Either way, from Earthly guides, there are errors in transmitting and receiving clear direction.
Our hearts need to find a way to follow Jesus' commands and guidance as exact as possible. The Creator of the universe and our souls is guiding us in these very moments. Tuning our ears to catch the nudges of The Holy Spirit is becoming increasingly difficult. Our busy lives need to continually be refreshed and slowed down to match the heart of God. We have to learn to follow God's love. Not only will His path lead us to purpose but they will also fill us with joy. We will not be blind sheep walking in darkness unable to fend for ourselves. Jesus will be our Good Shepherd leading us to a perfect place.
Even with the promises that God lays before us, we are still susceptible to our own desires and wants. Because of sin, we choose to listen to our own guidance instead of God's. The hard truth of this is that sheep without a shepherd end up dying from disease, hunger, or predators. The wonderful news about God is that He FOLLOWS US into the darkness. In Romans 5:8 Paul sums up Jesus' pursuit so succinctly: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.". We were still running away from Him and yet The Good Shepherd chases after us. This is what mercy and goodness look like to following us all the days of our lives.
Even where you are now, as lost as you may feel, God's mercy and goodness are following you. We can rejoice: God is still with us. Our response to hearing His voice speak to us should be to follow Him back. Jesus spent His life chasing us down, and He now asks us to spend our lives chasing down Him.