Follower Or Leader?

                                                                                                                                                       

 

In your walk with the Lord are you the follower or the leader?

Do you get much excitement in knowing that the Lord Jesus - Who is the Great Shepherd of the Sheep - is in total control of your life - leading and guiding you each step of the way?

Or do you wish that there were times when You did the leading - because You don't like the places where He oftentimes takes you?

He doesn't cater to Your whims and fancies and give You every thing that your heart desires.

In fact, He calls you to the deny yourself, carry a cross like He did, and lay aside all your fleshly wishes and aspirations for His Kingdom's sake. 

At times, would you rather be the leader than the follower?

 

Joseph Gilmore was a very distinguished university and seminary professor during the late 1800's and early 1900's. He was also a respected Pastor as well as the author of several textbooks on Hebrew and English literature.

 

One Wednesday night after preaching a message to his congregation from Psalm 23, he  visited with friends in their home. During the conversation, the blessedness of God's leading grew upon him so mightily that he spontaneously wrote down some words and then handed them to his wife. Without his knowing it, she sent these very words to the Watchman And Reflector Magazine - where they published them in their monthly. Later these inspired words made their way into the hymnals that many of us know today.  William Bradbury - a prominent contributor to early Gospel music - added the following lines "His Faithful Foll'wer I Would Be; For By His Hand He Leadeth Me" to give us the finished product that we treasure today called - "He Leadeth Me" -

 

        "HE LEADETH ME! O BLESSED THOUGHT! O WORDS WITH HEAV'NLY COMFORT FRAUGHT!

        WHATE'ER I DO, WHERE'ER I BE, STILL 'TIS GOD'S HAND THAT LEADETH ME.

 

        LORD, I WOULD CLASP THY HAND IN MINE, NOR EVER MURMUR NOR REPINE;

        CONTENT, WHATEVER LOT I SEE, SINCE 'TIS MY GOD THAT LEADETH ME!

 

        AND WHEN MY TASK ON EARTH IS DONE, WHEN BY THY GRACE THE VICT'RY'S WON,

        E'EN DEATH'S COLD WAVE I WILL NOT FLEE, SINCE GOD THRU JORDAN LEADETH ME.

 

                HE LEADETH ME, HE LEADETH ME,

                BY HIS OWN HAND HE LEADETH ME;

                HIS FAITHFUL FOLL'WER I WOULD BE,

                FOR BY HIS HAND HE LEADETH ME."

 

"HE LEADETH ME! O BLESSED THOUGHT!"  - Can you say that today? Does the very thought of having the Son of God - the very Shepherd of all Shepherds - leading and guiding you - excite you beyond description?

 

Oh! Child of God, it should! It should!

 

At one time, we were as sheep going astray - turning every one to our own way. But the Lord - the Great Shepherd - found us and brought us into His fold. Bless His Sweet and Holy Name!

 

O Christian, can you say along with Joseph Gilmore that you will clasp God's hand in yours and never murmur nor repine at where He takes you? Are you content - no matter what places or situations this Blessed Guide leads you? Are you simply content - knowing that He is Yours and You are His?

 

Can it be said of you that you are "HIS FAITHFUL FOLL'WER"?

He will always and evermore be the Faithful and True God, but will you always stay True and Faithful to Him?

 

So many today have started off following the Lord, but have wandered from the Shepherd. They no longer treasure and heed His voice. They are too enamored with the many voices out in the world - competing for their attention. They once heard His calls crying out to them until they hear them no more for they have hardened their hearts to His pleas...followed the Lord for a time, but some lust or worldly attraction drew them away to another path - the path of destruction...and wandered from the fold because they wanted their own way.

 

Where are you in your relationship with the Lord Jesus today? Are you content in having this Great Shepherd lead and guide you each step of the way - even to places which go against the "grain" of your flesh? Are you willing to go with Him all the way?

 

But, where are you, O saint of God?

 

Are you "following hard after God"(Psalm 63:8) this day, or are you one of those sheep who is "following afar off"(Matthew 26:58) - while making sure that the Shepherd is still in view? You are in a very dangerous place - if that be the case.

 

Someone once said - "If you are not as close to God as you used to be, you do not have to guess who moved."
 
In the Christian life, there is a real danger of wandering. Therefore, the Psalmist prayed earnestly unto the LORD - "...O let me not wander from Thy commandments"(Psalm 119:10).

 

The way to avoid wandering is outlined for us in the Scriptures - "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before Thee"(Proverbs 4:25)..."Ponder the path of thy feet..."(Proverbs 4:26)...and in observing to do the commandments of the LORD - "Turn not to the right hand nor to the left..."(Proverbs 4:27).
        
Let's always remember - We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus - the Author and Finisher of our Faith...not allow the devil to sidetrack or distract us with the razzle-dazzle of this world...and constantly be cognizant as to which direction we are headed. Once we know the Will of God for our lives, we must set our faces like a flint to perform that determined will for our lives - not veering to the right or to the left in any degree. 
 
In Psalm 25, King David spoke about his enemies who were resolved to destroy him.

In Verse 2, he petitioned God - "...let not mine enemies triumph over me."

In Verse 19, he asked of the LORD - "Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they that hate me with cruel hatred."

In Verse 15, it is implied that his enemies set traps and snares for him - "...for He(God) shall pluck my feet out of the net(set by his enemies)."
 
They were - no doubt - set on destroying him. Before they were ever after his physical being, they were after the soul of this "man after God's own heart." They wanted nothing more than to distract his affections and simple trust from the LORD.

 

However, he was determined to stay focused - "Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD..."(Psalm 25:15)....and to stay on the path that God ordained for his life and not to wander - "Shew me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths"(Psalm 25:4).
 
In order to avoid wandering, we must have the same perseverance as King David. More than anything else, we must desire for God to make the "crooked" places "straight" and "the rough places plain"(Isaiah 40:4).

 

He prayed - "Shew me Thy ways, O LORD..."(Psalm 25:4)..."...make Thy way straight before my face"(Psalm 5:8)..."Make me to understand the ways of Thy precepts..."(Psalm 119:27)...and "...cause me to know the way wherein I should walk..."(Psalm 143:8).

He also cried out to the LORD for instruction - "...teach me Thy paths"(Psalm 25:4)..."Teach me Thy way, O LORD..."(Psalm 27:11)..."...teach me Thy statutes"(Psalm 119:12)...and "Teach me to do Thy will..."(Psalm 143:10). 
 
When we cry after knowledge and lift up our voice for understanding(Proverbs 2:3), God promises - "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go..."(Psalm 32:8) and "...I am the LORD thy God Which teachest thee to profit..."( Isaiah 48:17). 
 
Because of his enemies that encompassed him and were firmly resolved to get him off course, David earnestly prayed - "Lead me, O LORD, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies..."(Psalm 5:8), "...lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies"(Psalm 27:11), "Lead me in Thy Truth, and teach me..."( Psalm 25:5), and "O send out Thy light and Thy Truth: let them lead me..."(Psalm 43:3).   
 
As earlier stated, the key to avoiding wandering is staying focused - focused on the Lord and on the path that He has set before us.

Whatever we do, we must not turn to the right nor to the left. In other words, we must not allow anything or anyone to distract us or sidetrack us from His designated path for our lives. This is only possible if we maintain a teachable spirit before Him at all times.

 

Our heart's cry must be like that of David's - "Shew me Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths"(Psalm 25:4). 

                                                                                                                                                                                   

God promises to lead us. The question is - Will we follow? 
Then again, how can we follow Him if we are not close to Him? 

 

"...WHATE'ER I DO, WHERE'ER I BE, STILL 'TIS GOD'S HAND THAT LEADETH ME...

 HIS FAITHFUL FOLL'WER I WOULD BE, FOR BY HIS HAND HE LEADETH ME."        

              

"And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers"(John 10:5). 

"...And the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice"(John 10:4).

                                                                                                                 

Amen & Amen!