Tailing God

“It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4)

Every now and then there’s a situation that demands I follow a lead car to an unknown location. It might be a friend leading me to his house. Or it can be an acquaintance escorting me to a meal. Regardless, I’m at the mercy of every move they make. And if traffic is thick or the turns too many, it can be quite the adventure. Throw in the cover of darkness and you never know the consequence. I once followed a car 15 minutes before I realized it was the wrong vehicle.

Life can be like that, too. We all follow something or Someone. Some pursue popularity, power or peace. Some follow after fame or fortune. Still others chase celebrity hoping to touch the divine. The gods of men lead many into a sea of vanity.

Perhaps that’s why God wants us to stick on his tail in this traffic jam called “life.” Follow close (He knows the Way). Obey his turn signals (He is the Truth). Don’t lose sight of his leading (He is Life). When He stops, you stop. When He moves, you move. Hold fast and hold on. You may not know the final destination but you can trust the Guide.

After all, life’s too short to get lost or left in the dust; or to realize too late you’ve been tailing the wrong god.


NOTABLE QUOTABLES ON OBEDIENCE:

In the spiritual life only one thing produces genuine joy and that is obedience. --Richard Foster

The dullness that overshadows a passive person is increased by the mounting number of times one doesn’t respond to the promptings of God. --Greg Manalli

Let this be thy whole endeavor, this thy prayer, this thy desire,--that thou mayest be stripped of all selfishness, and with entire simplicity follow Jesus only. --Thomas à Kempis

Men do not decide their future. They decide their habits and their habits decide their future. —Unknown

Jesus tapped me on the shoulder and said, Bob, why are you resisting me? I said, I'm not resisting you! He said, You gonna follow me? I said, I've never thought about that before! He said, When you're not following me, you're resisting me. --Bob Dylan

Father, what a joy it is to join You in the journey of life. Please forgive our occasional u-turns, wrong ways and yieldings against your Spirit. Jesus, we thank You for leading us Home, for being a Faithful Guide. May we this day possess the courage to follow close, turn right and move with You. Amen.