All We Can Do Is Follow!!

There are a couple of things that I have come to realize throughout my 36 years on this earth. One of those is that a lot of the time life is hard. You see we would love for life to come easy; for all of our decisions and or problems to have clear answers. And to be honest, I am as guilty of it as anyone else. I want the fire from heaven or the voice of God to say, “Rod, go this way!” or “Rod, I want you to do that!” The bad news for me is that it is evident that I don’t know what I am doing and that I am incapable of being “in control” of my life. This means that I must learn to trust and follow.

I think that we can all remember when we were younger and having to answer the question about what animal you would say you are most like or would most desire to be like. As I recall most people would answer with some strong, powerful animal like a lion or eagle. However, throughout the Bible there is talk of us needing to be more like sheep. Really!?!?! Sheep!?!? Could this be more opposite than what most of us are taught growing up? Sheep by nature are wonderers. If gates and fences are not present sheep will roam all over the place even into danger. Jesus refers to His followers as sheep lost and need of a shepherd. The funny thing is that sheep are not considered to be the smartest of animals but somehow they know their shepherds voice. For most of my walk I have desired for God to ALWAYS act quickly, swiftly, justly on MY behalf. I now know that I must get it through my head that He is doing all those things but most of the time it is behind the scenes and often without me even knowing. My job is to simply respond to his voice.

John 10: 27-30 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one."

My prayer is that in the midst of whatever we are going through we would not loose sight of the protection and guidance that God’s hand provides for us. And, that we would always know that our only hope is to follow!