Lead
Me, I’ll Follow
By Brita Crouse
“The LORD is my
shepherd; I shall not want.”
Psalm
23:1 (ESV)
I
read a writer’s paraphrase of God’s truths recently in my daily devotions:
“Be
willing to follow where I lead. Follow Me wholeheartedly, with glad
anticipation quickening your pace. Though you don’t know what lies ahead, I
know; and that is enough! Some of My richest blessings are just around the
bend: out of sight, but nonetheless very real. To receive these gifts, you must
walk by faith - - not by sight. This doesn’t mean closing your eyes to what is
all around you. It means subordinating the visible world to the invisible
Shepherd of your soul.” [1]
I
needed that reminder so badly because I am a sheep with unfocused attention. I
am the one who looks beyond the Shepherd and gets distracted by the scenery. I
am the one who is always asking, “Are we there yet?” I am the one constantly
comparing myself to others. I am the sheep who gets away from the herd and
needs to be found again.
God
has been convicting this discontented heart a lot lately and reminding me to be
careful about the things I value. I have been putting too much importance on
worldly things and not enough priority into my relationship with my Shepherd.
He is the giver of life and from Him comes a spring of Living Water. As
Christians, we have that spring within us and He wants us to drink and be
satisfied.
The
amazing thing about our Shepherd is He doesn’t get tired of redirecting our
attention back to Him. Instead of caring about worldly things, He values a
personal relationship with each one of us. Each time we stray from His lead or
question where He is taking us, He is patient and willing to bring us back to
Him. What a good Shepherd! It is because of Him we no longer have to be in
want.
Not
one of us is a perfect sheep, but we do follow a perfect Shepherd. One who is
patient, kind, humble, trustworthy, and willing to look for us when we get
lost. Do you want to live a life free of want? Here is the key: Don’t be
distracted by worldly things, or ask, “Are You really going to take me this
way?” Instead, say this: “Lead me, I’ll follow.”
GOING
DEEPER:
1. What worldly things have you been placing a
high value on? How is the Great Shepherd trying to get your attention back to
Him?
2. Listen to the song “House of God Forever” by Jon
Foreman. Make Psalm 23 your prayer.
FURTHER
READING:
[1]
Sarah Young, Jesus Calling
(Nashville:Thomas Nelson, 2004) 293.
Brita recently
graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Psychology, and is currently
a helper for Oakwood’s Quest 56 and the Just Among Moms weekly childcare team.
