"He That Followeth Me"

by J. Taylor, Crowborough, U.K. | Category: General | Jan 1983

To the child of God journeying through life, the world is a dark place and pitfalls and obstacles abound. If these are to be avoided, light is essential and the only true source of light is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He said to his hearers, "I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). It is obvious that the nearer one keeps to the light the more clearly will the way be seen. It is necessary to follow closely the One who said, "I am the Way" (John 14:6). To lag behind and lose sight of the light may prove to be disastrous and result in the experience described in Job 12:25, "They grope in the dark without light".

Just recently I saw on the back of a car what was intended to be a humorous caption. It read, "Don't follow me, I'm lost too". How truly this could be said of some would-be rulers of men. If they themselves are not born again they are certainly among those who have lost their way. They can be described in the words of the Lord Jesus, "Can the blind guide the blind? Shall they not both fall into a pit?" (Luke 6:39).

To follow the Lord is never easy, as He Himself made clear to those who desired to follow Him (see Luke 9:23-26; 14:26,27). It may involve persecution in one form or another, following Him "without the camp, bearing His reproach" (Heb. 13:13). Following the Lord will Keep His followers from falling into sin. David tells us in Psalm 23:3, "He guideth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake". Serving the Lord is also bound up with following Him, for He said, "If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am there will also My servant be" (John 12:26). Joshua and Caleb were both faithful followers of the Lord and Caleb said, "I wholly followed the LORD my God (Joshua 14:8,9). David too could say, "My soul followeth hard after Thee" (Psalm 63:8). So let us imitate the faith and courage of these men of God, closely following the Light of the world.

J. Taylor, Crowborough, U.K. | Jan 1983
General