By David Soper
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
Sheep don’t spend a lot of time analyzing the direction that the shepherd is leading. They just follow. The shepherd may be leading to a new pasture. The shepherd may be leading to a safe shelter. The shepherd may be leading to the shearing barn. The sheep don’t know where he’s taking them, they just follow. The sheep rely on the shepherd because the shepherd knows things the sheep don’t!
The same is true in our spiritual life. When we follow Jesus, we aren’t sure where he’s leading, but we still follow, because he is the good shepherd. He knows us, and he’s leading us where we need to go.
Sometimes He leads us forward: Everything is up and to the right. Life is good. It's like living in Lake Wobegon, "where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." - (Garrison Keillor) The pastures are lush and green. When Jesus lead us forward, things are exciting! (Matthew 4:19) These are times when the energy just seems to flow and we feel a strong sense of accomplishment, favor, and blessing.
But sometimes He leads us sideways: Have you been through a lateral move? It's definitely not a promotion – but it might be just what you need. Going sideways is a time of waiting and development. It can be a time of healing. Lateral moves are times of obedience, nothing exciting, but character building. Anyone can thrive on the mountain top, but what about the flat, boring, plains?
Sometimes He leads us backwards: This is a tough one because we don’t understand what He’s doing. Why would Jesus lead us away from the place we thought we were going? Going backwards is confusing and discouraging. Going backwards is a test of our common sense. We don’t want to follow. We think –what is God asking of me? I thought I did everything right! Remember, Jesus is the GOOD shepherd, He never leads us backwards to jerk our chain. There is always a reason, but we may not know it yet. If we obey, we will find our answer.
I've heard it said that God gives us only enough light to see the very next step. But most of us want to know what's coming up ahead. We want to know where God is leading us, and we want to know right now! Following the voice of Jesus takes faith in the wisdom and love of the Shepherd. The truth is, if we knew the destination, we'd probably try to take shortcuts and just mess things up! The journey is just as important as the destination. And when we follow the voice of Jesus, not only will he lead us home, but we won't miss a thing that he has for us along the way.
Scripture Reading: John 10:22-30
© 2011 Inspired by the Word of God. Scriptures from New Living Translation