I will follow you

Luke 9:57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to [Jesus], "I will follow you wherever you go."

When I was a child, one of our family traditions was quail hunting on winter weekends in south Georgia. We hunted by way of Tennessee walking horses, who for the most part were relatively docile and obedient. The one thing I noticed, though, was that even in the midst of the beautiful open fields and wooded areas, they were always inclined to head back towards the barn. If I let go of the reins and allowed them to steer themselves, their first inclination was not to run away to explore new pastures and fields, but to run straight towards what was comfortable and familiar, the barn.

Often in our walks with Christ, our hearts are similarly inclined. We forego the freedom of the pasture and the adventure in the woods for the comfort and safety of the stall. The horse in the painting above sits at the door of the stall, with halter on and lead nearby, ready to be led by his owner. Unintentionally, this painting turned out to be a picture of humility, a visual reminder of where our hearts should be when it relates to being led by our Savior.

Following Christ does not always feel like the "safest" place to be. The weather can be rough outside of the stall and we may be led to places we do not want to go and do things we do not desire to do, but allowing Christ to lead us out of our "safe places" is, in reality, the safest place for our souls. God is our refuge and our hiding place, not the man made stalls that we build around our hearts to guard them from the weather.

Father, lead me out of the stall. Let my halter always be on, ready to be led by you. Pull me out of my "safe places" and free my heart of the inclination to head back towards the barn. There is no greater adventure and no greater joy than being led by you. Lead me, Lord. "I will follow you wherever you go."

This painting was a birthday commission for a precious ten year old girl named Sally whose passion is horse back riding. Happy Birthday Sally! I pray that you would know that there is no greater adventure than following your Savior. I pray that when you are led into the pastures and forests in your walk with Christ, you would know that you are never alone. Your God is there leading and guiding you every step of the way. In Jesus Name. Amen.