Happy New Year! Hello 2020! There is a lot of talk in this new year about “who” people are following, and there are lots of choices. From sports to social issues…from faith to politics…we are constantly being bombarded with issues that gravitate us into someones elite group or belief system. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, paired with some restraint, wisdom and prayer, it can be very beneficial. To be perfectly honest, the reason that I write is that I feel I have something worth while to share, and I honestly hope that others will not only follow my writing, but benefit from it. The truth is, we are all following someone or something. I don’t care how independent or intelligent you think you are, you still are following someone. In fact, the whole structure of social media is based upon who you are following, right? With that in mind, please consider reading the following–it is an excerpt from my book The River. I truly hope it helps and encourages you.
Jesus-Our Model
As a man, Jesus was the model provided for us. He is the standard that we are to compare our lives against.[i] The fact that He choose to lay His deity aside in order to be that example should compel us to know and understand Him better. Consequently, we can look at Jesus’ life as a model of what is possible when men and women are closely connected to the Father.
Does this take anything away from Jesus? Not at all, only the opposite is true. His life being demonstrated as man was intended to compel us to have the same relationship with the Father. You see, if I merely accept the fact that Jesus came to earth for the sole purpose of showing us His deity—then we have missed the point of His ministry on earth. This mindset will only leave us feeling defeated.
You might be asking, why then are we not seeing people not healed when we pray as Jesus did? I cannot fully answer that. However, have I seen people healed? Yes. Have I received healing when prayed for? Yes. We are commanded as Jesus’ disciples to heal the sick, cleanse the leapers, raise the dead, and to cast out demons.[ii] The command is clear. God’s Word has not changed. What Jesus did for us, and what He demonstrated to us has not changed. Just because we don’t always see the miracle, it does not excuse us to lower the standard (The Bible) based upon our level of experience.
Recently, Tracy and I spent some extended time around the Redding, California area. As we were hiking we witnessed a man standing in the mountain stream patiently panning for gold. I watched him for several minutes. I wondered how long he had been at it. Had he been there before? Is he finding anything at all—if not, what compels him to so patiently keep trying?
Then as we hiked a little further, we came upon an old abandoned gold mine shaft, as well as the remains of a historic family estate. The family had mined their fortune in gold from that mountain area long ago. Suddenly I realized why the man in the river was willing to put all the time and effort into swirling each and every pan of silt and water around. You see, he was convinced there was gold there, and it was available to him—all he had to do was keep trying. Maybe some days he got a little—others more. And maybe one day he would hit the mother-load again—just as that family did years ago.
Similarly, I too, have a long way to go in my own faith and learning how to be more like Jesus. However, I am convinced that His miraculous power is there for me. So, if I don’t see miracles happen like I hoped they would, I’m not going to stop. I choose not to relinquish God’s Word, His promises, and commandments down to what I experience. In other words, my experience doesn’t dictate God’s Word and what Jesus demonstrated for me to follow. No, it needs to be the other way around. Jesus is my model and He modeled life perfectly as He was so relationally connected to the Father. This inspires me to want to follow His lead. Thank you, Jesus, for not only being The Way, but for showing us the way.
So…who are you following? God bless you today as you seek the One who loves you with an everlasting love… Jesus, the lover of your soul and the one who cares about every single detail of your life. Follow Him…follow the Leader. Put Him in the drivers seat, He will never steer you wrong.
Blessed by the Best,
Mark
See You in the River 