One Step at a Time
A couple of months ago I was at a church service and while I was there,
* I just got an image of Jesus. I could see Him walking in front of me. He was specifically putting one foot in front of the other, but like skipping in a playful way. While He was doing this He was extending one of his hands towards me while also looking at me with His penetrating loving eyes, and I felt Him saying to me: “Follow me, just one step at a time”. He said this while smiling at me and doing a little jump to take another step.*
I remember that week I had been so busy and had so many things going on, so naturally I was tired and anxious. After He spoke that to my heart I broke out crying. I realized that I was carrying so much unnecessary weight.
I really felt that He was telling me: “Gaby why are you burdened with life? You are taking everything so serious. Lighten up a little. Follow me! Look at me! Don’t you see how exiting following me is?.”
Jesus is so merciful that He reaches out to us when other things are taking our attention from Him. He desires to be the main focus of our affection.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28- 30
As believers we sometimes have this mentality that we need to have everything figured out in our life or have the right timing of things to follow Him.
Because of this we might end up trying to work and work to gain things in the Lord, this makes us lose sight of our personal relationship with the Lord, and end up burdened.
Other times we might get frustrated because we make promises to God of things we are going to give Him, and then end up failing miserably which then causes guilt and shame to come in and condemn.
Or we might be doing what the Lord has asked us to do but in our own strength so we get tired and burdened.
Return to your Shepherd
We have to come to the point of recognizing that we don’t need to strive and try to get his attention, we have already been called sons and daughters. We are not beggars but we now have a close relationship with God.
And Jesus as the firstborn is teaching us to learn from Him, that He is humble and meek. And as Jesus has surrendered everything to the Father and obeyed Him, we follow his footsteps.
Following him is not about having it all put together, following him is about surrender and obedience. That requires humility and meakness. In whatever point of life we are in; whether being a new believer or having been saved for 10 years, we need to recognize that we need Him.
We have to humble ourselves and surrender to the leadership of the Lord in whatever season of our life we are at.
" The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." John 10:3,4
We are his sheep and we need to learn to listen to Him and follow Him.
*The way to know someone is to spend time with them.*
Those little decisions that you make throughout the day, they count a lot for the Lord. Every yes in your heart, every leaning toward Him counts!
Eventually those little decisions are gonna take you to larger and bigger decisions, but just focus on what you have in front of you and just taking one step at a time.
And if you keep looking at Him one day you are going to look back, and you are going to see that you have taken way more steps than you imagined. Now there is no turning back but every one of those steps are so worth it.
Words of Encouragement
I want to encourage you to put your eyes on Him and take the steps that he’s taking in front of you, don’t look to your right or to your left. Just look at Him and what he’s asking you in this season; surrender that to Him.
Be faithful in the little and do not despise the small beginnings. He is near those moments, more than you think.
Enjoy what it means to know God and what it is to follow Him. In Him you will find perfect rest for your soul.
