Follow After Him
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14).
Do you ever wonder what God’s will for your life is? Do you ever struggle with feeling purposeless? Sometimes in the busyness and distraction of our life, it can be easy to lose sight of why we’re here. We may find ourselves pursuing hard after things that don’t matter for eternity, to the detriment of our pursuance after Christ. It’s my hope that this post can be an encouragement and reminder to all of us to follow hard after the One Who saved our souls!
Seek Him
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary (Psalm 63:1-2).
This is the cry of someone who fervently desires God—not just on Sundays and Wednesdays, when we get a glimpse of His power and glory at church, but every day of the week. Truly, this world is a dry and thirsty land; there is no water, nothing that truly satisfies the deepest needs of the heart. There is only One Who can quench the panting of our hearts. Do we thirst for God? Are we longing after Him?
The verse above gives an impression of effort and prioritizing. “Early will I seek Thee.” This is echoed in many other verses about seeking God. Numerous times, Israel was commanded to prepare their heart to seek Him. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God (1 Chronicles 22:19). It’s something we must do deliberately. A good relationship with God doesn’t happen automatically. We must choose to prioritize; we must set our heart, set our affection on things above (Col. 3:1). Like any relationship, our relationship with God takes work, time, and effort. But it’s so worth it! After all, Jesus died so that we could have fellowship with His Father!
He is calling you to come and spend time with Him; He is calling you to come apart from the dry and thirsty land and satiate your soul in His presence! Let’s respond as did the Psalmist, from a heart that longs for and desires Him above all else, “When thou saidst unto me, seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek (Psalm 27:8).”
Follow Him
When we seek God, He always responds to that seeking. He will be found. As we pursue a relationship with Him and draw nigh to Him, He draws nigh to us and reveals Himself to us. And then comes the time to follow. Ideally, these things should be taking place simultaneously in our lives—we seek and follow; He reveals Himself and leads us. He’s the Shepherd Whose voice we know because we spend time with Him. We follow as He gently leads.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand (John 10:27-28).
Following comes when we put into practice what He calls us to do, as revealed in His response to our seeking. And I’m not just talking about “ministry”. That is only one aspect of following Him. Following involves a denial of self and a taking up of the cross. It involves being a doer of the word and not just a hearer (James 1:22-25).
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23).
True following of Christ is rarely dramatic. It’s not usually something that will be noticed and lauded by others. But it is faithful obedience to what God shows us from His Word. This is why following and seeking go together. If we follow without seeking Him, our following becomes empty form as we “go through the motions”. We focus on the service more than on the One we are serving, quickly becoming discouraged and disillusioned, losing our joy. But if we only seek and then go no farther on with the Lord, our obedience is incomplete. It’s when our following is the outgrowth of a vibrant relationship with Him that we live a blessed and joyful life!
My friends, we have a wonderful and high calling in Christ Jesus. That calling is to seek and follow Him, to live for His approval and glory. I know I’m far from apprehending yet. Will you join me in pressing toward the mark? We have a glorious purpose and a wonderful reason for living! That purpose is found in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone!
My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me (Psalm 63:8).
