Originally published Wednesday, 25 June 2014.
“Come, follow me…” Jesus said. Matthew 4:19b (NIV)
We climbed uphill for over an hour. I struggled and sweated and slipped my way through sand that could only have been made of ash.
I don’t know why but I never expected that climbing a volcano would involve wading through ash.
We spent a while at the top and then we started descending. It felt like trying to grab a glass with a hand covered in dishwashing soap.
I almost slipped. I caught myself. I took another step and my feet slid out from under me.
I looked at our guide and wondered how he could be so steady on his feet. I decided that I would follow in our guide’s footsteps.
I would literally put my feet where he had stepped.
As he lifted his foot, I placed mine in the displaced soil.
Our guide wore rubber flip-flops but his feet were as steady as a mountain goat.
It worked. I stayed upright.
I was about half way down, when I decided if I just put my feet in the vicinity of his I’d be safe and I wouldn’t slip and fall.
I stopped being so careful, stopped walking in his footsteps, and the ground slid out from under me. I just managed to stop myself from landing in the dust.
I returned to the rhythm of placing my feet in the guides’ footsteps.
That day as I walked down the volcano I thought about all the times I’ve wondered about how Jesus invited people to follow him.
I have always been fascinated that Jesus walked up to the men who became his disciples and simply said, “Come, follow me”.
I’ve wondered why Jesus didn’t say, “Walk with me” or “Come along for the party”?
That day I as followed the guide down the mountain it made sense to me that Jesus would beckon me to follow him.
As I put my feet in the hollows left by the guide I imagined that if I’d met Jesus that day he would have said something like,
“Come follow me…come put your feet where I have trodden and I will show you a new life, I will show you a new way of living. Even when we things get slippery you can trust that I know the path and that I won’t let you stumble and fall.”
Ponder: How will you respond to Jesus’ invitation to “Come follow me”?
Prayer: Jesus, help me to see where you put your feet so I can follow where you lead. (tweet this)
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- This was orginally published on my site in May 2014 to read more devotionals like this go to ilovedevotionals.com
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