Called to Follow

I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

Isaiah 48:17

From the time of Egypt until today, the Lord God of Heaven and Earth has been leading the nation of Israel. The nation, although under constant threat of war, has always been saved from seemingly the most impossible of situations. Yet, it is not surprising because the Lord Jesus has always been their protector and preserver. The theme of the anniversary, on a spiritual level, reflects God’s consistent and unbiased leadership of His children at Ambassador Baptist Church. We have been called to follow Christ and to do His will in this world. We at Ambassador are given the instructions clearly in the Word of God to follow the Lord Jesus. To do that, we need to notice what else the Lord did in order for us to follow Him all the way:

We have the best Motivation, and that is to follow the Lord our God.
I am the LORD thy God

He is the Lord, our Master. He is Yahweh – the Self-existing One – the One who rules from a sovereign throne. He is not merely the Lord, but He is the Lord our God. He is our best Motivation not merely because of His greatness by because of His great love. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.

We are given the best preparation
Which teacheth thee to profit.

The word “teach” brings out the idea of training. The word profit indicates promotion, benefit and good. The Lord Jehovah therefore calls us to follow proper training with the intention to profit us, to do us good, to exalt us, to promote us in this life and to reward us in the next. To do God’s will is to receive the Lord’s instruction and training to do His bidding.

We are given righteous direction
which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

The word “leadeth” encompasses the thought of an archer pulling a bow. He has a target in mind, the arrow is subject to his direction and is in submission to His guiding hand that pulls the string on the bow. The way refers to the lifecourse that an individual will travel by the grace of God, and not by man’s effort – the pilgrimage of this life for His glory led by His righteous direction. God does not bring us into a meaningless life or a direction of waste, but He is obligated, as our Heavenly Father, to bring us to the area that we need to go for His name’s sake.

We are therefore obligated by love to follow Him
If ye love me, keep my commandments

John 14:15.

There is no higher motivation for a Christian than to follow Christ in love.

As we reflect individually and corporately on God’s goodness today, we need to ask ourselves, “How much do I love the Lord Jesus?” The only grateful way to pay the Lord Jesus for what He has done for us is to dedicate to the Lord Jesus your life (Romans 12:1 – 2). The only grateful way of living is to follow Him wholly.

Lord, thank you that you have saved us, and have set us apart to serve You. May we be faithful to follow You till the day you come!