All of us are on a path in life. This is certainly the case in our walk with God. That walk starts with some small step toward Him which leads us to take additional steps toward Him. Each step we take gives us the courage and strength and faith to take another further step in our followership of Him.
Growth in our followership of Jesus does not all happen at once. In fact, there is a profound verse in Proverbs that describes this process. The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day (Proverbs 4:16).
I love the first gleam of dawn. You know that a new day is arriving. In the darkness there is a glimmer of light after the darkness of night. Think about the first time you chose to move closer to God. What was the first step you took? What was it that prompted you to take that first step? How did it feel to let go of your own life and choose His life over yours? What stirred in your heart as you took what was a real step of faith. What was it like to take that first step toward him? Why did you choose to do so?
In taking that step of faith you started down a path of followership, but where we started is not where God wants us to end. He wants us to walk down a path that shines every brighter till the full light of day. That is a beautiful description of growth in our spiritual lives. It starts small, like the first glimmer of dawn and keeps getting brighter till it is like the full light of day. That is God’s vision for our lives. It is not static but growing and expanding and getting ever larger.
What is the key to moving from that first glimmer to the full light of day spiritually? Simply put, it is that we follow Him more closely each day. That we delight in His presence more regularly, take greater risks of faith and obedience and are even willing to change our lives to bring them into conformity with His. Each new step takes us from the first light of dawn to a place of greater light.
None of this happens overnight. And that is the point of the writer of this Proverb. In fact there is something deeply beautiful about that first step of faith and obedience we take toward Jesus, no matter how small. It is like the first glimmer of light in the morning that promises a new day. That first step, no matter how small, is something to celebrate.
But even more beautiful is each step we take after that first step because our lives move from a glimmer of God to the full light of God as we choose a long obedience in the same direction. Those who keep pressing forward and go deeper in their love and followership of Jesus shine like the full brightness of the day.
That is what I want and I suspect that is what you want. Let's go from the glimmer to the full light - a little more each day as we press forward in loving Jesus and allowing Him to transform our lives. It is a beautiful path. Not always easy but beautiful.
Father: Thank you for this beautiful picture of my own life. Help me to follow you closer each day so that I move from that first step of followership to a deeper and deeper followership. From the first glimmer of a new day to the full light of day. Amen
1 comment:
I love the analogy in John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" as our journey through life (toward God) being a path. He shares how many distractions from the "straight and narrow" path occur, and we often find ourselves walking down a path that has diverged from our hoped-for destination. The only way to make it right is to turn around (repent) and retrace our steps until we find out where we diverged from the right path, and rejoin it.
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