Follow In The Footsteps Of Those Who Have Gone Before You!

With every step I take on the journey of faith I see mountains and valleys of unfamiliar terrain ahead of me. At times I wonder how in the world I am going to make it through to the other side since I have never been this way before and I don’t even know what I will need for my journey. Every time I embark on a new journey in unfamiliar territory, I spend time asking God to show me the way. He always leads me in the way I should go, and oftentimes He tells me to follow the footsteps of those who have gone before me.

During these times I always reflect on Hebrews 12:1-2. In the Amplified Bible it says, “Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

After I meditate on this passage the Holy Spirit begins to remind me of the heroes of the faith that are listed in Hebrews 11 and throughout the Scriptures. He also gives me images of modern day heroes of the faith for me to think about. As I ponder the images of these heroes many times I close my eyes in quiet meditation and think about what they faced and how they dealt with it. Their stories of perseverance, faith, trust and patience are exhilarating and inspiring! As I think about them, I begin to get a new image of the valley or mountain I know I am about to traverse. But this time what I see is completely different than what I saw before. I see footprints in the sand, markings on the trail, and signs along the road that were left by those who have gone before me on the journey of faith as an encouragement to me to keep moving in the direction God has called me to go.

In His great and amazing love for us God knew we would need examples to follow on our journey of faith and He made sure their stories were recorded for us to reflect on in times when we are getting ready to embark on a new leg of our journey. Of course Jesus is the center focal point of who we are to follow in how we live, love, and relate. But in God’s incredible sensitivity to our frail human nature, He also set before us men and women, just like us, as examples to show us that we too, can make it through to the other side of the mountain or valley.

Our responsibility is to look for those whose journey is similar to ours and draw from their experience so we have a compass to follow in how we traverse the unknown terrain in our lives. Sometimes we look at what they did right and follow their lead and other times we look to what they did wrong and learn from their mistakes. But either way they have gone before us and we can gain wisdom and understanding that will help us on our own journey of faith.

For example if we are facing a mountain of forgiveness we can look to Stephen who like Jesus, cried out in his last days for God to forgive those who had wounded him. If God is calling us into ministry we can look to people like John the Baptist, the Apostles, and other modern day men and women who have lived their calling with determination, character, and purpose. If we are facing a valley of darkness and fear crouches at the door of our hearts; we can look to people like David, Elijah, Esther, and others who walked through their valleys and came out on the other side to glorify God for His faithfulness. If we are facing a mountain of adversity that seems too impossible to overcome we can look to people like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and many others who listened and obeyed God and then through faith and patience, inherited the blessings.

Whatever mountain or valley we face in life Jesus faced, and so did many other people who have gone before us and they have forged a trail that leads to the other side. When we understand this and we look to them as our compass and our guide, we will not feel all alone and we will be strengthened in our faith; knowing that God has made a way where there once seemed to be no way. The hope, joy, and exhilaration that comes when we look at a new leg of our journey this way is so incredibly empowering that you can’t help but rejoice before the Lord and sing praises to Him for His incredible love for you. What mountain or valley are you facing today? I want to encourage you to begin viewing them as a time to be built up and encouraged by the stories of the heroes of the faith who have gone before you.

Prayer: Begin praising God for His love and for His faithfulness in giving you examples of those who have gone before you on the journey of faith! Ask Him to reveal stories of people in the Bible and modern day testimonies for you to draw from for your own journey. Also ask Him to bring people into your life that have been where you’re headed and can encourage you by their testimony of what God did for them when they were going through it. He is faithful and He will answer you.