"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall." (Lamentations 3:19, NIV)
When you read regularly through the Bible, you come inevitably to Lamentations. Jeremiah was weeping over Jerusalem and his People------- and himself. "Affliction and...wandering,.. bitterness and...gall," painful reminders some of life's realities.
The phrase, "my wandering," caught me eye because I read this recently on a North Korea tour site: "There are several rules regarding North Korea tourism which travelers are expected to abide by. Travelers will be accompanied by local guides during their stay in the DPRK and wandering alone is not permitted." You could wander alone in other closed countries which I have visited over some 37 years. You would just go out at night "breaking away" from the tour group, no one monitored the "wandering." This, "wandering alone is not permitted," is a comfort I'm sure to one of our friends who said, "Now don't go wandering off."
Yet there is something here for you and me which is a great command of our Lord Jesus Christ. He does not send us out into life to go "wandering off." He lives in us, sustains us in His Very Self, His Presence. Central to His call to you and me is, "no wandering alone"--- "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men....If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." I have gone to a lot of "leadership" conferences over the years; I have yet to go to a "Followers Conference." Yet following Jesus is the call of discipleship. The best leaders in the Church and Kingdom are the best followers. Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations," and we can only do this if we are followers of the Master. Otherwise, all we do is wander about, doing our concept of, "make disciples." Wandering off is the MO of any person or congregation who are not a following people.
This should be in the "statement of faith" in every local church, every mission. "Wandering alone is not permitted."
Father, in Jesus' name, help me to never wander alone. Amen.
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When you read regularly through the Bible, you come inevitably to Lamentations. Jeremiah was weeping over Jerusalem and his People------- and himself. "Affliction and...wandering,.. bitterness and...gall," painful reminders some of life's realities.
The phrase, "my wandering," caught me eye because I read this recently on a North Korea tour site: "There are several rules regarding North Korea tourism which travelers are expected to abide by. Travelers will be accompanied by local guides during their stay in the DPRK and wandering alone is not permitted." You could wander alone in other closed countries which I have visited over some 37 years. You would just go out at night "breaking away" from the tour group, no one monitored the "wandering." This, "wandering alone is not permitted," is a comfort I'm sure to one of our friends who said, "Now don't go wandering off."
Yet there is something here for you and me which is a great command of our Lord Jesus Christ. He does not send us out into life to go "wandering off." He lives in us, sustains us in His Very Self, His Presence. Central to His call to you and me is, "no wandering alone"--- "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men....If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." I have gone to a lot of "leadership" conferences over the years; I have yet to go to a "Followers Conference." Yet following Jesus is the call of discipleship. The best leaders in the Church and Kingdom are the best followers. Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations," and we can only do this if we are followers of the Master. Otherwise, all we do is wander about, doing our concept of, "make disciples." Wandering off is the MO of any person or congregation who are not a following people.
This should be in the "statement of faith" in every local church, every mission. "Wandering alone is not permitted."
Father, in Jesus' name, help me to never wander alone. Amen.
**************************
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
