Bring it to the shores

“Follow Me”! Gentle, yet powerful words from Jesus. Gentle, but so strong are these two words that maybe they were even a command. At the very least, an invitation, “Follow Me”.

When I was in the service in Ft. Benning Ga, there was a very moving and inspiring statue on the grounds of Ft. Benning simply known as the “Follow Me” statue, a Memorial, depicting an infantry soldier charging forward and gesturing for others to follow.

“I am the Infantry!  Follow me”, it says. A motto instilled in the mind of every soldier.  And to follow takes courage, and those who have ever been in or prepared for combat have an appreciation of the meaning of courage.

To follow into the unknown, into any battle takes courage, and our journey in life to heaven places us in a battlefield every day of our lives. For many, today is a war.
The physical suffering we experience in life, the mental torture, and the spiritual combat of fighting for our life against satan and the forces of evil. These are our crosses, these are our battles, and, in spite of all these hardships, Jesus tells us to “take up your cross and follow me.”

“Follow Me”, Jesus said. It is not a suggestion, no, it is a command to follow Jesus into life’s battles and there we will find our strength, for he assures us, “I am with you always, even to the end of time”.
Yes, it takes courage to follow, soldiers have lost their lives on the battlefields; shed their blood for you and me.
“Follow me”, a motto for every Christian, is our key to heaven.  “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”. He will never leave us alone

With courage, and through the power and grace of God, we become like that statue, charging forward, reaching out and gesturing for others to follow.
Our world may be in turmoil, and our lives being tossed on the rough seas of life. But there is an invitation to leave that world behind and to come to the shore for refuge.  It is at that shoreline we are rescued.
And when they brought their boats to shore, the apostles left everything and they followed him.