Why do we follow?

He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
-- Psalm 103.7

Why do we follow Jesus?

All who come to Him come for a reason. What is yours? Mine?
Have we taken the time to ask ourselves this question lately?

Jesus once chastised a crowd (John 6.26-27) for seeking Him merely to have their natural needs met. He made it perfectly clear what our priorities ought to be. First: the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness. After that, we may look to our other needs.

This gives us proper perspective.

Let's go back to Psalm 103.

The people of Israel had everything they thought they needed: food from heaven, divine protection and guidance, and emancipation from four centuries of slavery.

For Moses, however that wasn't enough. He spoke with God directly. He was counted as a Friend of God. Moses gained an understanding of God's priorities. He knew, as it were, the heart and mind of God.

So, also, Joshua (Moses's protege) saw the nature of Moses's relationship and chose to linger in the presence of God.

Compare this to the reaction of Israel as a whole. Immediately after Moses had returned from Mount Sinai and delivered the Ten Commandments, they told him (Exodus 20.19) "You speak with us and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." [continuing, verse 21] So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was."

The people recognized their guilt before God, but like Adam & Eve, tried to hide themselves rather than admit their sin and seek His help. They did not learn the lesson from His dramatic display in rescuing them from Egypt: He loved them. Knowing their sins, He had still redeemed them. They were content with the crumbs from His table. Moses sought the fellowship to be gained by sitting at the table.

What does the Bible say of that generation in Israel? I Cor 10.5 states: "But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness."

What are we like, when the leaders of our churches and our 'spiritual' peers aren't looking? Are we who we say we are? Do we seek Him? Or what He can get us?

When we give our testimony, or when we talk to others about God, what do we emphasize? The parts of a broken life that He can fix? (Marriage /Habits /Money /Health /etc.) Are we stumped if we see the godless person who seems to have it 'all together'? What do we tell such a person? Is it simply that they're 'going to hell' if they don't 'watch out'? Are we really that shallow? Do we really hold such a low view of God? Let us hope not... (or repent if we do).

The Risen Christ is not a 'Celestial Santa'. He is incarnate God. If the 'only' thing He offered us was to know that He Is, He would still be worthy of our eternal worship -- even if He had not offered us Salvation. But now even more so since God spared not His Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish!

Have we become numb to these words? Let us read them again, with fresh eyes, and see that God Himself is become our Greatest Treasure.

It is because He is Good that He lavishes us with good things, but it is because He is God that we seek Him.

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