The Lodestar

We are all caught up in the race to secure our lives, amass wealth, and achieve new heights in our careers, among other pursuits. Some make it, some fail. We are care-laden and low as beasts of burden under heavy payloads.

To follow Christ is not to live carelessly but to live carefree. We should "strive" to achieve the spiritual goal of entering the rest the Lord has promised (Heb 4:11). Instead of crumbling under the weight of our worldly cares, the Bible teaches us to cast our burden on the LORD, who will sustain us (Psa 55:22).

The day's verse invites us to meditate on another aspect of living carefree. It reminds us that the good things of life that followers of Christ have are the rewards from the gracious Lord, not achieved by human effort.

The word "follow" has a weak nuance of the original language but must be rendered as "pursue" as in the New American Bible. It connotes going after a person to overtake him as Joseph commanded his servants: "Joseph said to his steward, 'Up, follow after (pursue) the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, "Why have you repaid evil for good?"' (Gen 44:4).

When travelling with heavy luggage, we look for porters to help us. A porter will follow us, carrying the baggage, as we lead the way to the cab, but he can go nowhere unless we make the first step.

Christ's followers, entirely dependent on Him, move on with the confidence that the good Shepherd is with them. They do not hesitate nor look back, knowing that the Lord has ordered his goodness and mercy to catch up with us in our journey.

We must be careful how we walk, but carefree because the Shepherd cares for us.

Today, take a moment to identify the heaviest burden you are carrying. Is it a career goal, a financial worry, or a personal struggle? Now, visualise yourself handing that specific weight over to Christ, your Divine Porter. Walk forward in your day, making your decisions carefully, but leaving the weight of the outcome carefree in his hands.

(To receive these devotionals daily on WhatsApp, click here.)