“God used his power to give Jesus the highest position as leader and savior. He did this to lead the people of Israel to him, to change the way they think and act, and to forgive their sins” (Acts 5:31).
You’ve played Follow the Leader, right? One person gets to be the leader, walking around the playground weaving back and forth, tiptoeing on stepping-stones, balancing on curbs, hopping over cracks on the sidewalk.
God and the Israelites played the longest ever game of Follow the Leader. When God decided that the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt long enough, he shared his rescue plan. He’d get them out of Egypt and he’d lead them to the Promised Land—even though it took them 40 years.
“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a column of smoke to lead them on their way. By night he went ahead of them in a column of fire to give them light so that they could travel by day or by night. The column of smoke was always in front of the people during the day. The column of fire was always there at night” (Exodus 13:21,22).
When Jesus says, “Follow me!” he’s inviting you to play Follow the Leader too. He’s telling you, “I know the way to go. I will protect you when it’s dangerous, I will watch over you, and I will help you know which path to take.”
The best part? He doesn’t just lead you here on earth. His whole goal is to get you to the Promised Land. Heaven is the finish line. Follow him.
