Footsteps of Jesus

Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,
Come, follow Me!
And we see where Thy footprints falling
Lead us to Thee.

Chorus:
Footprints of Jesus,
That make the pathway glow;
We will follow the steps of Jesus
Where’er they go.

Though they lead o’er the cold, dark mountains,
Seeking His sheep;
Or along by Siloam’s fountains,
Helping the weak.

If they lead through the temple holy,
Preaching the Word;
Or in homes of the poor and lowly,
Serving the Lord.

Though, dear Lord, in Thy pathway keeping,
We follow Thee;
Through the gloom of that place of weeping,
Gethsemane!

If Thy way and its sorrows bearing,
We go again,
Up the slope of the hillside, bearing
Our cross of pain.

By and by, through the shining portals,
Turning our feet,
We shall walk, with the glad immortals,
Heav’n’s golden street.

Then, at last, when on high He sees us,
Our journey done,
We will rest where the steps of Jesus
End at His throne.

Since there were so many verses to this hymn today, I will try and keep my comments brief. This particular hymn was written in the 1800’s by Mary Slade. Mrs. Slade was a pastor’s wife who lived in a small town in Massachusetts. She was a teacher, writer, and author of many gospel poems and hymns.

The author refers to several things that we are commanded to do in our following of Jesus’ footsteps. Two of them in the second verse really spoke to me:

• Seek the lost – In the second verse, the author has a reference to the Good Shepherd. The one that seeks out His lost sheep. But I am reminded too that we are to seek the lost. To search for those in need of love and forgiveness, and to tell them where they can find it. We are to tell the person who is hungry where to find the “bread of life.” God ultimately does the saving, but we can play an important part in planting, watering, and harvesting.
• Help the weak – The phrase “Siloam’s fountain” is a reference to the story found in John Chapter 9. Jesus passed by a blind man when the disciples asked him, “Who sinned? Him or his parents for him to be blind from birth.” Jesus responded neither but that the works of God might be manifested in him. Jesus used this opportunity to teach His followers something – that sickness is not always a result of sin as some might think. But that God takes the broken things of this world, and can use them for His glory at His time. This blind man who received his sight also is the source of another great line in an old hymn – Amazing Grace. For the blind man said, “…one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”

When I was a kid in the 70’s and early 80’s, some toys came with a new fan dangled feature. The toy manufacturers would advertise these new toys with the phrase “GLOWS IN THE DARK.” My brothers and I would beg and plead for my parents to get us some of these new toys. They might be action figures, racecars, or who knows what else. We would hold the toys up the light for 1, 2, or 5 minutes (sometimes even burning our fingers), and then we would run to the closet, close the door, and see if the toys truly glowed in the dark. Most of the time they didn’t, but that didn’t keep us from wasting our money on these worthless plastic pieces of junk.

In the chorus of this hymn, the author makes the statement about the footprints of Jesus – that they “make the pathway glow.” This phrase made me think. I wonder if His footprints tend to “glow in the dark” – meaning they glow brighter in the dark times, than they do in the good times. I wonder if in the dark times of our lives, His footprints are easier for us to see because we change our own personal behavior and we draw closer to Him. Although it is not God’s ideal, I think the reality is we tend to pray more during difficult times. We get into the Word more when we need direction and wisdom, not necessarily as much when things are going smoothly. We lean on Him more when we feel like we have no where else to turn. It’s funny. He doesn’t change. His footprints don’t necessarily change. But I think we are able to see them more clearly in dark times than we do during the “lighter” times in our lives.

I pray, as this song reminds us, that we will trust His leading. That we will follow His direction. That we see His footprints – during good times and bad. And that His footprints will “glow in the dark” and also be “bright in the light.” Scripture reminds us that “His word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path.” I encourage you to get into the Word during those dark times, and I am confident you will find His footprints when you do.