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Day 56: Follow Those Who Follow (SoS 1:8b)

“If you do not know, O fairest among women, Follow in the footsteps of the flock, And feed your little goats beside the shepherds’ tents.”

Song of Songs 1:8

In response to the Bride's request to know where her Beloved fed and made His flock rest. He told her to do three things. The first is that she should follow in the footsteps of the flock. As stated earlier in this series, though intimacy with Jesus is private and personal, it is not a life of isolation. To find food (satisfaction) and rest from the shepherd of our souls, we must commit ourselves to a local church.

When we consider all that the Bride has gone through in verses 6 and 7, the first temptation she will have to overcome to heed her Beloved's words to follow in the footsteps of the flock is isolation. She had been ashamed of how imperfect she was compared to the daughters of Jerusalem, but she had to be bold and not let her imperfections hold her back.

Many times when people's weaknesses show forth or they experience persecution, they respond by withdrawing and living a life separated from God's people. They become untrusting of being in a community of believers. However, as we looked at in Lesson 54, to be alone as a sheep of the flock is to make ourselves easy prey for the enemy.

So the first recommendation for finding food (satisfaction) which includes healing from past hurts and rest is to stay with and follow the flock of Jesus as He leads them. Jeremiah 6:16 confirms this. It says in the New Living Translation:

“...Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.”
 
We have examples of men in the Bible who walked with God. Abraham, Moses, David, Noah, Enoch, David, the prophets, our Lord Jesus, and even the apostles. They had intimate relationships with God and did remarkable exploits for Him. We must learn from and imitate these people.
Beyond that, Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:22 (Amplified Classic Version):

“...aim at and pursue righteousness (all that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word, and deed); [and aim at and pursue] faith, love, [and] peace (harmony and concord with others) in fellowship with all [Christians], who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.”

And Proverbs 2:20 also says in The Message Translation:

“...join the company of good men and women, keep your feet on the tried-and-true paths.”

We must also stay in the company of men and women walking the path of righteousness. These men and women, both past and present, leave footprints: vital experiences that we can follow, learn from, avoid, or replicate to be successful in life and in our Christian faith.

Many people have business/career mentors, life coaches, financial advisers, and so forth but do not have spiritual mentors. Many have no one to guide them on the path of righteousness. Paul in Hebrews 6:12 says we must follow the examples of those who inherited the promise through faith and patience if we do not want to become spiritually sluggish, dull, and lazy (many versions put it differently). Proverbs 27:17 says it is one man that sharpens another.

Mentorship is a common theme in the Bible. Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and His disciples, Apollos and Aquila and Priscilla, Paul and Timothy, and others. We must pay attention to being mentored by the heroes of faith who have gone before in the Bible and by imitating believers who have genuinely followed Jesus.

The local church is the primary place of mentorship and guidance where we learn the doctrines of the Christian faith. Paul says in Romans 15:14 about the church in Rome:

“... you yourselves are full of goodness, amply filled with all [spiritual] knowledge, and competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another.” (Amplified Version)

So, to find satisfaction and rest in Jesus, we must commit to the body of Christ. We must be mentored by men and women who have walked or are walking the path we walk.

PRAY WITH ME:
Lord, I do not despise your wisdom for growth, satisfaction, and rest. As I follow the path of righteousness, please help me to faithfully follow the footprints of men and women who do the same. Grant me a teachable heart: a heart humble enough to receive godly instruction and counsel at all times. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:
  • If you have spiritual mentors who guide you in the way of the Lord, how can you follow them more faithfully?
  • If you do not, ask the Lord to lead you to men and women who can guide you on the path of righteousness.
  • Ask the Lord to guide you to the right church if you do not belong to a flock of Jesus: a local church.

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