You Are Being Followed!

Paranoia or Peace?

“You are being followed!” It sounds like a line from some spy or horror movie. It is a warning that no one wants to hear in real life. If someone were to say this to us, most of us would freak out. “What do you mean? Someone following me? Who? What do they look like? Should I contact the police?” Yet, if you are a follower of Jesus, then it is true that someone is following you. That someone is God!

Our wonderful God both leads and follows us. We often think of and say that we are following God, but have you ever thought of God following you? He goes before and behind us. We see this in King David's very familiar and wonderful words in Psalm 23.

[1] The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
[2] He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
[3] he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
[4] Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff- they comfort me.
[5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
[6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
— Psalm 23:1-6 NRSV (ephasis mine)

I think David’s words contain a cause-and-effect relationship. God goes ahead of us and shows us the way of life if we let him lead and guide us. When we do, he also follows us with his goodness and love. But what exactly does this mean?

• God can only lead and guide us when we follow him. This may seem like a no-brainer statement, but many Christ followers do not truly understand the implications of following Him. Christ will always lead us into unknown territory! And that is scary to some. They desire the status quo. They do not want to change. Yet, Christ’s primary desire for our lives is for us to be made in his image, and that is a place none of us have ever been before. The only way to enter this unknown territory is to stay close to Jesus.

• When we stay close to Jesus, He guides us along the right paths for his name’s sake. But he also follows us. Think about that for a moment. God not only leads but also comes behind us, showing us his goodness and mercy. Leigh McLeroy puts it this way: “My great good God is leading with love and following me close behind with His wildly beautiful goodness and mercy.”

Good shows his goodness and mercy to everyone in some respect. He loves his creation, even though it is corrupted by the Fall. He loves every person, no matter who they are or what they have done. Jesus shows them compassion and goodness as he calls for them to “come and follow me” (Mark 10:21). The Psalmist attests to this truth in Psalm 145.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
— Psalm 145:8-9 NIV

However, his goodness and mercy are shown exponentially to those who follow him in faith. We, who are Christ's followers, can experience his love, goodness, and mercy beyond anything that we can truly imagine - if we truly follow him. He leads and guides us with love. He follows us, showing us his wonderful goodness and mercy. All we have to do is follow!

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I am indebted to Leigh McLeroy, who posted the concept of being followed by God on her substack site in June 2024. You can access her site HERE.

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