Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

Devotion based on Philippians 3:17

When was the last time you needed to follow closely behind someone to arrive at your destination? That was sometimes necessary in the “olden days” because most maps didn’t provide street-level detail. So, if your group was too large to fit into one car, the driver who knew where he was going would carefully lead the other driver to their destination. If you were following, you needed to stay close, so you didn’t get separated and lost. But with the advent of cell phones and GPS technology, finding your way to unknown locations is now a snap. Your phone tells you where to turn and when. Following someone closely is unnecessary.

But have you ever asked your phone to give you directions to heaven? It doesn’t work; I’ve tried. If you and I can’t get to heaven by asking our phones the way, how can we ever get there? By closely following others who know how to get there.

There was a time in the apostle Paul’s life when he was totally lost. He thought he knew how to get to heaven. Simple; follow the rules, he thought. But then he discovered God doesn’t just require us to try our best or be better than the next person. No, to enter the gates of heaven, we need to be perfect. No missed turns, no sin, ever. Like us, Paul couldn’t manage that. He was lost.

But then Jesus found and rescued him. As the world’s Savior, Jesus did what we could never do. He’s perfect! More than that, he freely forgives our sins and gives us his perfection as a gift. Through faith in him and by following him closely, our destination is certain. We’re on the road to heaven, everlasting life!

Paul learned to follow Jesus closely in faith. Now, he urges us to follow his example and do the same. If we try to get to heaven on our own, we’ll never arrive. But by placing our faith in Jesus and following his life-giving direction closely, we’ll show up safe and sound. Forever.

Prayer:

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.