Matthew 11:1 ESV When Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
A constant theme in the Gospels is that Jesus was always on the move. Have you ever wondered why? It wasn’t necessary. He could have stayed in one spot. Once the news of His miracles got out, the crowds would have come to Him. All He needed to do was to be in Jerusalem for the crucifixion. So why did Jesus feel the need to constantly travel?
Jesus became incarnate for two main reasons. One was to be the redemptive sacrifice that broke the power of death and hell. The other was to be the living embodiment of God. Those who saw Him saw the Father (John 14:9). By seeing what Jesus did and how He did it we have a better understanding of God.
God is always moving. His truth is eternal and He is unchangeable but God is not static. God is always working (John 5:17) and always moving forward. It is imperative that we are constantly seeking Him and listening to His voice so that we will be able to move with Him.
A common mistake that Christians make is that when God does something they assume that is how God works and that is what He does. They lock onto a specific ministry or method and continue to replicate it long after God has moved on.
An example of this is the church I was in before and after my stint in the mission field. For many years that church had a wonderful, vibrant Vacation Bible School that had a meaningful impact on the inner-city children and youth of the neighborhood the church ministered to. I enjoyed participating in it. When I returned after nine years as the pastor, many things had changed. A few months after I got back we geared up for the VBS but it was a different atmosphere. There was no energy, the kids were indifferent and only came for food. The teachers and volunteers went through the motions and seemed drained, devoid of passion. I prayed about it and believed God said that the church was still continuing the VBS out of tradition rather than His guidance. He had moved on.
I brought this up to the elders and they strongly resisted ending the ministry. They recounted glowing stories of wonderful experiences when numerous children had given their lives to God during the VBS. Unfortunately, all of those events happened years ago. At their insistence, we continued the VBS for two more years with pitiful results. Eventually we had to stop because there simply were not enough volunteers to continue.
Another reason Jesus kept moving was to reach the people. I do believe if He would have stayed in Jerusalem He would have drawn great crowds but even more people could see Him as He came to them. That is how God treats us. He pursues us! He calls us to Him and draws us close. When we go astray, He seeks us out like a Good Shepherd. God does not hold court and wait for us to come to Him, He moves toward us.
Just as Jesus was continuously moving during His ministry on earth, God is always moving. We must be vigilant to keep our hearts and mind on him so we will not be left behind.
LORD, please be a lamp to light my path so that I will always see to follow where You are leading. Please, never let me become content with where you were but always follow where You are. Thank You for actively seeking me out and drawing me close.