Follow Closely

 

“It is the Lord your God you must follow…”

—Deuteronomy 13:4a

One of the most fun, and also most scary, parts of training to become a firefighter takes place in a building called the Smoke House. In this concrete structure, the Training Officer builds a fire out of straw that will produce large quantities of thick, black smoke. The burning material will also produce a significant amount of fairly localized heat.

A firefighter-in-training enters the Smoke House in full protective clothing and with self-contained breathing apparatus. He or she has been prepared by lecture, and sometimes even by watching a video, for what will take place in the Smoke House.

At first, the firefighter feels quite secure—wrapped in a fire coat, bunker pants, heavy gloves, and special boots. He or she is sealed in a cocoon of fresh air to breath with a mask covering his or her face and a Nomex liner covering the rest of his or her head under the sturdy helmet.

Soon, he or she begins to feel the heat from the fire and is quickly engulfed in that thick, black smoke. Suddenly, the firefighter can see… well… nothing—absolutely nothing. He or she immediately becomes disoriented. Most of the time, the disorientation is enhanced by the body’s panic response. The firefighter’s ears begin to ring slightly. A bit of dizziness hits him or her.

In the pre-training explanation, the firefighter was told to keep his or her right hand against the wall—or hanging on to a safety rope—and the left hand on the left shoulder of the firefighter in front of him or her. But, inevitably, someone lets go and the chain of safety is broken.

Fortunately, the Training Officer, or one of the assistants, keeps a sharp eye on the firefighters as they move through this exercise. If someone becomes totally disoriented and filled with panic, the observer can take action to stop the training exercise and rescue the disoriented firefighter.

Recruits learn very quickly that they absolutely must follow instructions. And, they must follow the person leading them through the peril of the fire ground whenever they make an interior fire attack. Following closely is an absolute necessity.

This is true in our daily walk with Jesus, as well. We must follow closely the leading of the Holy Spirit, as He opens up the pathway that God intends for us to follow in our lives. Notice what Moses told the Israelites, as recorded in Deuteronomy 13:4:

It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

To stay on the straight path, as we begin this new day, let’s determine to keep our minds and hearts fixed on the leading of the Holy Spirit. He often gently nudges us when we come to a fork in the road of our lives. His still, small, inner voice gives us direction and reminds us of His constant Presence.

We can step out into the smoke-filled world darkened by sin when we rely on God to lead the way. We need to equip ourselves with the full protective gear that God provides (Ephesians 6:10-20) and keep our hand on His shoulder.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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