Jesus was on I-95 again

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Last night I was driving home on I-95 from my small group.  In front of me was a tractor trailer whose doors to its trailer had a clear reflection of a cross on them.  The cross, perfectly shaped like Jesus' cross, seemed to glow in the dark and was the only part of the vehicle fully visible in the dimly lit portion of the highway.  The truck passed me going fairly quickly on my left, but slowed down as it attempted to pass other cars.  For a few minutes, it felt as if my car were following after the cross.

I grew strangely excited.  I mean, I knew it was just a silly reflection on a truck.  It's not as if Jesus showed up on the highway and said follow me (though I-95 would be an interesting road to Damascus).  Nevertheless, I was praying and the sudden appearance of the cross was a comfort.  It was almost as if Jesus was egging me on.  "Come on, Stephen, follow me, catch up, run after me.  You can do it."  Now relax, I didn't start speeding down I-95 in pursuit of a cross on a truck.  Try explaining that to the state trooper.  "Sir, any reason you were speeding this evening?"  "Yes officer, I was following after Jesus.  He was on that truck."  I might be found "not guilty by reason of mental defect" for that speeding ticket.

The blessing of this story was to recall that I am to be pursuing Christ at high speed, chasing after Him because He is the prize.  Hebrews 12:1-2 reads, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith" (NIV).  Paul tells us to run to get the prize (1 Cor. 9:24).  We are to run - we are to chase - after Jesus.

I think of the prizes that I run to win.  It is tempting to run after things likes ministry, success, vacation time, types of cars, types of people, etc.  And while the things we desire are not intrinsically evil or bad for us, they become problematic when we have taken our eyes off of the cross and place them on an item or person or concept.

Here comes the big point, okay?  If we are following after Jesus, He will not withhold one good thing from those whose walk is blameless (Psalm 84:11).  "Oh, but my walk isn't blameless," you might say.  "I still idolize things, I still struggle with selfishness or socioeconomic status or pride or lust or resentment or anger."  Saint, are you not redeemed by the blood of the lamb?  Are you not covered by the blood of Jesus?  Did you commit your ways to the Lord Jesus?  At the point of justification, Jesus covers you in His blood and makes you blameless.  Have you ever thought of yourself as blameless?

Don't let me provide you with false comfort.  If you are voluntarily walking in willful disobedience to the Lord, the Lord is going to frustrate your plans and discipline you because He loves you.  Do not expect to walk into the land of milk and honey if you are stealing milk and have fourteen honeys.  Yet when we put away childish things (1 Cor. 13:11) and follow after Jesus (Matthew 4:19), He is faithful to bless the blameless.

Chasing after Jesus is the greatest adventure known to all mankind.  True story.