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The Lord gave me a long-term rest and allowed me to go through many trials and suffering. During that period of time I could not help but be downcast. But as I look back now, it was all the grace of God. Thanks be to God. He put me in a cold hospital, a solitary place, where I led a lifeless and lonely life, so that I would draw nearer to God. Because of His great love He put me in a situation where I would gain many precious insights I would not have been able to gain otherwise. Though the sufferings of my trials is beyond the description of words, my advancement in the spirit during this period of time is also beyond the description of words. Therefore, brothers and sisters be prepared for suffering and follow the example of our Lord. He came to this world and left the footsteps of suffering, so that all who desire His revelation will follow in His steps willingly and happily.
(1) Footsteps of poverty: Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests. Though the angles reported the good news for Him, there was no room for Him in the inn. He was born in a manger when He came to this world. O Lord, we are willing to imitate you, to have no place to lay our heads. We only pray that you find rest in our hearts.
(2) Footsteps of fleeing: Soon after our Lord was born into this world, he fled to Egypt on a cold night and stayed there as an alien to escape from the murderous schemes of the devil. O God, guide us with your revelation to follow you in the footsteps of fleeing.
(3) Footsteps of hiding: Look, how your Lord of Creation hides Himself. He, the Son of God came to this world as a lowly carpenter of Nazarene, a labor of heavy work with little wages. He worked with cold knives, saws and wood every day. With the little wages He earned by sweat, He helped support His mother and the other children in the family. O God, grant me patience to follow the Lord in the footsteps of hiding.
(4) Footsteps of waiting: He Himself waited patiently until it was Gods time. He waited until John the Baptist had prepared a way for Him and was put in prison. And He waited until He passed the test of holiness in the desert, then He came out to preach the good news. O God, help us and grant us endurance to follow the Lord in His footsteps of waiting.
(5) Footsteps of solitude: We usually want to work in big cities or places of strategic importance. But the Lord who loves us preached the gospel of Gods kingdom in the simplest parables to the ordinary villagers by the Sea of Galilee for many years. As a result, the people living in the land of darkness and the shadow of death saw a great light. It was in the desolate desert, that He performed the miracle of multiplying the bread. He preached the wonderful message of living water beside Jacobs well. O God, help us to follow the Lord in His humble footsteps of solitude.
(6) Footsteps of unknown: Praise the Lord! He did not preach in the big temple or advertise for Himself. Rather, it was outside the small house of Peter that He healed many broken-hearted and expelled demons from many people. He preached to the thirsty who were in that little house and He healed a paralyzed man. He commended a Canaanite woman on her faith at a secluded place of Syria. Outside the village of Bethsaida, He healed a blind man. He also healed an invalid, who had been sick for thirty-eight years, and He left immediately, so as not to receive the praise of men. O God, help us to follow you in the footsteps of unknown.
(7) Footsteps of the mountain: We are afraid of going up to a mountain in the darkness. But our Lord usually prayed on a mountain in the night. He spent the night praying on a mountain before He designated twelve apostles. He withdrew Himself to a mountain to pray until the fourth watch of the night to avoid the multitude who intended to forcefully make Him king. To give a special Bible study for His three disciples, He took them to a mountain and revealed to them the wonder of the cross and the glory of His second coming. There are many more experiences on the mountain which are beyond my descriptions, for example, the sermon on a mountain, the instructions on a mountain, and etc.,. O God, help us to follow you step by step in the footsteps of the mountain.
(8) Footsteps of risking ones life to save people: Right after a serious storm, He went to the tombs to save a demon possessed man. Although already tired, He walked on water in the middle of the night to save His twelve disciples, who were afraid because their boat was being tossed about in the middle of a storm. At another time, amidst a large hectic crowd, He managed to get to the house of Jairus and raise his daughter from the dead. O God, help us to follow the footsteps of risking ones life to save people.
(9) Footsteps of being misunderstood: He was misunderstood by people in many places he visited. Why did He go to Matthews house and eat with tax collectors and sinners? Why did He stay at the house of the rich man Zacchaeus? Why did He eat at the house of a Pharisee? Why did He allow a prostitute to wash His feet with her tears? Why did He wait two days to go to Bethany to raise His beloved from the dead? Why did He allow Mary to break her alabaster jar to anoint Him? Why did He preach to a prostitute by Himself beside a well? Why? O God, help us to be holy and to follow you in the footsteps of being misunderstood.
(10) Footsteps of being detested: Once when He preached in a synagogue, He was almost thrown down the cliff. In many places when he preached, people greeted Him not with applause but with stones. He was indeed a man pushed away by men. He did not come to please men. O God, help us to follow our Lord in the footsteps of being detested.
(11) Footsteps of drinking the cup of suffering: We usually prefer sweet taste, but God only gave Him the cup of suffering, more bitter than anything. He willingly accepted the cup of suffering in Gethsemane. O God, help us to follow you in the footsteps of drinking the cup of suffering.
(12) Footsteps of being deserted: His own brothers thought that He went mad and did not believe Him. The most beloved disciple betrayed Him. Even His best disciple denied Him. On the night He was betrayed, all of His disciples, whom He had trained for years, deserted Him. Only God was there and strengthened Him. O God, help us to follow the Lord in the footsteps of being deserted.
(13) Footsteps of fulfilling the Lords will: Whenever He suffered, He always cited the promises in the Bible to comfort Himself. Whatever Gods will was, He obeyed willingly. As a result, He was sold by Judas and was captured in the garden. Though it was bitter, His heart was content for the Scriptures, Gods will, was fulfilled. O God, help us to follow you in the footsteps of fulfilling the Lords will.
(14) Footsteps of being wronged: He was taken before the Sanhedrin to be judged. Many people used false evidences to accuse Him, He made no reply. Though Pilate announced that the Lord was innocent, He was led like a lamb to slaughter and remained silent. O God, help us to follow the Lord to remain silent in the footsteps of being wronged.
(15) Footsteps of Golgotha: That path is very difficult, almost unbearable, for anyone to take. He took it step by step until He got up to the mountain, and there He took our sins upon Himself on the cross.
Thanks be to God because He left so many footsteps for us to follow that I could hardly finish writing them down. In all, His footsteps are the footsteps of the cross, the footsteps of suffering and the footsteps of accepting Gods will. If we follow the Lord in these footsteps on our spiritual journey, we will see the power of resurrection and the glory of His rapture. Dear brothers and sisters, if we do not set up our minds to follow the Lord in these footsteps, as Christians, we will stumble during the end time. Thanks be to God, for He will lead us to follow Him in all the footsteps that He has been through, so that we will be able to boast of victory in Him and spread out the fragrance of Christ.
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