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Signposts of Life
“And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.”
Hebrews 11:32-34 (NASB)
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,…” Hebrews 12:1,2a (NASB)
”I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,” Ephesians 4:1 (NASB)
“Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children,” Ephesians 5:1 NASB
One of the most important sections on the driver’s permit test is the signs. A person must know what the road signs mean in order to pass the test. Road signs are important because they warn us of danger, establish legal limits and direct our travel. A signpost is defined as “a post bearing a sign that gives directions or shows the way.” On the road of life, there are signposts as well. They keep us on the path that leads to eternal reward. They include people who are godly examples that directly or indirectly help us grow and mature in our faith by their godly lives and encouragement.
Biblical Examples
Hebrews 11 lists people whom God singled out as signposts along the journey of faith. We can find encouragement and inspiration from their acts of faith. These are names that have survived centuries, but, at the time, many of these saw themselves as just regular people trying to obey God. They would never have dreamed how their simple lives of faith would impact the lives of generations over thousands of years. By simply following God, they forged new territory and opened doors of deliverance for their people and generations to follow. Their lives said, “Here is the way, walk in it” (cf. Isaiah 30:21, NIV). They were true heroes. They obeyed God against all odds. It wasn’t easy for them. Like us they struggled with their assignments, but, in the end, they obeyed. We also see the patience of our Holy God as these followers struggled to see themselves as God saw them. Like us, they were ordinary people who, through faith, allowed God to do extraordinary things through them. The Apostle Paul understood himself to be a signpost. This was made evident when he said, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ” (1Corinthians 11:1, NIV).
Personal Examples
Recently, one morning, I was reminded of those who had been signposts in my life. They have not received any medals or recognition. If I named them, you would probably not know them, but they are my unsung heroes. Their lives and ministry to me have made me who I am today. They were the people and organizations God put in my life to lead me to God and to a life of victorious Christian living. I listed their names in my journal that day to honor them. Names I listed spanned from when I was age five to the present. I was then led to speak a blessing over them and /or their families. Some of them have gone on to receive their eternal rewards. In those cases, I thanked God for them and blessed their families. I am particularly grateful for those who were signposts to me in those delicate adolescent and young adult years between ages 13 to 25. Those were critical foundational times for me upon which the rest of my Christian life was built.
Application
Many of you could also name several people and/or organizations that have been signposts in your walk of faith. I encourage you to reflect on their influence in your life and speak a blessing over them and/or their families. Offer words of thanks to God for them. They may not have run through a burning building or have given their physical lives to save you, but they are heroes nonetheless for they pointed you to Christ and kept you on the “narrow road.”
Exhortation
Ephesians 4:1 and 5:1 printed above tell us how we can “pay forward” by being signposts to others on their faith journeys. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, urges us to “walk (live our life) in a manner worthy” of our calling. Verse two adds that we are to do this with “all humility and gentleness, with patience…in love.” Ephesians 5:1,2a capsulizes this admonition: “be imitators of God and walk in love.” This is the key to being a godly signpost in the lives of others. We are to simply put our faith in Christ for salvation (John 1:12) and allow the life of God to be manifested through us in our daily life. The nature of God flowing through us will cause us to reach for others and point them to a life of faith and trust in a living, loving, faithful God. We have been blessed; let us “pay forward” by being a blessing to others as we encourage them in their walks of faith. We can then join the list of heroes that have preceded us.
Let’s pray.
Prayer
“Lord Jesus,, thank You for the signposts You put in my life to keep me on the road of eternal living. I speak a blessing over them and their families. I yield myself to You to make me a ‘signpost’ to others in their journey of faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Copyright © 2008-2015 Shermaine Jones
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