As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” (Luk 9:57 NIV)

He says many thousands of encouraging words to go the best way. He calls you to share his glory and kingdom. Take the most holy resolution possible and answer your saviour, whose calling you with the most friendly invitation: “Follow me!” with the “Lord, where shall I go? You are the one who enlightens my path, you make it more and more to be a sanctified sanctuary. I will follow you. I count my days since following you as the start of my life. Just as the ship follows the guidance of its ruder, so I follow the bidding of your blessed word. I desire to complete my days following you obediently!”

Lord Jesus Christ, you call your people to follow you in good and bad days, grant that we persevere with you in proper faithfulness and by your strength and support overcome all hardship and challenges. Grant us in your grace the conviction of eventual victory and help us thus to peace and lead us all to eternal life and salvation. Amen. (Hermann Bezzel)

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,

who abide in His shadow for life,

say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!”

        Refrain:  And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings,

                      bear you on the breath of dawn,

                      make you to shine like the sun,

                      and hold you in the palm of His hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you,

and famine will bring you no fear:

under His wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield.

        Refrain:  And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings,

                      bear you on the breath of dawn,

                      make you to shine like the sun,

                      and hold you in the palm of His hand.

You need not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day;

though thousands fall about you, near you it shall not come.

        Refrain:  And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings,

                      bear you on the breath of dawn,

                      make you to shine like the sun,

                      and hold you in the palm of His hand.

For to His angels He’s given a command

to guard you in all of your ways;

upon their hands they will bear you up,

lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Refrain:  And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings,

                      bear you on the breath of dawn,

                      make you to shine like the sun,

                      and hold you in the palm of His hand. (Michael Joncas *1951)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Saturday after the fourth Sunday after Easter: Cantate. It is found on Pg. 193 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.