You see the gathering of people that were willing to follow the Lord's lead to go up to Jerusalem, to go back home if you will, back to the city. God granted them faith, that gift of God. [God gives them] the desire to walk, to take on the difficulties and the challenges of travelling back to the land, the city, and the temple. In many ways, this sovereign initiative by God, this work of God, this grace of God, this gift of faith, is also the gift of salvation for us, is it not? Just like Pilgrim who was living in the city of destruction and who is commanded according to the Word of God, to flee from the wrath to come, so have we. Maybe it was not presented to you in that way when you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, but the Scriptures speak about the wrath of God, does it not? All you have to do is look at the cross. The cross points to the wrath of God. In our hymns we find it again and again, that God has called us out of darkness, out of his wrath. He calls us to flee the wrath to come. That is a gift of grace. And he grants unto us the gift of faith to respond appropriately, to run, to leave, to follow, to get up, and to go; to walk as we are called.¹

Michael Voytek