There are three things that come to mind when I think of walking:
1) Companionship When we walk with others, we have a chance to enjoy their company. Some you will talk, sometimes you will laugh and there are times when you are quiet just enjoying the trip and your surroundings. But you enjoy all this because of the one beside you; whomever it might be. remember you were created NOT TO WALK ALONE. You were made to be together. Years ago a British newspaper conducted a contest, asking readers to answer this question: “what is the shortest way to London?” the winning entry was only two words: “Good Company.” Can you imagine better company than a lifetime of walking with the Lord? One of my favorite chapters in the Bible if Luke 24 where two disciples are travelling to the village Emmaus. Their hearts were downcast; suddenly a stranger joined them and began talking with them about the Messiah, showing them how Jesus had fulfilled the Old Testament predictions regarding the Christ. The stranger, of course, was Christ Himself; and the men later said: “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32) That might be the beast one verse description in the entire Bible regarding our walk with the Lord. He draws us near, He is concerned about out downcast hearts. He directs us to His Word and helps us understand it. his presence is uplifting and our hearts glow within us… Prayer: Father we think of the person who was injured in Newcastle; we bring him before You, O Lord. We ask that you be his comfort, His helper and be by his side and his family in this situation. Give them the strength to go through this ordeal in Jesus’ Name…amen 2. “Eexercise” Like most men in the younger days I went to the gym. I tried jogging. Weights and many other ways in my search for a more healthy life-style. But I have always seen the best results when I walked. Even the experts say that walking is the best “all-around” exercise for the human body. If we can walk 10,000 a day, we have a ‘leg up’ so to speak, when it comes to keeping our hearts healthy and our weight down (hopefully ha ha). Interestingly enough we find in Job 31:4 this scripture: “God counts our steps…” something to reflect on isn’t it? Our souls need exercise too. When Paul was advising Timothy about his life and his ministry, he said: “Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise is profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8) It’s not always easy to maintain our momentum as Christians. But think of it like an escalator that’s going down (like you find in the mall). If you walk quickly up the steps, you’ll get to the top; but if you pause, you start heading down. We cannot stop reading the Bible, praying, showing love to one another, forgiving those who offend us, practicing integrity in dealing with others, or guarding our eyes from impure things that contaminate the soul. We have to rededicate our lives to the Lord everyday and to walk with Him even as the prophet Isaiah said: “Walk and faint not…” So we are faced with choices everyday of our lives. When Jesus was to be crucified Pontus Pilot asked the crowd: who do you want? Barabbas or Jesus? Barabbas means “the son the earth” but Jesus is called “the Son of God”. So in fact the only choice we have everyday is: do we serve the God of this world or do we serve the God of the Universe? Prayer: Father of the Universe, help to keep our eyes focused on Your Son Jesus and give us the wisdom to make the right choice when faced with life. 3) Progress Walking implies motion and a sense of progress. When the apostle Pau wrote to the Philippian church, he told them: I desire to remain on earth a while longer “…for your progress and joy in the faith.” He told Timothy, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.” (1 Tim 4:16). We need to honestly ask ourselves, “Am I making real forward progress in Christ? Am I more mature now than a year ago? Am I more patient with others? Am I more cheerful? Am I less materialistic? Am I a better example for others? Am I better at sharing Christ now than I ever been before? The old British Christian William Law (1686-176) once wrote to a friend, “I cannot tell you how much I love you. But that which of all things I have most at heart, with regard to you, is the real progress of your soul in the divine life. ”That expresses the Lord’s desire for us. In our journey, the Word of God is our road map. The presence of Jesus is our lifetime companion. The road may twist, and the weather is variable. Some days will be sunny, and so we raise up our hearts to the Lord with thanksgiving. Other days will be cloudy and stormy, requiring us to trust the Lord in the fog and darkness. But what a trip! These words come from an elderly and blind Fanny Crosby: “Thou my everlasting Portion, more than a friend to me. All along my pilgrim journey, Saviour, let me walk with Thee.” Friends, I have been walking with God for over 30 years and I have encounter many a storm in this lifetime (I am sure so did many of you) and I want to say this: God has never ever failed me once. He has always been there for me and with me. I have seen God work miraculously to get me out of trouble I let myself in throughout the years I have been serving Him. I invite you today to renew your dedication to Him who is just and righteous, His name is Jesus Christ. Right where you are close your eyes for a moment and think: will I be still here if God would have not intervened? A more serious question: would I still be alive if God had not somehow rescued me? It take a real man (or real woman) to walk upright before God in the face of the enemy, in the face of your friends, in the face of your unbelieving family. But rejoice the trip is worthwhile, trust me I know. The joy of serving God beats anything the world can come up with. The Bible says: the joy that awaits those who serve the Lord cannot be measured and their reward is great. Comments are closed.
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Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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