Keep Walking

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;

though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

Psalms 37:23-24

After forty years of wandering in the desert, the Israelites were preparing to cross the Jorden River. Moses was gone and Joshua was called by God to lead the people. The Israelites walked to the river and camped beside it for three days preparing themselves for the crossing. It was harvest season and the river was flooded making it very dangerous for over a million people to cross. Yet God told Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’” (Joshua 3:7-8). God did not say to go to the river’s edge and wait, pray, or sing. To paraphrase it, God said to go to the river’s edge and keep walking into the flooded river where you might easily be swept away and drowned.

The priest followed God’s command. When the priest’s feet touched the water in the Jordon, the water upstream stopped flowing and piled up in a heap. All the people crossed over on dry ground while the priest stood in the middle of the river on dry ground. (Joshua 3:14-17). God did an amazing thing that day. But he only amazed the people after the first foot touched the water. God did not stop the river from flowing and wait patiently for the people to calm down and feel comfortable. No! God acted after seeing that the priest would trust and obey him.

God still wants to show us amazing things and bless us, but first we must step into the water. We must walk forward into an uncertain future to watch God shape our lives for the better. We must be willing to step into a new relationship, job, or ministry to see the new and amazing things God will do for us. God wants children who trust and obey even when the odds seem impossible. Though we cannot imagine how things could work for our good, with God all things are possible. (Mark 10:27).

From ancient days God has told people to walk in obedience to the Lord and our days will be long and prosperous. (Deuteronomy 5:33). This verse is after God gave the 10 commandments to Moses. God wants us to walk and he tells us what to do while we are walking. Through out the Bible there are numerous commands on how to behave, how to treat people, what to avoid, and how to worship. God tells us so many things to do while we are walking through this life.

He gave the Israelites hundreds of laws under the Mosaic covenant. Laws which governed every aspect of family, social, and national life. God was concerned about every detail of their lives. Nothing is missed by God. There is no detail too trivial for God to notice. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows every time a sparrow falls to the ground. He holds the universe in his hands and still watches every detail of every living plant, animal, and person. There are 7.5 million people in this world. God calls each one by name and is able to hear the prayers of each one simultaneously.  God is truly amazing.

God does not call us to walk then abandon us to wander alone. He is there with us every step of the way. From the day we are conceived until after our death, God knows what is happening in our lives. He knows every thought before we think it. He sees every tear and every chuckle. He understands our heartaches, our joys, our rebellions, and our obedience. (Psalms 139). He is always only a breath away. He will never abandon us. (John 14:18)

When the Israelites did not obey the Lord, Moses intervened to spare them the wrath of the Lord. Then Moses told the Israelite that God sent him to lead them on their way. What God expected was for them to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees. (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Even when they sinned God still told them to keep walking and what he expected of them while they were walking. If we are struggling to trust and obey God, he will still not abandon us. As long as we continue to call to him in the midst of our struggle. God will continue to guide us.

Psalms 23 tells us that even when we walk in darkness we do not need to fear for God will be with us. His rod and his staff will comfort us.  A rod and staff are the tools of a shepherd to keep the sheep from wandering off onto the wrong pasture or into the dangerous woods. The staff is a long piece of wood with a crooked end which can be used to pick a sheep up by the neck and turn it in a different direction. A rod is a type of club which is thrown in front of the sheep to stop it and make it run in a different direction. Both the rod and staff are uncomfortable and scary experiences for the sheep. But the shepherd uses them to guide the sheep and to prevent the sheep from making dangerous decisions.

Sometimes when God walks with us we fail to give him our attention and wander in the wrong direction. God, being the good shepherd will use uncomfortable and scary situations to lead us back to the good path he wants us to walk. In Psalms 138, the psalmist declares that when he walks in troubling times God will save his life and save him. God is always with us, we are never alone. He protects us and blesses us when we are obedient to him. He also redirects us when we wander the wrong way.

When Jesus called the first disciples, he was walking beside the Sea of Galilee. (Matthew 4:18) Jesus amazed people by healing the lame. He forgave sinners and commanded them to “get up and walk.”  Jesus called men to follow him as disciples, and fishers of men. He did not tell them to come sit with me, or pray with me, or sing with me. He said follow me. Over twenty times in the gospels, Jesus told people they must follow him. Jesus wants us walking through this world with him as our guide, leader, shepherd, and Lord.

Walking is an important part of life. As Christian we are called to follow Jesus, to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8). As we go through our daily lives let us never forget that God is there with us.

Dear Lord, you are an amazing God. Your knowledge of us and our needs is overwhelming. Your ability to always be there in good times and bad times, reaches deep into my heart. Your love consumes me and leaves me weak. Thank you for being my God. Thank you for loving me so much and sharing your love with me. Let me never forget that you are as close as my breath.