Walking With God
In early February, we had an unseasonably warm and beautiful day here in central Illinois. I decided to take advantage of the pleasant temperatures and change up my exercise routine. I normally take my 30-minute walk on a track inside our local sports and wellness center, but on this gorgeous day, I decided to walk outside and try out the local TREC Trail. I should be honest—I was also hoping to capture a photo of a rabbit in its natural habitat or maybe a unique arrangement of fallen trees. I do not post often on social media and thought I might see something worthy of Instagram. Perhaps a more creative person would have seen possibilities all around, but my untrained eye just saw brown. I took no pictures that day, but the Holy Spirit directed my thoughts toward spiritual truths. I began meditating on the word walk. I thought of all the people in the Bible who journeyed on foot. I then thought about how much the Bible says about our spiritual walk.
From the very beginning, we see the theme of walking in the Bible. There is the physical act of walking. We read in Genesis that God walked in the Garden of Eden “in the cool of the day” (Gen. 3:8). We assume that it was a daily occurrence for Adam and Eve to walk and commune with God. All of that changed when they sinned, and they had to walk out of the garden into a world full of sin, heartache, and hardship. As you continue in the book of Genesis, you read that Noah and his family walked into the ark, and God shut the door. Over a year later, after destroying the earth with a worldwide flood, God commanded Noah and his family to leave the ark and to “be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Gen. 9:1). The Israelites walked for 40 years in the wilderness, and their shoes did not wear out. They walked around the city of Jericho for 7 days, and God miraculously caused the walls of the city to fall down. Instead of going out to battle, David walked on his rooftop and saw Bathsheba bathing. The result of that walk produced adultery and a wicked plan to kill Bathsheba’s husband. After being nourished and encouraged by the angel of the Lord, Elijah walked for forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb. Queen Esther bravely walked into the king’s throne room, and God used her to save the Jewish people. In the New Testament, Jesus and His disciples walked from place to place. Jesus’ walk to Golgotha was so difficult, the soldiers forced Simon of Cyrene to carry His cross. We can assume that when he wasn’t on a boat, Paul traveled on foot to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, as I took my daily walk that sunny afternoon, I thought about the people who, thousands of years before me, walked on this earth.
Since that time, I have continued to meditate on some biblical commands and principles about our walk. Deuteronomy 6:7 instructs parents to diligently teach their children about God’s law when they sit at home and when they are walking. Psalm 1 tells us to not walk “in the counsel of the ungodly.” Proverbs 13:20 guides us with these words, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
The Bible is full of verses about walking with God. “Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Gen. 5:24). Noah walked with God (Gen. 6:9). I was surprised to find that Levi is also mentioned as having walked with God (Mal. 2:6).
Israel was to obey and walk in God’s ways. “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deut. 10:12). “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey My voice and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you” (Jer. 7:23).
As David’s life was drawing to a close, he instructed Solomon with these words: “And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgements, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself” (1 Kin. 2:30).
Paul admonished the first century believers about their walk, too. He told the believers in Galatia to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 2:16). Later in the same chapter, he said, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 2:25). Paul reminded the Ephesians that they previously walked like the world, but now they should walk in good works (Eph. 2: 2, 10). He continued in chapter 4 to tell them to “walk worthy” of their calling (Eph. 4:1). He also reminded them that they should not walk as the Gentiles walk (Eph. 4:17). In chapter 5, Paul instructed them to “walk in love,” “walk as children of light,” and to “walk circumspectly” (Eph. 5: 2, 8, 15). In the letter to the Colossians, he said, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col. 2:6). Our daily walk with Christ is important.
During my reflections, my mind went to the people in the Bible who could not walk. Some of the invalids were miraculously healed, but some had to spend their life on earth unable to enjoy personal mobility. Mephibosheth was Jonathan’s young son. After his father and grandfather died, Mephibosheth’s nurse tried to help him escape when he fell and became lame. Because of his love for Jonathan, David showed kindness to Mephibosheth and allowed him to eat “continually at the king’s table” (2 Sam. 9:13). When I was about 4 years old, my Sunday school teacher let us act out the story of Jesus healing the paralytic man. It quickly became my favorite Bible story! If I’m remembering correctly, I was the paralytic and my friends carried me on a towel to see Jesus. I can imagine that man walking and running after his encounter with Jesus! This year our VBS stories all involve Peter. I am looking forward to the day I teach about Peter and John healing the lame man outside the Temple because I have a fun song to teach my class! Again, I can imagine the scene. “And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:8). I grew up with an aunt who could not walk. I longed for the day when her body would be whole and complete, and she would be able to walk and leap on the streets of gold.
I cannot write an article about our Christian walk without touching on Psalm 23. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4). This psalm has brought comfort to many believers over the years. To know that as we walk the valley of the shadow of death, God is with us. His “goodness and mercy follow us” (Ps. 23:6).
I do not know, dear reader, how easy it is for you to get around. As we age, walking may become more of a challenge. An unsteady terrain may make you anxious. I hope and pray that your walk with the Lord is vibrant. If you do not have a relationship with Him, call out to Him. Repent of your sin and put your trust in Him. If you are a Christian, but you are not walking with Him, confess your sin and call out to Him. He wants to have fellowship with you. The promise of James 4:8 is still true: “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.”
There are so many more verses and truths about the word walk in the Bible. I feel like I have just scratched the surface! As I finish out this article, I would like to leave you with two verses from the book of Micah. May you walk with God!
“For all the people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever” (Mic. 4:5)
"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Mic. 6:8)
