Deuteronomy 11:22-23
What does it mean to walk in all God's ways?
I have to admit, in and of itself, walking seems very ordinary, almost thoughtless. But, we do this "unimportant" task quite a bit! Walking is one, if not the, main way that humans naturally go places. In order for me to leave this computer screen to go get a drink of water, I must stand up and walk the entire way to the refrigerator. In fact, every single time I stand up, I am faced with a choice: to walk and actually go somewhere, or to stay rooted in the same spot and not accomplish anything! Similarly, in our spiritual journey, we all are faced with a choice every morning we wake up. We can either a) choose to walk in obedience to God's will and to grab hold of His promises -or- b) choose to stubbornly stand, refusing to surrender our heart and day to God's will. Each choice has natural consequences and benefits, and the choice is solely up to us. . .
Walking is also a slow and steady process.
Let's face it, although we walk a ton, it is not running! Walking a mile takes much more time than running a mile and can seem very tedious and boring. (Who has ever heard of the world's fastest mile walked??) But, I believe that the sometimes the slowness of walking can represent our faithful commitment to God. It represents our following Him every day, even in the seemingly small things, the things that don't seem to make flashy, huge differences. Even if it takes all day to walk that mile, we can choose to faithfully do it, following every word He says. Looking back, each step of that journey made a big difference because all of those small, slow steps added up to create the journey! And, if we wouldn't have walked steadily all throughout that mile, we wouldn't have completed it. If the first time we became tired or became more interested in something else, we stopped and just stood simply because we felt like it, we wouldn't have made it through the mile that God willed for us to walk that day. Every step that we take beyond our comfort zone is a reminder that we are the humble servant and He is the Almighty Master. Our deliberate, committed walking (despite the pace!) is an expression of our founded trust in Him over our own convoluted desires.
While you are walking, never lose sight of your destination.
Never losing sight of the destination is twofold and has a warning. Our twofold aim consists of our daily goals and our eternal home. Each day, God has a plan, His will, for our day. This will always includes us putting our hand in His and listening for His whisper through the shouts of the world. His whisper will reassure us of His promises and will direct our footsteps throughout our day, telling us who to talk to and where to offer the helping hand. But always, even on the days when our walking seems extra slow and painful, we must never forget your bigger destination, our eternal home. Knowing that we are daughters of the Most High King grants us assurance even on the hardest days. Yet, while we are walking listening to Him and remembering our destination, we must be careful so that we don't stray from our target. When we know what God has asked us to do through His word and direct speech, we must not stop walking a stubbornly stand, for it is our duty to obey.
Finally, while you are walking, never forget who is with you.
We are not alone! During each slow, steady step that we take in order to reach our destination, the Lord goes before us and is with us. Again, He is there, holding us up and granting us strength to take each step through faith in Him. No matter how long the path looks in front of us, we have no need to fear for our ever present help in times of trouble is with us.
In conclusion, walking in all God's ways is more complex that initial thought might render. But we are never alone in this faithful journey with Him because He is with us and goes before us!
Tidbits for thought:
- Are you choosing to walk in obedience to God's will and to grab hold of His promises, or are you stubbornly standing, refusing to surrender our heart and day to God's will?
- Are you steadily following God all the way through the slow process of your mile?
- Are you listening for God's whisper through the shouts of the world and choosing to keep your eyes on your goals: daily and eternal?
- Are you forgetting who goes before you and is with you?
Keep walking,
Deborah
© 2012 Deborah Hope Shining
