Walking with God

Psalm 119:105 ESV “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” or as the message paraphrase, “By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.

Back when electricity was first being introduced to a little Scottish village, almost everybody in a particular church switched from the propane lanterns to electricity just as soon as it could be hooked up. However, the oldest couple in the congregation couldn’t get their electricity because they were waiting for the pole to go up and the wire to be strung. So they continued to use their propane lanterns.

The day finally came when the electricity was brought into their home. Everyone came for the festive event. The old man waited for it to get extra dark; then he told his wife to go turn on the switch. When she did, the light filled the room, and everyone rejoiced. The old man grinned form ear to ear, picked up a propane lamp and said, “It sure makes lighting my lamps easier.” And with that he lit a lamp and his wife turned off the electricity.

Sometimes we’re just like that. We can’t see the light for need to hang on to the darkness of our past. In our spiritual lives, God is the source of the power in our lives that lights our way. As long as we stay connected to God and His Word, we will always have the light that illuminates insight and wisdom to show us the paths we need to take.

Like a lamp, the word of God provides illumination for our path through life’s challenges and successes. It shapes our character and guides our way, helping us move and make decisions according to His will.

Secure our steps, O God—

on rough terrain, 

on shifting sands,

on fine, wide roads,

on narrow paths.

Make our footsteps firm.

Secure our steps, O God—

in the boardroom,

at the water cooler,

in the school yard,

in the checkout line.

Make our footsteps firm.

Secure our steps, O God—

chasing after deadlines,

trailing after toddlers,

scrambling toward the finish line,

clamouring for security.

Make our footsteps firm.

Secure our steps, O God—

pacing through hospitals,

wandering through the hurt,

tripping over the unforeseen,

meandering through the grief.

Make our footsteps firm.

Amen.

Walking with God

2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Moving about in the darkness is not a very exhilarating experience as we feel our way along and taking care not bump into things of trip over.  It is almost a walk of faith in the darkness. 

Here in our text for today is Paul taking about a different kind of sight a kind of internalised faith vision. So what is this Faith Vision?

When God gives us a faith vision, something inside us begins to change.

It consumes our thoughts, every move we make we dwell on the burden.

• Faith Vision points us in a direction.

• Faith Vision gives us an opportunity to become more than you already are.

• Faith Vision means that we are not living life merely for yourself.

• Faith Vision has a self-fulfilling destiny when it is connected with God.

• Faith Vision will wake us up in the middle of the night calling out to us.

• We will not be able to get away from Faith Vision because it will pursue us.

Martin Luther said: "Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible. Then, it accepts the impossible, does without the indispensable and bears the intolerable."

In his 80s, William Booth’s work began to be hindered by blindness. He briefly lost his sight and then recovered it, but later he lost his vision permanently. His son Bramwell came to bring him the bad news that he would never see again. Booth replied, “God must know best, Bramwell. I have done what I could for God and the people with my eyes. Now I shall do what I can for God and the people without my eyes.”

One hymn writer put it this way:-

When we cannot see our way,

Let us trust and still obey;

He who bids us forward go,

Cannot fail the way to show.

Though the sea be deep and wide,

Though a passage seem denied,

Fearless let us still proceed,

Since the Lord vouchsafes to lead.

Though it be the gloom of night,

Though we see no ray of light,

Since the Lord himself is there,

‘Tis not meet that we should fear.

Night with him is never night,

Where he is, there all is light;

When he calls us, why delay?

They are happy who obey.

Be it ours, then, while we’re here,

Him to follow without fear,

Where he calls us, there to go,

What he bids us, that to do. 

Thomas Kelly

Walking with God

Ephesians 5:2 ESV And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

What kind of walker are you? Are you a brisk walker set on getting to your destination in the most efficient way. Or are you an ambler, someone who likes to take in the scenery along the way and enjoy each moment.

Your gait is your walking pattern. It is the acutely identifiable style in which you and only you move across the surface of this planet.

A gait is divided into specific movements called step cycles, also known as the gait cycle. 

There is also a spiritual gait the the writer to the Ephesians frames in the words the walk of love.

We have all seen the toddler hobbling around in their parents shoes and the delight on their faces as they imitate mum or dad. It can be difficult to walk in someone else’s shoes. But here the shoes that are on offer to the follower of Christ are his shoes of love.

The story is told of Mahatma Gandhi who while stepping aboard a train lost one of his shoes. Being unable to retrieve it, as the train was already moving, Gandhi calmly took off his other shoe and threw it back along the track to land close to the first. Asked by a fellow passenger why he would do such a thing Gandhi smiled and said: “The poor man who finds the shoe lying on the track will now have a pair he can use.” Now isn’t that walking in Christy love.

One winter day, a little boy in Alabama was standing on a grate next to a bakery trying to keep his shoeless feet warm. A woman passing by saw the frosty-toed child and her heart ached. He had on only a light-weight jacket and no shoes and the air was chill, the wind sharp. “Where are your shoes, young man?” she asked.

The boy reluctantly admitted he simply didn't have any.

“Why don't you come with me and we'll see what we can do about that?” the woman said. Taking his hand, she led him into a nearby department store and bought him a new pair of shoes and a warm jacket.

When they came back out onto the street, the little boy was so excited that he immediately started to run off to show his family his gifts. Suddenly he halted, turned around and ran back to the woman. He thanked her and then hesitated, “Ma'am, could I ask you a question? Ma'am, are you God's wife?”

The woman smiled and said, “Oh no, I'm not God's wife, just one of God's children.”

The little boy grinned and nodded enthusiastically, “I knew it! I just knew you were related!” When we step into God’s shoes and walk in the Spirit, others, just like the little boy from Alabama, will know that we are related to God. They will know us by our love! 

Father God, more than anything else, I want to know You. I want to spend time with You, share my life with You and be in constant fellowship with You. As I commit my time to You, I pray that You reveal Your presence and love to me each and every day. You are Love and You have put Your love in my heart. Amen-

Walking with God

Jeremiah 7:23 But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.

Much is said these days about the health benefits of walking with many counting their steps or some the miles we walk each day. The NHS website puts it this way; Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier. Sometimes overlooked as a form of exercise, walking briskly can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier.”

Through the prophet Jeremiah we hear the voice of God guiding the his people to ‘Walk in all the ways that I command you that it may go well with you.’

A young boy once came up to a missionary and said, “I love you and I want you to have this.” He pulled from a straw basket the most beautiful shell the missionary had ever seen. As she admired its beauty, she recognised it as a special shell only found on the far side of the island, a half day’s walk from the village. When she asked the boy about this, he smiled and said, “Long walk part of gift.” Crucial to everything we believe as Christians is this truth... that God loved the world so much that he made that long walk to come from where He is to where we are. When it was impossible for us to reach out to Him, He reached out to us.

That’s why Jeremiah voices God’s word to us - Obey me, and I will be your God and you shall be my people.

Loving Lord, sometimes it is the highway of immediate pleasure, sometimes the by-way of devious plotting, sometimes the shadowy lane of resentment or depression. I want to walk in the path of faithful love. Keep my feet from straying. Amen

Walking with God

1 John 1:7 ESV If we walk step by step in the light, where the Father is, then we are ultimately connected to each other through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son. His blood purifies us from all our sins. (The Voice Translation)

How many of us were afraid of the dark when we were little? How many of us still are?

In interview, Stephen King, horror author, was asked about daily writing routine. Said only wrote in morning. When asked if ever wrote at night, replied, "Are you kidding? Not with the stuff I write!" Apparently even he knows the power of darkness. 

Imagine a scenario in which you are lost in a forest during a cloudy night where the moon cannot give you its light. You don’t have your smartphone to be used as a flashlight. It is so dark that you cannot see the hand in front of your face. There is simply no light to be found. As you are wandering through the dark forest, you have now traveled so far that you have forgotten which direction you have come from.

Suddenly off in the distance appears a man making his way through the forest with his flashlight. Knowing that he may be able to help, you carefully make your way to him. Upon meeting the man with the flashlight he instructs you that he is very familiar with the forest and that he is able to help you navigate out of the forest back to your house. All that you need to do is follow him as he shines his light for you to see. The question I want to ask you is - will you follow this man who is able to give you light, or will you continue to walk in the dark though you know that the man with the light could lead you home?

So it is with our walk with Christ. Our knowledge of the light will do us no good unless we follow the light; unless we walk in the light of God.

You call us to be

your light

in the darkness,

your voice

in the wilderness,

your hope

for the hopeless.

You give us

strength

in our weakness,

peace

and gentleness,

words

and boldness,

to proclaim

more of you

and of us, less. Amen

Walking with God

Isaiah 30:21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

These words sound to be way before their time; almost like the GPS SatNav. 

An American preacher shares how his brother  had come home from Italy to visit him, and attended worship at the congregation where the minister served. After the service, he wanted to go to Mammoth Cave and show his wife and son one of the natural wonders of the US. 

The preacher and his wife  tagged along, and told his brother knew the way. The visiting brother said, “Naw, we’ll use the GPS and that will get us there faster.” 

The preacher-brother later said he should have never listened to him! We went through Amish country, down every backroad, and ended up at a caravan in the middle of nowhere! 

The preacher asked his brother to let him see his GPS, and he had entered Mammoth Cave, Kentucky…not Mammoth Cave National Park! 

We can claim to have the directions, but are we sure that they are right? There is only one true source for Christ...and that is His Word!

I wonder are we listening to God’s Positioning System.

Notice the word says, “This is the way, walk in it.” Whether you turn to the right or to the left, that voice will guide you if you listen. The Lord cares about our lives. How we live matters to God. We are not free to chart our own course and navigate our own lives. The Lord has a standard. How do we know that standard? One, He has revealed it to us through His Word. This is why we should study the Scriptures. Second, He has revealed it through that inner voice. Our consciences will lead us in the ways of the Lord if we learn to heed the voice. 

Nobody has an excuse. We can’t say we didn’t know what the Lord expects of us. Instead, we need to tune our hearts to hear His voice. We should follow as the Lord leads us, always measuring what we hear against God’s Word, so we don’t mistake hearing the voice of the Lord with our own selfish desires. There is a way God expects of us. Walk in it.

Father, I come before You in the Name of Jesus, and I choose life today! I will walk in faith and not in fear. Because the Lord is on my side I will not fear what any man can do to me. Father, in the Name of Jesus, I ask You to open my eyes to any hidden areas of fear in my life. Amen

Walking with God

As we enter September we start with the theme walking with God. I find it interesting that Henry Ford who founded the great automobile organisation should once said “Those who walk with God always reach their destination” I wonder if he had Jesus words in mind, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

“Why in the world do you walk sideways like that?" said a Mother Crab to her son. "You should always walk straight forward with your toes turned out."

"Show me how to walk, mother dear," answered the little Crab obediently, "I want to learn."

K

So the old Crab tried and tried to walk straight forward. But she could walk sideways only, like her son. And when she wanted to turn her toes out she tripped and fell on her nose. The moral being, do not tell others how to act unless you can set a good example.

This is the joy of this verse, that we have one who can show us how to walk, for gospel today reminds us of how Jesus tries to share with others the meaning of His life.  We should hear it today, as if He is speaking to you now and trying to help you.  

A couple of His sentences might help you to think – (1) “I am the light of the world”.  Does Jesus figure among the guides of your lifestyle?  Are you aware of anything in your life that doesn’t fit well with you? (2) “I know where I have come from and where I am going”.  Later he says “I have come from the Father and I am going back to the Father”.  Everything that happened to Him as seen in this context.  If we follow the light of Christ we are privileged to be brought on the same journey in the safety of His companionship.

Jesus, You are the Light of the World.

Shine Your light in me today.

Chase away the darkness of sin,

the darkness of fear and doubt and despair.

Fill me with the light of Your truth, Your Word.

Produce in me the fruit of righteousness –

the evidence that Your Holy Spirit lives in me

and works in me and works through me. 

Teach me what is pleasing to You.

Make me a shining example of Your amazing grace,

redeeming love, and life-changing power.

May others be drawn to You through me. Amen.