From Mark Maynard
The 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail is the longest public footpath on earth. Completed in 1937 and managed by the National Park Service, the trail stretches from Georgia to Maine, and takes 5-7 months to complete on foot. Each year, thousands attempt it, but only one in four makes it all the way. You’ll need to trek between 14 and 20 miles per day through woods, pastoral land, wild mountain regions, plains and pastures. Guides say the secret to completing the walk isn’t “Ironman” strength. It’s pacing. The ones who walk successfully will do about the same amount each day, slow when they need to, eat and rest at regular intervals.
Humans are the only species of mammal that walks upright. Even monkeys and gorillas trot around on all fours. Walking leaves the hands free for grasping, carrying, and other general uses. Sometimes we describe living by faith at home and work as a “walk”. Men who are daily committed to Christ and His teachings are said to “walk with God”. It’s a phrase that dates all the way back to Genesis, where we read a man named “Enoch walked with God” (Genesis 5:24). The walk we have with God is our personal spiritual journey. The idea is that walking with God requires motion or action. Our faith is not a state that we are in, but an ongoing walk that we step through every day.
Imagine in the Garden of Eden when Adam walked with God. All was perfect, and they were together as friends. They walked through the Garden together, talking to one another, admiring God’s handiwork. Then, Adam separated himself from God through sin. Throughout the rest of Scripture, we see the phrase “walk with God” when there is a bond between God and a man. We’re seeing little bits of this once-perfect relationship from the Garden of Eden become real when man walks according to God’s ways. When we look for phrases like “walk” or “path” in the Bible we see both instruction and promises related to walking with God:
A man can walk in harmony. Walking with God signifies that one is listening to God and His commands, is obedient, has placed his faith in God, and is following along God’s path for his life. In this we experience the greatest benefit of walking with God—a deep relationship with Him. As we daily seek God and communicate with Him through prayer and His Word, we experience all that following along His path has to offer. Psalm 15:11 teaches, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” When we obey God’s Word and have our faith in God, the Bible describes this walk as pleasurable and joyful. We don’t have to walk in fear of God, but in Christ we are His friends (John 15:14, 1 John 4:12-14).
A man can walk with confidence. The Bible indicates that walking with God gives us comfort and confidence. In Psalm 23:4, King David says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” This Psalm highlights God’s protection and presence for those who walk with Him. Even in our dark and challenging situations we can be assured that God is there with us. In fact, God “guides [us] along the right paths for His Name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). We build confidence in God when we consistently rely on Him for help in every situation. The result is a growing faith, knowing that as we walk with God, we are guided by Him along the path of life.
A man can walk with stamina. God grants us the vitality and stamina to walk with Him, even in hard choices and difficult situations. Isaiah 40:31 promises, “…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Walking with God will not be easy. Have you even gotten tired from life? The challenging conversations, the tough daily choices, trying to connect to difficult people, managing the many priorities of marriage, home, the workplace—and do it all in a godly way with patience and humility and perseverance—it is exhausting! The Bible promises that those who walk with God will receive the energy to sustain our physical and mental effort.
A man can walk with trust. When we walk with God, He will grant us a path that is trustworthy. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” A curving path has surprises around the turns, but God’s straight path is true and trustworthy. Trusting God means we live believing in His reliability, the truth of His Word, and His abilities. This is more than “feeling good” about God, it’s a choice to believe that what He has said is true. The Bible teaches that best course to get to God’s desired destination is to trust Him and walk in His ways.
A man can walk in light. We need to be able to see where we are going. Light keeps us from stumbling around in the dark. 1 John 1:7 promises, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Walking in the light is to be transparent, in full view of others, where they can see our faith in Christ. Paul said he was sent “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God.” The Gospel message calls sinners to turn to Christ “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Jesus Himself is the light Who lights our way (John 1:4, John 14:6). Living in sin we want to hide and walk in the shadows, but in Christ we can walk in the light (which is His light).
A man can walk in truth. 3 John 3 recounts, “For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.” John is saying that it is not enough just to hold the truth—whether it’s the Bible in hand or a doctrine in our mind—but we can walk as people who live out these truths.
For example, look at the truths in Philippians 3:3-8: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
In these verses we see a number of truths we can walk in—humility, servanthood, sacrifice, valuing relationships with others, having the mindset of Christ. These are more than attitudes we know, but truths of Scripture we can live out as walking examples.
The man person walks about 3,000 to 4,000 steps every day—roughly two miles. Kangaroos were made for hopping, cheetahs for running, dolphins for swimming, but humans are uniquely equipped to do something better than any other species on earth… walking. Our hip muscles support walking. The human’s upper leg is strong, able to withstand the stress of carrying the upper body at a walking gate. When the Bible talks about our walk, it’s equating our spiritual walk with God as something everyone can learn and do. Our bodies were made to walk, and our spirits were made to walk with God.
The Bible records that Enoch walked with God for 365 years. Imagine his faithfulness, day-in and day-out, for three and half centuries! What happened to Enoch? Genesis 5:24 says, “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Most theologians believe the language of this verse indicates Enoch simply walked into heaven alive—that is, he never died. This is our ultimate goal, to walk with God on earth and then continue that walk with Him in heaven. Consider your own walk with God this week, and the daily steps you are talking with Him. Are the steps you are taking leading you closer to heaven each day as walk in harmony, trust, truth and confidence with Him?
Photo: Shutterstock
When the Bible talks about our walk, it’s equating our spiritual walk with God as something everyone can learn and do. Our bodies were made to walk, and our spirits were made to walk with God.