After a recent morning walk, I looked at the app that tracks my progress and saw something unusual: George Washington.
Yes, this is kind of like those optical illusions that go around the internet every now and then — maybe you see it, maybe you don’t — but my family got a laugh out of the GPS trail reminiscent of the founding father’s head.
My unintended path made me think about my daily “walk” with the Lord and a song we used to sing at church about following the footprints of Jesus.
A few years ago during a season when our TAB Media Group staff focused on prayer, I read the book “God Walk,” in which pastor and author Mark Buchanan explores walking and all its many benefits — physical, emotional and spiritual.
Buchanan says walking nurtures attentiveness of physical things and also of our thoughts, which leads to prayers.
“One step, two, and soon longing and gratitude and wonder and petition are working their way up through me, almost bodily, mingling with my thoughts, fusing with my emotions, pressing toward speech. Before long, all of it — the walking, the noticing, the feeling, the thinking, the speaking — is praying,” he writes.
The Bible calls believers to walk in the light (Eph. 5:8, 1 John 1:7), to walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7) and to walk in truth (2 John 1:4).
We also read in Scripture what those who literally walked with Jesus saw and experienced, though as John writes, “there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).
As Jesus walked with His followers, I imagine He noticed the people He passed, sensing their pain, suffering and hurts, yes, but also their contentment, mischievousness and joy. I imagine laughter and tears, hearty embraces and long conversations — Jesus the teacher sharing love and wisdom as He moved on foot from place to place.
As I begin each day with a walk, I seek that same love and wisdom. With each step, I listen to Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to mold my heart, soul and mind to be more like Jesus, to help me “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5b).
For me, the benefits of a daily walk with Jesus are renewed physical energy and strength, less anxiety and a greater sense of His presence as I start my day.
Desire of our hearts
For some of you, physical limitations mean your Christian “walk” is more figurative than literal, but I am certain our hearts echo a similar prayer:
Father, Wherever our journey takes us today, fill us with compassion, truth, humility and love and guide us in Your footprints. Amen.
Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,
“Come, follow Me!”
And we see where Thy footprints falling,
lead us to Thee.
Footprints of Jesus that make the pathway glow;
we will follow the steps of Jesus where’er they go.
Though they lead o’er the cold dark mountains,
seeking His sheep,
or along by Siloam’s fountains,
helping the weak.
Then at last, when on high He sees us,
our journey done,
we will rest where the steps of Jesus
end at His throne.
Music and lyrics by Mary Bridges Canady Slade (1826–1882)
EDITOR’S NOTE — This editorial was written by Carrie Brown McWhorter, special assignments editor of TAB Media Group, and will appear in the Nov. 14 edition of The Alabama Baptist newspaper. To subscribe, click here.
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