Walking With God

Walking is all through Scripture. Some day, I want to set aside several months to study it. I don’t understand its full significance.

I know it’s a metaphor for making a spiritual choice, but I suspect it goes many layers deeper than that. Sometimes, walking the land was a claim to it. Sometimes, it indicated fellowship and agreement. Sometimes, it doesn’t seem very important, but I can’t quite shake this feeling that the repetitious mention of walking, like the activity itself, is a step-by-step building of deeper significance. It seems like the physical action itself may have a spiritual significance and impact that we incorrectly dismiss as only symbolic.

Consider a few examples. In Genesis, God walked with man in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day. (Genesis 3:8) It was on a walk that both the curse and the protoevangelium (the first giving of the gospel) were given. In Genesis 5:24, we find Enoch walking with God. One would be hard pressed to describe either Abraham’s or Moses’ life as anything other than a long walk with God. (Genesis 13:17, 17:1, 24:40, 48:15) The people of Israel were given the choice whether to walk in God’s ways. (Exodus 16:4, 18:20, Leviticus 18:4) 1 Kings 9:4 tells us that David walked before the Lord. In Psalm 23:4, the sheep walk with the Shepherd. Psalm 89:15 says that we can walk in the light of the Lord’s countenance. Micah 4:5 is a declaration that the people choose to walk in the name of the Lord and Micah 6:8 tells us to walk humbly with God. In Luke 13:33, Jesus says He must walk to Jerusalem. John 7:1 says that Jesus stopped walking in a place that rejected Him. In John 8:12, He says that those that follow Him will walk in light instead of darkness. Romans repeats the walking imagery. (Romans 4:12, 6:4, 8:1, 8:4, 13:13) 2 Corinthians 6:16 says that God will walk in us. Revelation 3:4 says that some will get to walk with Him in white. 

There are many more instances throughout both the Old and New Testaments. I encourage you to look them up. 

I wonder if a small piece of this is to remind us that the small choices we make every day, each little step, are building a lifelong journey—either with God, or without Him. Left—be kind. Right—choose joy. Left—be diligent. Right—forgive. Left—wash that dish. Right—rotate that laundry. Left—look to the Father. Right—look to the Son. Left—look to the Holy Spirit. One. Foot. In. Front. Of. The. Other.

After all, how can two walk together unless they are in agreement? (Amos 3:3)

I’m also reminded of marriage advice I heard, saying that you should walk with your spouse during difficult conversations. It’s harder to fight with someone when you’re walking together since its a cooperative, friendly stance rather than an adversarial stance (as standing facing each other can become). I wonder if taking the walking position puts us into a mindset of agreeing with God rather than fighting Him. Have you ever seen a parent half-dragging, half-carrying a young child that had decided he did not want to take another step? This can hardly be called walking together. On the other hand, there is a sweetness and a tenderness about watching a parent and child walking hand in hand towards a mutually desired destination. Even sweeter is when the child doesn’t care where they are going—they just want to be with Mom or Dad. How would walking like that, as delighted children rather than tantrumming toddlers, change our relationship with God?

I think back to some very tender moments of clear revelation from God that happened when I was taking walks with Him. That physical friendship posture moved manifested as a spiritual friendship, with Him encouraging me or showing me things I needed to know. There have been times while walking that I have asked Him which way to go in specific areas and He has clearly given me the directions. Perhaps it is simply that the physical movement provides enough of an outlet for my anxious energy that my mind and soul can finally be quiet enough to really hear His voice. Perhaps there is more to it. 

I wonder if part of the purpose of Jesus’ walking was to redeem the earth. Like Abraham, He laid claim to every place His foot stepped. The footsteps of the Second Adam showing that He would break the curse pronounced on the First Adam. The God-Man claiming back the earth cursed by God because of Man. I wouldn’t break fellowship with someone who didn’t see it the same way, but to me, the imagery is clear and beautiful. 

I wonder if His footsteps serve the same purpose in our heart. I wonder if as we walk together, His footprints mark our hearts as His inheritance. I wonder if similarly, every place we set foot while walking with Him and Him in us (2 Corinthians 6:16) is also a defiance of the curse—a reminder that the grip of sin and death do not hold permanent rule here. Their power is broken and the earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof. (Psalm 24:1)

I wonder if we walked mindful of these things if we would walk a little taller. I wonder if we would square our shoulders and raise our chins just a bit. If we would walk with peace and hope and joy, remembering that we walk with our Shepherd. I wonder if we would walk with delight, knowing that we took every step while holding our Father’s hand. 

I wonder if we could start today.