Learning To Walk

2 Corinthians 5:7
Psalms 23:4
John 8:12
 
A lot of us can remember when our children were growing up – as newborns they would just lay in the bed, but then they learned to roll from one side to the other.  Soon they got to the point that they were able to crawl around on the floor, and after that they were able to pull themselves up.  Before long we would begin to hold them by their little arms and help them make those first steps. If you let go, He may fall, but he kept trying until he learned to walk.

Even as Christians we have to learn to walk.  While we are learning to walk the Lord has hold of us, but sometimes we may fall.  

We read in Psalms 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me”. Regardless of where we walk; regardless as to where we go, the Lord is with us. He is there to help us and to sustain us. He helps us to walk on this journey.  He will not leave us nor will he forsake us, even when trouble comes.  

I thought about the story about the footprints in the sand.  You may know the story, this man had a dream that he was walking along the beach one night and he was walking with the Lord.  As he looked back later on he only saw one set of footprints and he asked the Lord “Why did you leave me?”  The Lord said “I didn’t leave you; when there was one set of footprints I was carrying you”.

In our passage from 2 Corinthians we read “For we walk by faith not by sight.”  And what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  We walk by faith. It is just like putting one foot in front of the other even when you can’t see in front of you. It’s like getting up in the middle of the night and the power is out – it’s dark.  You don’t know what’s in front of you – you’re just making one step at a time and you believe through faith that you’ll be able to make it to the candle or get to that lantern so you can get some light.

As we learn to walk, even if we stumble, even if we fall, even if we have not committed fully to this journey, the Father stands there.  The Father stands there just like when your baby son or daughter is trying to walk and you stand with open arms and say “Come to Daddy, come to Daddy.”  This little child is trying to make these steps to come to you.  That’s the way the Heavenly Father is.  He’s right there with His arms stretched out saying “Come”.  All we have to do is surrender; submit ourselves to Him.  

We can submit ourselves and come and He’ll be right there, ready, willing to take us in.  He will be that light for us and be that guide even as we walk through those valleys.  Your valley can be different things. Your valley might be a financial crisis, it could be a problem with your children, and it could be problems with your spouse. It doesn’t matter what it is; He will be with you.  He is standing there with His arms stretched out to you, my brothers and sisters.

Surrender to Jesus, and learn to walk, with Him. 
​~J.T.