In His Name Devotionals
KEEP ON WALKING
In His Name Devotionals
KEEP ON WALKING
“Business as usual” was no small thing for Abraham. He was prosperous, respected and sough after. There was an estate to manage, flocks and herds to tend and servants to oversee. Then he heard from God. “Abraham, I want you to pack your bags and go to a place I will show you. Are you ready for the journey?”
It’s hard enough to get ready for a trip, so most of us don’t like to leave home without knowing our departure and arrival time, as well as lodging arrangement, all spelled out.
But Abraham wasn’t given an itinerary. He just got his wife, nephew, servants, animals and tents ready for the journey. God told him to hit the road and for Abraham that was enough. He trusted God and simply put his feet on the path, becoming a pilgrim-exile.
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Heb. 11:8).
Paul and John use variants of “walk” or “journey” as a metaphor for living some 90 times. About half reference literal travel; the other half are figurative uses of the term for one’s course of life. For instance, “If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:7). John’s use of the word is expressive and the meaning is clear.
God issued the call for Abraham to walk. By faith, the patriarch picked up and moved out. The way was not always easy. There were steep hills to climb, dark valleys to negotiate, dangers and opposition from others alone his way. And he didn’t handle every encounter properly or make right decisions in all instances. He sinned. But he did keep on walking.
Now God has called us to put our feet on the path of faith. He challenges us to be pilgrim-exiles in this world. It won’t always be easy. There will be hard climbs, deep valleys, and perils to our faith. You will get tired, stumble, and even take occasional bad spills. But trust Him. He knows the end from the beginning.
The destination is worth your struggle along the way.
