Life is a journey. It is like a walk of a thousand miles. Every day is a step which must be taken. The journey begins at birth and ends at death. You begin the journey with nothing, and end with a million memories. On this journey, wishes are fulfilled, wrong turns are taken, and adventures are experienced. At times the scenery is beautiful, and sometimes the view is ugly, but it is always different. Every step brings new ideas, fresh feelings, and unique friends. Life is a journey and we are the travelers.
There is a friend who would like to travel with you. He would love to talk with you while you walk, he would enjoy playing with you as you explore, and he would like to help you over the rough spots on your journey. His name is Jesus.
Since the beginning of time, God has desired to walk with man on this journey called life. Every evening, God would walk with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. They would talk about the events of the day and God would answer their questions. Being the first man and woman, they would have had many questions. Why did you create us? What do you think we should name that one animal with the long nose and the big, floppy ears? Why does this woman you created talk so much? What is it like to be God? Why can we not touch those two trees in the middle of the garden?
God walked with man. What a concept this is to the human mind. The infinite creator fellowshiped with finite man. The all-knowing mind desired to speak with freshly created beings who had little knowledge and less wisdom. Not only did God tolerate walking with man, He desired to do so. God was searching for friendship, relationship, and love. God was the perfect manifestation of love, but what good is love if there is nothing to love? By walking with humans, God showed His love for them.
But, humans spurned His love by disobeying Him. By eating from the tree He had forbidden them to eat from, humans broke the relationship they had with God. Since God is holy, He can not walk in the presence of sin. Because of this broken trust, God’s heart was broken. Through circumstances thrust upon Him by others, God was no longer able to walk with man.
The story of the Bible is the history of God trying to restore a relationship with the human race. Periodically there would arise a man who would love God enough to walk with Him. For example, Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:24), until he walked his way right into heaven. Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9), and God saved him when all the unjust were destroyed in the flood. Abraham was invited to walk before God (Genesis 17:1) because he loved God. The greatest promise of God to the Israelites is found in Leviticus 26:12, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (this promise is repeated to Christians in 2 Cor. 6:16). God’s greatest desire is to walk with His children.
In order to restore His relationship with man, He sent His only Son Jesus to earth in order to walk with man once again. For thirty-three years, God walked with mankind. He experienced life’s journey, he saw the sin, touched the sick, and felt injustice. Some men did not want God to walk among them so they crucified him to a tree. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again to make a way for us to walk with God for all of eternity. By dying for our sins, Jesus made it possible for humans to walk with God again.
After Jesus arose, he appeared to two men on the road to Emmaus, but they did not recognize him. For hours he discussed prophecy and current events with them, but they did not know who he was. Finally, when they stopped for dinner, they recognized him. When he disappeared, they turned to one another and said, “Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road?” (Luke 24:32). How many Christians today have Jesus walking right beside them and never recognize that fact?
God wants to walk with you. Will you talk with Him? Will you walk with Him? Or will you be like the two men on the road to Emmaus who did not know who was walking with them?
No matter what you are going through, God is walking right beside you. The Psalmist wrote, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4). If you remember the story of the “Footprints in the Sand,” you will remember that the times when it looked like there was only one set of prints in the sand were the times when Jesus was carrying the troubled person.
God wants to have a relationship with you. For centuries, He has been trying to restore the intimacy He had with Adam. Will you walk with God? Will you recognize Him walking beside you? A walk of a thousand miles begins with one step, make sure Jesus is walking with you when you take that step. When you reach the end of your journey, you will be glad that you did.
ABOUT DANIEL KING
Evangelist Daniel King, D.Min is on a mission to lead people to Jesus. He has visited over seventy nations preaching good news and he has led over two million people in a salvation prayer. To support King Ministries in our quest for souls, click here!
