It seems as a new year dawns, I become reflective as I ponder my life. Over the years, we’ve faced many battles and many challenges which leads me to conclude that my walk with God has been a “walk of faith.” This well-noted phrase has been so overused that it, like a favorite song that you hear too much, has somehow lost its effect, meaning, and impact.
Dr. Lester Sumrall has defined faith as simply “knowing God.” When I think about these years with our son, Austin, as we've battled the doctors’ negative reports, I see this walk of faith. This walk may feel like a long one, however, it seems so wonderfully described in Psalms 84 of the Message Bible:
“And how blessed all those in whom you live, whose lives become roads you travel; they wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks, discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain.
God traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and at the last turn – Zion! God in full view!
When God lives in us, our lives are His! “…whose lives become roads you travel!” No matter how rough the road, God is traveling with us and charting our course as we go.
Psalm 37:13 (The Living Bible)
“The steps of a good man are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. If they fall it isn’t fatal, for the Lord holds them with His hand.”
God, our Father, never promised a life free from difficult paths, but He gave us His hand to hold along the way.
There may be times when you feel you’re walking alone and that is when faith and a knowledge of God step in beside you.
When you’re sick, He’s still Jehovah Rapha – “The God that healeth thee.”
When there is chaos and confusion all around you, He’s still the Peace Speaker.
When you’re cast down, He’s still the “glory and the lifter of my head.”
When you can’t pay your bills, He’s still the God “who owns the cattle on a thousand hillsides.”
When your prayers don’t seem to get answered, He’s still the God who “hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”
When you feel alone, He’s still the “Friend that sticks closer than a brother.”
It’s when our walk of faith becomes more like a weary journey that we must remind ourselves of what we know of the mighty God we serve. F.F. Bruce said that “an untested faith is a weak faith”, and Dr. Oral Roberts stated, “that in all things just remember that God is making you.” His great desire is to see us “curve up that mountain, and at the last turn – Zion! God in full view!”
No matter what our walk of faith may be, may it be God-traveled so we can sojourn knowing that one day the road will have one last turn!
