Walking with Jesus

Walking with Jesus

By Beth Stroble

In this Summer of Psalms, Pastor Jason has encouraged us to reflect and act on the psalmists’ wisdom.  From that wisdom, we learn anew the spiritual practices that bring us closer to God, that bless us and confirm us in our faith.

This week’s words from Psalm 119 call upon the faithful to find happiness by walking “in the Lord’s instruction,” guarding “God’s laws,” and seeking “God with all their hearts.”  The psalmist asserts that those “whose way is blameless” are the “truly happy!” (verses 1 and 2).  In the later verses (10-16) of the psalm, the psalmist no longer addresses us as readers but instead uses his voice to address God: “I have sought you with all my heart. Don’t let me stray from any of your commandments. I keep your word close, in my heart, so that I won’t sin against you. You, Lord are to be blessed!  Teach me your statutes. I will declare out loud all the rules you have spoken. I rejoice in the content of your laws as if I were rejoicing over great wealth.  I think about your precepts and examine all your paths. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget what you have said.”

The psalmist’s words anchor us in the need to study the scriptures and hold them in our hearts. This spiritual practice keeps us grounded and focused on God’s love and will for us. What I notice in this psalm are the plentiful references to movement, through repetition of walking, seeking, straying, paths, and a way.  It’s not unusual to think of the time of our lives—literally and spiritually—as a pilgrimage, a journey, a passage. The metaphor of walking for growing in faith and love is common in the Old and New Testaments.  In many New Testament letters, walking with Jesus signifies a time of learning and growth in faithfulness while in intimate conversation.

Not only is the act of walking with Jesus a sign of our love for God’s word; it is a path to understanding God’s way, a means of grace and instruction, and a path to keeping our hearts pure.  In our walk—through prayer, through reading and study of scripture, through the singing of hymns, through meditation and presence in worship—we center our being on what God intends for us.  Through God’s grace, we are blessed to be those who are truly happy.

So many hymns echo these thoughts: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light; I Want Jesus to Walk With Me; Precious Lord, Take My Hand; ‘Tis So Sweet to Walk With Jesus; Just a Closer Walk With Thee, and many more. These hymns make the choice personal—will I walk with Jesus and be guided by God’s ways and commands?  Or will I stray from God’s wisdom, forgetting the blessings and comfort that come from trusting in him because I seek only my own counsel and gain my sustenance from sources that cannot satisfy nor sustain?

The psalmist calls out to each of us. True happiness comes from the Lord.

Amen.