Out for a Walk

“Have you ever taken a walk with a friend? What happens while you walk? Are you both silent, lost in your own thought? Not likely! Most of us talk as fast as we walk when we are out for a stroll with a good friend. We share all kinds of things, our hopes and dreams, our concerns and fears.

The Old Testament contains passages that say, “Enoch walked with God.” “Noah walked with God.” and “Abraham walked with God.”  Can’t you just see those men walking down the dusty road with their hands clasped behind their backs, talking with God as they move along?

Of course, the Bible uses the word walk in a different sense, to mean more than just the physical action of walking one foot in front of the other. It really means to live life on every level with God as your companion. It means to consider God’s instruction and direction in every decision. But I think there is something to the act of physically walking.

In Genesis it says, “God walked in the garden.” He was looking for Adam to walk with Him, but Adam had sinned and was hiding. God wanted Adam’s company. He wanted to talk with Adam as they walked along.

In Deuteronomy 6:7 and again in 11:19 the scripture says we are to talk to our children about the Lord’s ways as we walk along the road. In those days people traveled by foot most of the time and it was a very natural setting to teach God’s principles to their families.

While Jesus was on the earth, He physically walked almost everywhere He went. Once He had a donkey and a few times He went by boat, but mostly He walked from village to village. Can you imagine how much He taught His disciples while they walked?

Now for us, while I’m sure God knows walking is good for our health and He’s glad that we do it, He’s thinking more about the opportunity for conversation; the companionship we feel with a friend when we’re out for a walk on a lovely day. He wants us to invite Him along; he wants to talk with us and He wants us to share with Him those things we share so easily with a friend.

Listen closely, don’t you hear your Father saying, “Come on, let’s go for a walk?”

“Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” – Deuteronomy 11:18-19 (CSB)