Walking with God will Impact Your Life!

Walking with God will Impact the Rest of Your Life!

How is your pursuit of God going? I know it may seem a bit strange to you, but God actually desires to reveal Himself to you so that you can walk with Him in relationship and confidence.

The first couple that history records as having a personal relationship with God were Adam and his wife Eve. The very day the two of them chose to indulge in the serpent’s temptation, we find the record that God was walking in the garden to come fellowship with them (Genesis 3:8). It has always been God’s desire to walk in fellowship with His prized creation – you!

Thousands of years after the garden, God would walk among His creation again, this time through His Son Jesus. Luke records in his Gospel that on the first Easter, the resurrected Jesus joined two of His disciples on a walk and the results would stir their hearts and transform the rest of their lives.

Do you want to have a walk with God that stirs the soul and impacts the rest of your life? If your answer is yes, take a few minutes with me and let’s look at how an intentional walk with God can impact the rest of your life!

Get Ready…Walking with God will Stir your Heart!

Luke writes,

“Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them” (Luke 24:13-15, (CSB).

For most of us, our thoughts around Easter are of joy, children’s laughter, new clothes, brightly colored eggs, baskets full of goodies, and warm sunshine after a long winter. That, however, was not the experience of the early followers of Jesus on that first Easter Sunday. As far as they knew, everything they had put their faith in was gone. They thought Jesus was going to reign in Jerusalem and run the Romans out of town. His popularity was just now really taking off. Then, in what seemed like a drawn-out nightmare, Jesus was dead. Friday came and went. Saturday came and went. Now it was Sunday, and, to make things worse, some of the women had gone to the tomb earlier that morning and had come back saying that His body was gone and that they had seen angels who told them He had risen. This seemed like more than they could comprehend!

I’m glad Luke put verse 15 in the record; look at it again. He writes, “…while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near…”.

These men were confused, frustrated, afraid and found themselves in an argument over whether or not Jesus was who He said He was and if He actually arose from the dead or not. Now, while they were having their theological debate, notice what happens – Jesus Himself joins them on the road.

Then Luke records,

“But they were prevented from recognizing him. Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged. The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” (Vs. 16-18).

These men are so involved in proving their personal point of view that they don’t even recognize Jesus when He begins walking beside them. Jesus stopped them in their tracks. “What is this dispute?” He asked. Can’t you just see the baffled look in Cleopas’ face? Dumbfounded, Cleopas turns his attention to Jesus and begins pouring it all out with what I’m sure was a measure of sarcasm,

“About Jesus of Nazareth…a prophet, powerful in word and deed. The Chief priests and our rulers handed him over…to death…crucified…but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (vs. 19-21).

There it is, “…we had hoped that he was the one…” They went on to explain how after all this, on that very day, the women in their group came telling of angels and a resurrection. It was just too much for them!

Why do you think God did not allow these men to recognize Jesus? Remember this, these aren’t just any men, these were followers of Jesus. Could it have been that a very important lesson needed to be learned if they were going to walk with God? Could it be they needed to learn to trust God even when He doesn’t do or respond the way they expected?

If you are going to Walk with Him, God will ask You to Trust Him!

Not a single disciple expected the events of that weekend to transpire as they did. None truly thought that Jesus would be publicly shamed, crucified like a criminal and buried in a borrowed tomb, even though He had repeatedly forewarned them. Now depression and despair filled their hearts. Can you relate? I can.

God doesn’t give us every detail of His plans, He simply expects us to trust Him enough to walk with Him in faith. Here is the good news: you can have faith. In the midst of the confusion, frustration, doubt, and fear that these disciples were experiencing, Jesus gave the remedy and shows how to build your faith.

“He (Jesus) said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures. (Old Testament)…It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?”” (vs. 25-32).

The way Jesus revealed Himself to the first-century believers is the same way He reveals Himself to you…through the Scriptures! Jesus took every book of the Old Testament and opened those disciples understanding to how each of them pointed to Him. The result transformed their lives. They realized the God of Heaven and earth, the very God prophesied for centuries, was revealed to them in the person of Jesus Christ, and He Himself knew their name and was walking beside them that day on the dusty road.

He will do the same for you if you let Him! Jesus will open your understanding of Himself as you begin to read and study the Scriptures. Jesus isn’t just seen in the New Testament, He is found in the Old Testament, too. All the Scriptures point to Him. He is their inspiration! If you want to walk with God, open the Bible and pray the prayer of the Psalmist,

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:18).

Jesus Reveals Himself to You through the Scriptures!

Join me again next week as we look at one of the ways God uses Scripture to reveal Himself to us and the daily challenge that sets before us.