I love to take long walks on the beach, especially at sunrise. I love the quietness of the morning, the warmth of the ocean breeze, and the time talking with Jesus. This year while our family were vacationing at the beach, I went out several mornings for these special quiet walks with Jesus, reflecting on His abundant blessings in my life, asking Him for guidance for difficult situations, thanking Him in advance for the wisdom He is sure to give. Prayer-walking is a great way to start the day, and sometimes the Lord speaks to me in memorable ways. He taught me about walking by faith, keeping in step with Him, and taking time to pause along the way to enjoy His presence.
As I was walking and praying one morning, I noticed footprints ahead of me in the damp sand. There weren’t many people on the beach yet, so more than likely they were left there the night before. At times, the sand was cluttered with numerous footprints going in various directions while other places displayed only a few sets of prints. It was in one of these scantily trodden places that I noticed a particular set of footprints. The impression left in the sand by someone else’s sandals matched mine, almost exactly! (My footprint is the one on the left in the photo.) My eyes were drawn away from the ocean and sky, focusing instead on these uncannily familiar footprints. I followed them for some distance until I reached another patch of sand filled with footprints. It was hard to find the ones I had been following, but I kept pressing on until indeed, they emerged on the other side of the bunch.
This experience reminded me that the Lord has a plan for my life, a path charted out for me. At times, I see it plainly and know the next step to take, and at other times, I feel like I’m in the middle of the patch of footprints going in lots of different directions. I feel confused about which path to follow. Walking by faith can be like this. We don’t know which way to go or what to expect next. In fact, if we knew, it would not require faith to proceed!
How do we get through these hard times, when many voices are crying out to us to go this way or that way? We need to listen to the Voice of Truth. God’s written Word is the plainest, clearest revelation of His will to us. To walk by faith is to take one step at a time in accordance with what He says in His Word, trusting Him with the outcomes. Discerning His will comes from spending time with Jesus in the Bible, studying with mature believers, listening to Spirit-filled preachers, always trusting God to show the way. “He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it” (1 Thess. 5:24). In times of confusion, if we continue to seek and trust God, His path will emerge, like my familiar prints emerged again from the cluster of prints in the sand.
Another lesson the Lord taught me on this vacation came when I measured my stride against the stride of the person who left the similar sandal prints behind. My stride was definitely shorter; I had to stretch to reach the next print in order to place mine beside it. Walking by faith stretches us spiritually and might feel uncomfortable, but we cannot let our feelings dictate our behavior. Walking by faith means walking…moving ahead, no matter how uncomfortable it feels. It is Jesus who sets the pace and beckons us to keep in step with His Spirit (Galatians 5:25). He empowered us to do this by giving us His Spirit to dwell in us when we placed our faith in Him (Ephesians 1:13-14). There’s more good news: When we walk by the Spirit, we no longer gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16)! How freeing! Whatever fleshly habits we have formed can be completely demolished when we walk by faith in Jesus. Galatians 5:1 says it is for freedom Jesus set us free. While we are called to freedom, we are not to use this freedom as an opportunity to sin, but through love to serve one another (Galatians 5:13). Keeping in step with Jesus, we will likely find ourselves in places we never imagined we could go! It may be challenging at times, but it is very rewarding: Freedom from sin. Ransomed for Himself. No condemnation in Christ. Recipients of His lavish love. Serving others with eternal purpose… Walking by faith is a fulfilling and exhilarating life!
One final lesson from my walks on the beach this summer: There are also times on the journey when we need to pause. As I was walking one morning, I noticed a set of footprints where someone had stopped and turned to face the ocean. I stopped walking and set my feet in the same position, breathed deeply of the ocean breeze, and cast my gaze eastward. The sun was coming up! What a beautiful sight! I stood there in awe, worshiping the One who has been so, so kind to me, thanking Him for the times He invites us to rest in Him. We get weary. We get discouraged. But He says, “Come to Me. I will give you rest” (see Matthew 11:28-30). Let’s pause and turn toward Him. Let’s cast our eyes toward the true Son. Let’s breathe in the life-giving breath He offers in His Word. Then let’s get moving again, following Him on the adventure of a lifetime, keeping in step with His Spirit, even if it stretches our stride!
Dear Jesus, thank You for setting us free from sin and calling us into the freedom You offer us. Thank You for giving our lives meaning and direction. Thank You for allowing us to show Your love to others as we serve them. Thank You for leading us on paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Thank You for making this an enjoyable and exciting journey, one that culminates in intimate fellowship with You, the only God, forever. Thank You for times of rest and for quiet walks with You on the beach. Amen.