“A Walk With Jesus”
Amos 3:2; Luke 24:13-35 9/8/04
It was a beautiful early fall day as I walked along. The trees had not yet turned color and I was anticipating that soon, in a few weeks, I would be enjoying a hillside filled with colors of gold and scarlet. But today, the trees and the bushes were drooping with berries and nuts and fruit. I picked a few as I went along my way, and enjoyed a moist burst of flavor on my tongue. The sun was warm on my face as I strolled along in the peace and quiet of the early morning. Birds were singing me a happy song. Squirrels and chipmunks happily played among the leaves. A doe and her fawn timidly slipped to the stream to get a drink. As I meandered along this path I had never walked before, I trilled at the newness - the adventure of it. Other’s had gone before me, that was clear, but it was new and fresh and filled with questions for me. There was tremendous beauty, but there was also the clear threat of danger. I had heard that if I got off on the wrong trail - I could end up on a slippery talus sloop and end up dead at the bottom of a deep gorge. The story was that if the unwary took a few steps too far, the momentum of the slide couldn’t be stopped and you fell clawing and crawling to destruction. Not a pretty thought for such a pretty day.
I came to a fork in the trail and stopped. Which way should I go? Right or left? Up or down? I didn’t know which was the best way. So I reached in my pack and pulled out my map. Maybe I could get some direction.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever wondered which was the way to go? Probably happens, almost every day, for most of us. Life is filled with adventure and danger. It is filled with beauty and ugliness. It is filled with joy and pain. And there are always those forks to push us into making choices. God does that on purpose, I think. As He first reveals Himself among His people, he says,
"Look, today I have set before you life and death, depending on whether you obey or disobey. I have commanded you today to love the Lord your God and to follow his paths and to keep his laws, so that you will live …, and so that the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to possess. But if your hearts turn away and you won’t listen--if you are drawn away to worship other gods-- then I
declare to you this day that you shall surely perish; you will not have a long, good life in the land you are going in to possess. "I call heaven and earth to witness against you that today I have set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and to cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days. You will then be able to live safely in the land the Lord promised …” Deut 30:15-20 (Living)
God has set each one of us on a path, and in a sense, we walk it alone. I remember and old song illustrating that fact. “You gotta walk that lonesome valley. You gotta walk it by yourself. Nobody else can walk it for you. You gotta walk it by yourself.”
Frankly, I don’t like to walk alone - at least all the time. When I was little, I liked to walk with Dad. He was big and strong and I felt protected and safe in any situation when my hand was in his. When I got a little older, I liked to hike with my buddy. It was fun to share adventure with a friend. And together we conquered the highest and lowest spots on the continental United States. When I got a little older still, I found a special someone to walk with. And I still like to share the journey with her and start the day with a little exercise and quiet conversation. But in the path God set us on, our mom and dad can’t help. Our mate can’t help us. Our friends can’t walk it for us. We have to walk it by ourselves.
Have you ever felt alone, even though you’re in a room filled with people? Have you ever sensed that solitary feeling even though you know you are loved by family and friends? When it’s all said and done, we are on this adventure alone. And when it’s done - we will face the Master -alone- to give an account of our self. He has set us on a path that leads to life or death. And we have to make the right choice.
Now I say all that, but on the other hand, God Himself said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” The wisest man who ever lived, said,
“Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he’s in trouble. Also, on a cold night, two under the same blanket gain warmth from each other, but how can one be warm alone? And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Eccl 4:9-12 (Living)
We were not created to live alone. We can’t be happy and fulfilled alone. We need friends and family and loved ones. We need their strength and support. We need our church family and their prayers. But ultimately, we walk our path alone and will answer only for ourselves. God’s Word says,
“I saw the dead, great and small, standing before God; and The Books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in The Books, each according to the deeds he had done. The oceans surrendered the bodies buried in them; and the earth and the underworld gave up the dead in them. Each was judged according to his deeds.“ Rev 20:12-13 (Living)
I believe in judgment day. Nobody’s getting away with anything. And we will ALL answer for ourselves. God has set before us a path. One fork leads to life and eternal glory. The other way leads to death. You are on it. Each day brings you closer to your destination. Each breath brings you one moment nearer to your final destination. Each beat of your heart takes you one step closer to your final destination.
But guess what? We don’t have to take this trip alone. Jesus said,
“I am the Way--yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me.” John 14:6 (Living)
There are some today that say things like, “All paths lead to God.” or “I don’t need church. I have
my own religion.” The bible warns,
“Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road that seems right but ends in death.”
Prov 14:12 (Living)
Jesus said, “Heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate! The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes who choose its easy way. But the Gateway to Life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.” Matt 7:13-14 (Living)
I used to lead backpacking camps for about 8 or 9 years. Every summer we would go up into the mountains into some of the most beautiful but most desolate places in California. I learned that a map is extremely important. If you read the wrong map it leads to hardship and toil and possibly death. God has given us the directions to eternal life. It’s the Bible. If you choose to base your eternal destination on some other teaching you are betting your life on the wrong thing. It may seem that it leads to life, abundant and sweet, and full of worldly pleasure - but it ends in death. Jesus, and only Jesus is the way to
eternal life and the Heavenly Father.
Have you ever noticed that who you walk with makes all the difference? I walked with some people whose incessant chattering and irritating mannerisms made a short jaunt seem like it took an eternity. Then there were those others whose company made the most difficult hike seem short and fun.
I want to encourage you to take Jesus with you on your journey. He will make the trip so much more delightful. Listen:
“… for good men the path is not uphill and rough! God does not give them a rough and treacherous path, but smoothes the road before them.” Isaiah 26:7 (Living)
Jesus knows all the short cuts and the easy ways. Have you ever tried to find a short cut on your own, like me, only to find that you’re fighting a manzanita thicket or are stopped by a cliff and have to expend twice the energy or go twice as far to get around it? I’ve done that more than once. But Jesus knows the path. He knows where it is not uphill and rough. He knows how to smooth the road out.
David said, “He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams.”
Psalms 23:2 (Living)
I’ll never forget that time I was hiking in the Stanislaus Wilderness near Sonora Pass. It was a long, hot morning hike, and we were sweaty and tired as we topped that last little rise before lunch. We came out looking on a long, wide meadow, that had a good sized stream meandering through it. And we rested in the meadow grass beside a quiet stream. Jesus can do that for us. There will be hard times. Difficult times. Times of pain and sorrow in life. But just when we need it most - Jesus will lead us to the oasis.
A man who was near to the heart of God, King David, said,
“The Lord is good and glad to teach the proper path to all who go astray; he will teach the ways that are right and best to those who humbly turn to him. And when we obey him, every path he guides us on is fragrant with his loving-kindness and his truth.” Psalms 25:8-10 (Living)
The good News is that you don’t need to be perfect to walk with Jesus. He will teach the right
ways - the best ways. When we obey Him - every path he guides us on is fragrant with His blessing.
But there is this thing of obedience. I remember one time I was helping lead a group of hikers high above Tuolumne meadows in eastern Yosemite. The sky was getting dark and threatening. And we were pushing pretty hard to get off the high ground where the lightening would strike. One of the older teens decided he had enough. Ken, the leader, explained the situation to no avail. This kid was going to do his own thing. Time was of the essence and I told Ken to go ahead with the rest of the group. I would talk to Billy and motivate him to follow. They left and Billy remained sulking in the dust of the trail while I patiently explained to him the situation. Finally, exasperated, I sternly said, “Get up and get walking - NOW!” He got up and got in my face and yelled, “You can’t make me go anywhere!” Being a little taller than me, it was relatively easy to throw him with a judo hip throw that I had learned as an MP in the army.
As he lay on his back in the dust, I gently asked, “Are you ready to go now?” He meekly said, “Yeah.” He was my best friend for about three years after that.
The point is if we don’t obey our Guide - it will end in punishment at best and total separation at worst. Jesus said, “If you love me, obey me” John 14:15 (Living) It’s not an option. What soldier has the option of obedience. He has a free will and can choose that option. But, believe me, it will only end in bad things. If we want to end up with our Lord, we better follow Him all the way.
David had the right attitude. He said,
“Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I’ll wholeheartedly obey. Make me walk along the right paths, for I know how delightful they really are.” Psalms 119:33-35 (Living)
Some people don’t trust God. They think He is out to spoil their fun. Nothing could be further from the truth. God wants to protect you and help you and lead you in the good ways. David said that God’s paths were delightful. Don’t you like that? Do you remember a delightful path you were on? I’ve been on many. I’ve hiked between Stewart Springs and the Castle Crags in two days. The whole fifty
mile trip was delightful. It was hard - but delightful. From Deadfall lake, past Mount Eddy, to Toad Lake and Porcupine Lake, to Seven Lakes Basin- It was all delightful. I’ve hiked some delightful places in Nevada and Minnesota, too. Lush places with lakes and meadows. Fireflies glowing under the pine trees at night, sky ablaze with stars, the scent of cedar and sage in the air. Delightful places. Jesus wants to lead you to delightful places. Will trust Him with your life? This trip is going to end in paradise. The destination is too wonderful for us to even imagine what it‘s like. Paul wrote:
“…no mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord.“ 1 Cor 2:9 (Living)
God, when He was wanting to communicate just a glimpse of what He had in store for us, said that there will be no more tears; no more sorrow; no more death; no crying or pain, in that place. (Rev. 21:4)
He said that there will be nothing that will ever harm us anymore. He said, “It will be filled with the glory of God and flash and glow like a precious gem, crystal clear like jasper. (Rev 21:11 (Living)) The city itself is pure and transparent gold like glass! It is made out of gems of every kind! (Rev 21:18 (Living))
It is the REAL “emerald” city. And there is no wizard there. But there is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Now, I don’t know if there will be real gems or if God was just trying to relate on our terms how wonderful it will be. It doesn’t matter to me. I know it will be awesome.
There is a way before you that leads to life and this destination. There is another way that leads to death. Which one are you on? The invitation is given. “Come and follow Me.” Are you following?
It is a delightful, happy way. I won’t kid you - there are rocky places. Steep places. Muddy places. But Jesus knows how to get us through them all. I’m going to follow Him. How about you?
