Walking Faithfully

I have been looking at a key passage in Isaiah.  “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31. Some of the previous blogs have talked about soaring like an eagle and running and not growing weary.  For this blog, I want to look at the final image, walking and not growing faint.

Isaiah has written about strength, endurance, but now perseverance is the quality he exalts.  There is nothing super amazing about walking.  It is something almost all of us can do.  Walking is just putting one foot in front of the other and doing it over and over.  However, in the Bible, the language of “walk” is often used to express a way or pattern of life.

Paul talks about the walk of our life several times in Ephesians.  He points out that out that at one point we walked in an old life full of trespasses and sin (1:2).  However, the new life in Jesus is a daily walk that is worthy (4:1), unlike the lifestyle of others (4:17), full of love (5:2), and wisdom (5:15).

You see life is more about the persistent daily routines than the major moments.  Sure, soaring over difficulty and running with speed and endurance get noticed, but they are elevated moments.  Walking involves the consistency of living every little moment, not just looking for the big ones. 

Being faithful in the little and normal things of life is monumental. It is in the routine and discipline of our daily life that you and I are prepared and shaped for the big and unusual moments of life.  In other words, learning soar or discovering the endurance to run is found in the daily discipline of the routine of life.  It is walking each and every day with and for Jesus.

Jesus told a parable about some stewards entrusted with their master’s money.  The master rewarded the faithful stewards and said “You have been faithful with a little, I will set you over much.” Matthew 25:21.  The summation Jesus gives at the end of parable is, “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will haven and abundance.  But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Matthew 25:29.

As disciples, Jesus has entrusted us with the regular stuff of life, our time, our relationships, our desires, our skills, talents and abilities, and our money.  How we manage those things every day and in light of the Kingdom of God is the defining mark of a disciple.  True disciples embrace the discipline of a daily walk with Jesus, knowing in the daily walk, their character and commitment is being forged.  The crisis times of life do not really change the nature of a person, they just expose what is present or what is lacking.  If you can be faithful with the daily walk, you will have little trouble being faithful when you are running and soaring.

How committed are you to the daily disciplines of a disciple? Do you read your Bible every day, and not just when you desperately need a word for the Lord?  How regular is your prayer time every day, and not just when life feels like it is falling apart?  How do you treat all people, and not just the ones who can help you?  How do you love your spouse, your children, your parents?  How faithful are you in what seems to be mundane and normal routine of life? In the daily disciplines Jesus is growing His disciple. Walk and don’t faint.