With all the crazy in the world right now, I wanted to send some encouragement in the chaos, and this particular writing was something the Lord laid on my heart a while ago as I took one simple walk, literally, an actual walk on a country road…I pray it will bless and challenge you today.
One morning the Holy Spirit laid it on my heart to take a short walk, and while this might seem a menial task in and of itself, for me, it was not. There was a lot of pain in my feet, well– in my entire body, yet I knew I must go on this walk that I felt He called me to go on. I winced at the thought but then heard His sweet whisper gently touch my spirit, “Go, I am with you.” So, I went— and in that short walk of obedience, He lovingly dropped a simple message from the very nature He created into my spirit.
As I walked on a lone country road for a time, I began to see, really see…not with fleshly eyes, but with the eyes of my heart. I noticed the brilliant sun rising in the painted sky as sleep shrugged off the morning. The sweet sound of nature blessed my ears, and I could only whisper, “Thank you, Lord.” The gnarled trees, bare of leaves, had a uniquely woven loveliness, and God had kissed my soul with grace.
Walking for a time, I reached the point of turning around, and the bright sun was no longer at my back, but instead, it blinded me. Although it was warm and nice, it forced my eyes directly in front of my feet, and so, my spirit whispered, “Teach me, Lord,” it asked, “Teach me, Lord?” And He answered the call from my heart, filling it with the hope only He can.
He said, ” You see the light right on the road in front of you? Keep your eyes on its shining brilliance. See those cracks in the road—I am with you. I may ask you to step over them, I may ask you to step into them, but I alone can bring you over and out of them. Take my hand and follow me, child— There is beauty in obedience.”
Thank you, Lord.
As I kept walking, I started noticing all these holes in the road, not cracks, but rounded circular shapes – some significant – some not, and so I asked, “What do those represent, Lord?”
“Those, my child, represent spiritual warfare. Do not fear, but you must fight and not let the enemy ensnare you— There is a battle raging, but you must remember, I have already won the war.”
Courage rose up within me, knowing that my God is a God of power, of love, and of deliverance. Continuing with one foot in front of the other, the Lord showed me I could step on those holes, big or small, that it was like the time when Peter walked on water. As long as his focus stayed true, he did not fall, and I, too, needed to focus my eyes on the Father, always, for truth breaks all chains.
Looking at the many scattered holes in the pavement, I began to see them for what they were— The evil that tries to push in and defeat us, surrounding our fleshly existence, and so, I did the only logical thing; I raised my head and began to stomp down the road in a very curious way. I mean, I was symbolically stomping out the devil, and in my heart, I was seeing God’s light shine so brightly that it was subverting and exposing evil, suffocating it and its false testimony. Albeit, others would have seen a woman emphatically stomping like an out-of-shape soldier on the road for no apparent reason, but I knew what it stood for, and that is all that mattered at the moment.
Since I was getting closer to home, I decided it would be a good time to cross the road, yet the sun was so bright I became worried about the possibility of getting hit by a car due to the sun’s light in their eyes. Then the Lord, in His wisdom, used this as another sweet lesson for my soul.
He whispered, “Sometimes, I will ask you to cross the road, even if it might be uncomfortable. Think about this child— If my light shines so brightly through you, their focus will be on my love, mercy, and forgiveness. I work it out for good, no matter what part of the road you are on. Do not fear man. Keep your eyes open in discernment, but do not fear man. I will tell you when it is time to cross the road, walk in the cracks, or step over them. Learn to listen to my voice and let me be your shield. Do not let the thoughts of others sit in your soul to tear down what I am building. Remember this—The purpose called requires persistence, love, grace, and following directions well. Show my fruit, stay in my will, be who I have called you to be. Walk in obedience to my voice, and let not the voice of this world take from you the gifts given – the purpose given. Let the seeds be planted, and even in the dark, desolate places, you will grow, and others will bloom.”
Needless to say — Maybe I should take walks more often…
This one small walk of obedience helped me gain an understanding of how important obedience truly is. That we need to be faithful in the small things, and He will trust us with more. Obedience to God does more for us than just help us obey – it purifies our minds. We can earnestly love others, even when we do not know who they are, for God freely gives His love through us so that we can share it. Be a listening ear or a caring friend in spite of what the world brings or what you may “feel” or “think.”
In this short walk, I realized that God wants to express how important it is to Him for me to listen well and to trust Him completely. It reminded me that I have to walk accordingly, and although the act of walking causes great pain, joy can be found in that suffering— Just like joy can be found in our every day, even when we are out of routine and unable to function as usual. That even the gnarled and bare trees have their uniquely woven beauty.
It is important to remember that even in the small things, obedience is required—- and if we can do this, He can trust us with so much more.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Ministry Moms.
Featured Image by DanaTentis from Pixabay
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