12/24/2022
When I was a boy it wasn’t uncommon to see people, and families taking a stroll in the evening. When people would have a problem in their life they wouldn’t go to a psychiatrist, they would take a quiet walk to meditate, think, reason, and if they were Men or women of faith they would discuss these things with God, and Jesus Christ. Somehow over the years we have fallen out of this habit, and come to believe that all our problems are to be addressed by yet more action, not less, and that quiet times of solitude are a waste of time. I invite each of us to ask ourselves a simple question today; “How much time do I spend alone with God, and Jesus, or in meditation versus going about my active life in the world, or even faith?”
“One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming.”
Genesis 24:63 NLT
Abraham had sent his oldest and most trusted servant, the head of his household, to find a wife for Isaac from among the women of his homeland where his family lived. Then, while waiting for his return with news of his selection, he and Isaac went about their everyday lives. Abraham had put this important task into the hands of his most trusted servant, but also his trust in the hands of God who had promised him the land where he now lived for his descendants. What is interesting is that even though Isaac was awaiting news of who his wife would be, he still took walks and meditated. No mention was made in scripture of his fretting, praying anxiously, or riding out each day to see if he could spot the men returning… although he certainly thought of this as any young man would. What is mentioned is that he walked and meditated in the fields similar to how God walked in the Garden of Eden…
“When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.”
Genesis 3:8 NLT
There is something godly about quiet walks, and times of meditation. At the end of the day ranchers like to take quiet walks or rides to look over their herds, and farmers like to walk in their fields to enjoy the beauty of them. To this day I can remember my uncle walking out into his fields after dinner. Sometimes he would invite me to walk with him and we would talk, but more often he would do this alone, and I would watch him walk then pause, then walk some more. I always wondered what he was thinking in those times of meditation. Do we make a habit of walking and meditating? If so, what do we spend our time contemplating? Is it worthy of that precious time? Jesus taught us the value of solitude passively by His example…
“One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.”
Luke 6:12 NLT
And, He also taught us directly through lessons like the one in which He instructed his disciples on the value of time apart from others…
“The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.”
Mark 6:30-31 NLT
When I was a boy in Germany I recall seeing old men walking in the evenings with their hands held behind them. Their stride was slow and steady with a certain peacefulness about it. They would walk at the side of the path so that those who were walking at a brisk pace could race past them. Somehow I felt that these people who nearly ran through their evening walk had missed the point. Perhaps their lives were too full and busy, and in concert with the world, that their walks had ceased to be spiritual or therapeutic, and were simply an extension of the anxiety that they were fighting to relieve through this evening exercise. They heard only their own breath as they inhaled, exhaled, and the rapid beating of their hearts, while missing the quiet voice of God that they truly needed to hear…
“The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.””
Exodus 33:14 NLT
This is the difference between running a race through the world, and going up on the mountain, walking through a valley, or spending days on end alone with the Lord in the wilderness. The reward we receive from these quiet walks is amazing indeed. I spoke of old men walking in solitude, but there were also old couples who would stroll arm in arm while saying nary a word to one another. I wondered if the words between them had all been said, or if the years of quiet walks had joined them in a way that we recognize as spiritual in its nature. Quiet walks and meditation alone with God solve the problems of life, and reward us with a peace that is too deep for words. This peace is expressed in sighs, and in a look of restfulness that transcends any that the world can give.
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16 NLT
Do we take enough walks? Do we separate ourselves so that we can meditate, and be alone with God? Are we listening to His voice, and hearing ourselves sigh as peace fills us?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for being with us always, but especially in those times when we walk alone with you and talk with you about our cares, and every aspect of our lives. Thank you for your faithfulness that fosters our trust in you, and for giving us the ability to release our anxiousness, and rest in your peace. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who knows our hearts, has sent your Son Jesus to redeem us, and given us your Holy Spirit to guide us, and speak with you in a spiritual language beyond our words. Praised be your name for the evening walks we take, and the fears we have harbored that evaporate with each step we take. Merciful are you who separates us from the world and speaks to us of yourself in the calm respite of a peaceful walk. Gracious are you who slows us down in prayer and meditation of your Word, and gives us rest and peace amidst the frantic pace and turmoil of life. Wash us clean of sin in the blood of Jesus, and transform us on the mountains and in the valleys with Him. Lead us on in our lives by your Holy Spirit, and when our days on this earth are at end, and Jesus has returned for us, we pray that you will see the image of Christ in us, and His look of peace and joy on our faces. On that day let us walk arm in arm like the old couples who stroll each evening, and speak in quiet tones of love that need no words to convey. Seat us before you Father, and pour out your eternal peace a joy over us. In that moment may your Glory be complete in us.
““I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14:27 NLT
Rich Forbes