Walk

If you’ve never read—like, really read—the book of Job, I strongly encourage you to do so.

“Brace yourself,” says the Lord in Job 38:3. “I will question you, and you shall answer Me.”

“Who laid the earth’s foundation, the sea, and the clouds, orders day and night, commands the rain, numbers the stars, and has organized every fragment of creation from Genesis to Revelation?”

The use of the word “Who” here is important. You see, “who” suggests that Someone, rather than something is behind these marvels and miracles.

I wanna share a quote from Mark Hall.

“So much of our time as believers, we can get lost in thinking that You are just a book that we read, You’re a goal that we’re trying to reach, You’re a place that we go to once a week, You’re a lifestyle, You’re some type of world view. But God, we can’t lean on a world view, we can’t cry to a book. You’re a Father. You’re a good, good Father. And You’re not loving us because we’re good, You’re loving us because You’re good. And God, the more we sing and the more we pray, just remind us that this is a conversation with a person that loves us, that knows everything about us and loves us. You deserve every breath that comes out of us.”

Books and brick buildings, goals and world views . . . that’s religion, friends. But God is so much more than religion, and more than anything else, He desires a relationship with you. With me.

And looking at the declarations of just who He is in Job, I can’t think of anything more humbling than that: God wants to have a relationship with me. Little ol’ me. A sinner. A stumbler. Someone who’s failed Him before and will inevitably fail Him again.

Romans 5:20 states that “where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” And I wanna talk about that.

During Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Doug Wede shared a quote he said he’d written down because it was so good. And it was a good quote. I’ll share it later. Because this one, to me, is even better.

Spoken from the heart of the miracle-working God on high, “I don’t just save you for what you were. I save you for what I have for you. No matter where you go, I’ll walk with you.”

The same God who encountered Job amidst his suffering, who looked at the man and basically asked him, “Do you know who you’re talking to? Do you know who I am?” will go with you wherever you go. Religion says “do this, get forgiveness, then you can walk with Jesus.” But Jesus said “Nah, you got it all wrong. I’m already walking with you. I saved you then, and I’ll do it again, just walk   with   Me.”

Just walk with Him. If we don’t, then we’ll never see what else He has for us. Now I’m not talking riches and fame and material possessions, but freedom, peace, and confidence within the storm.

I guess this blog is gonna be real quote-heavy, because I got a few more to share. I read one the other day that really hit me in the heart. Speaking of life’s storms, it said “God will either part the sea or ask you to walk on water.” And it gave me pause.

I’ve prayed that prayer. I’ve asked for parted waters. Again and again even. I could feel His voice calling me, asking if I trust Him, but I couldn’t get my feet to move. I was planted firmly in the sand, which is funny to say because, as a foundation, sand isn’t very firm at all.

I’m willing to bet some of you have stood where I stood. Peter did, too. And in Matthew 14:28-29, overcome with fear at the sight of Jesus walking across the surface of the lake, Peter sat aboard a storm-battered boat and called out to Christ. “If it’s You, Lord, tell me to come to You.” And ya know what Jesus did? He looked at Peter and He said “Come.”

And He’s saying that to me.

And He’s saying that to you.

And I’m sharing this with you because, the pastor’s favorite quote, “Sin brought bondage, and people needed to see that bondage.”

People need to see that your faith matters, no matter the storm you're up against.

Fear is a form of bondage. Doubt. Worry. Anxiety. Anything we let weigh us down can be bondage. But if we take the first step, then the next, if we can will our feet to move and walk with Him, then we’ll look back and see that the chains holding us back have already been broken.

“How sweet it is to trust in You.”

How sweet to trust in You in a fallen world, a darkened world, a sinful world, because recognizing the consequences of sin makes salvation with Christ even sweeter still.

“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid,” says Jesus in Matthew 14:27.

I’ve gotten my feet to move, friends, because my eyes are on the Man standing on the water ahead of me.

Religion didn’t give me that. A relationship with the Man who walked before me did.

Because at the end of the day, that’s all religion is is a place where we stop, check boxes. A relationship is where we walk.