Bible Ballistics: BBs  #376   Snippets For Friday???

“Yea, though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff

they comfort me.”   Psalm 23:4

We often see this passage quoted or read at times of grief or sorrow, at funerals or just when we need comfort in times of difficulty. But I’d like to take a different approach to it; I’d like us to recognize something that is often overlooked—this person IS walking. He’s not sitting down and unafraid, he’s not lounging, or twiddling his thumbs, and unafraid—he IS ‘walking’! He is on the move with the Lord, and when we keep on walking with the Lord, and He with us, we can truly “fear no evil”, for He IS walking with us. The key being, we must ‘walk’ with Him, not sit on our ‘pew’ and wait for others to ‘get moving’, but be “walking” with Jesus!

By the same token, there is a time when we are to wait! We are to “wait upon the LORD”! Another familiar passage and again I want us to peruse a different focus than we usually have in this verse. While the Lord will renew our strength, and we will mount up—there is also (again) the clear indication that we are to be movement!

“But they that wait upon the LORD

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run,

and not be weary;

and they shall walk,

and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

While we are waiting on the Lord it is to be as a servant “waiting on” their master. This servant isn’t expected to idly sit by and “wait” for something to do; wait for his name to be called; wait till someone is watching; wait till he’s ‘in the mood’! No, “I must be about my Father’s business” continually (Luke. 2:49). God expects us to be ‘walking’ in His ways, then as He leads in a particular way or time, HE will provide the strength to “run and not be weary”, to “walk and not faint”, through the mundane, routine walk of living a holy, righteous life before a dark and wicked world. Too many of us are sitting around waiting to “mount up”, when we aren’t even moving! Even Jesus in His childhood knew that serving the Father was an active, participatory relational activity. What about you?

So how do we move and wait at the same time? We simply press on with Jesus, going in one direction (His direction!) until HE changes our marching orders.

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

And last but certainly not least, we “study to shew thyself approved unto God”! We stay in The Word and feast on the truth of God—both the living Word, Jesus, and the written Word, the Bible.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”   Psalm 119:105

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

There it is again, a path—indicating movement, and my feet—walking! Even Paul calls us a “workman”—that’s pretty clear. So get up, get going and follow wherever HE leads you today, having NO fear “for thou art with me”!!!