Imagine walking with God. Literally…
It's evening in Palestine. The warmth of the afternoon still shimmers over the rocky hills in front of you, but behind you a cool, clean breeze stirs over the deep blue waters of Lake Galilee. The sun, riding low in the sky, bathes the landscape in gold. Soon it will paint a masterpiece over the western heights. Your senses take in the beauty. Though the lake has provided the backdrop for every scene your whole life, you never take its beauty for granted. Yet the loveliness of this summer evening cannot explain the joyful expectancy that wells up like a song inside you. There is another reason for it.
He is coming. Jesus!
He has promised that He will take you and the rest of His closest followers away for a few days. He has dismissed the crowd, that cross-section of humanity—the orthodox rule-keepers and the notorious sinners, the fanatical zealots and the traitorous tax collectors, the influential leaders and the impoverished widows. They have gone on their way, at least for a few days. Jesus is joining you now. You and your friends will hike with Him a few miles and then camp for the night. Tomorrow morning you will leave for the south, traveling down the dusty roads towards Judea and Jerusalem.
As you walk along the way, He will show you many things—birds in the sky, flowers in the field, a city set on a hill—all the while opening your mind to the wonders of God's Kingdom. You've seen birds and flowers and cities before, but never through Jesus' eyes. Each moment with your Friend is tinged with discovery and wonder. But the greatest joy of all is simply to be with Him. You call Him Teacher, but He calls you His friend. That simple fact thrills your heart!
In very many ways, Jesus seems like "one of the guys," like you. Yet at the same time, to your constant amazement, He is also very different. His words are simple, but penetrating. He avoids the complex arguments and theological hairsplitting of the rabbis. Even children love to hear Him. And when He speaks, things happen. The blind see. The sick are healed. The demons shriek and flee. Sometimes the dead are even raised. Those who love God walk away refreshed with joy and hope. The religious pretenders may leave feeling frustrated or angry or remorseful, but they never walk away unchanged.
It isn't just Jesus' words that impress you—it's Him. What a blend of simplicity and depth, compassion and courage, gentleness and power. And love…don't forget love! It isn't that He's gushy with emotion, though He's certainly not afraid to laugh or cry. It's that His eyes seem always focused on others rather than Himself. He genuinely cares about who they are and does what He can to give something real to them.
When you first met Jesus, you felt guilty about your sin and honestly a little frightened of Him. You would have been ashamed to admit it, but until then you had always found religious matters a bit dull and boring. Yet the life that was in this man—it is doubtful that anyone could have explained it to you, even if they had tried. When you first experienced it for yourself, it was frankly intimidating. Oh, you knew how to be religious. You could "say a prayer" or sing a Psalm in the synagogue. But Jesus seemed to chase away the comfortable familiarity and safety of religion with a single glance. It was as if He had pulled a veil away and forced you to confront God face to face. Now, that was terrifying at first! Once you decided to deal honestly with God about your sin, though, that feeling of being with God right here, right now was absolutely exhilarating!
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Since then you have been quite literally walking with Jesus seven days a week along with a group of people that has grown closer to you than…you were about to say "family" until you suddenly remembered some of them are a part of your biological family. But I guess that proves your point!
Does that picture of life sound good to you? It should.
You were created for it.
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This is just a small portion from a teaching article I was reading and the imagery just made my heart beat faster....so beautiful. How wonderful that we to can walk with Jesus today here and now!
God Bless
mary