BE FAITHFUL TO THE END

2 Kings 2:1-14; Psalm 6:1-10; Luke 9:51-62

Introduction

Footprint in the sand poem

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and tests.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

A Faithful Walk

Walking faithfully in the Lord is about moving alongside God in one accord. It is the exhibition of complete faith in God as we pass through life's journey. It is focusing on God and stepping into His lead to be on the right track.

Let me share with you some practical steps to focus on as we pursue a faithful walk in the Lord.

1. A walk with God can be likened to one's walk with a friend. When you walk with someone, the two of you travel in one direction with a similar pace of steps. You talk to each other with focused attention. Amos 3:3 brings us to the point to understand that, two people cannot walk together unless they agree. Therefore, you first must agree to walk in the Lord either than that there is no walk at all.

2. For a faithful walk with God you must study how others have walked with Him. Enoch is the first man in the Bible we learn of His walk with God. According to the Scripture, "...Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years ... Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more because God took him away." (Genesis 5:22-24 NIV). He had an intimate relational walk with God and was not made to see death.

In Genesis 6:8-9, we are told, in a totally corrupt world when no one walked with God, "... Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." (Genesis 6:8 NIV) because he was righteous and walked in the Lord.

Jesus' encounter with people shows us some basis for walking faithfully with God. He says, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58 NIV) This means that, when we are walking with the Lord, we must not have out-of-track expectations. Many people lose track of God because their expectations are mostly out of the line. They say, "When I walk with Him all will be well", "all my troubles in this life will be washed away", "I'll be rich because silver and gold are His" etc. Like the footprints poem, we turn to question God in times of challenges. Walking in the Lord comes with a cost to pay. Jesus says, "take up your cross."

Remaining Focused

1. Let go of all Distraction: I still remember the days when my mother would give me a knock on the head anytime I got distracted by things on the road whiles walking with her. Before you can focus on God you need to let go of all the worldly things that distract you. These distractions are mostly not sins in themselves but take priority in your life over God.

Consider what it is like to walk with a friend and he/she spends the entire time on her/his cell phone rather than interacting with you. What a boring it would be. Similarly, the distractions you focus on instead of focusing on God can prevent you from really walking together with God. Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead... No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit...” to walk with the Lord. (Luke 9:60,62 NIV).

The sin that you turn to create an obvious distraction, but they are not the only things you need to watch out for. Even things that can be beneficial can become harmful distractions if you are not careful. 

2. Study the Bible every day: Every walk has a direction that is guided by a map, compass, or taken through by another. The specific instruction concerning our walk with God is spelled out in the Bible. When you study that is where you are able to show yourself approved unto God. The word keeps your focus on God by giving you the clear difference between the 'passion route' and 'patient path'. The keeps you from sinning against God.

Elisha knew that Elijah was going to be taken away and had resolved to walk with him all the way. He remained focused in the midst of all the distractions he met until he had a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Your diligent study of the word would keep you focused in the midst of the proliferation of false teachers and prophets.

3. Pray Without Ceasing: Prayer is the communication line between the Christian and God. As long as we keep it active but not switched off or in flight mode or refuse its use, our walk with is meaningful to both God and us. Chat with God through thanksgiving, praise, adoration, supplication, and intercession. Your walk with a friend involves chit-chat of laughter, jokes, questioning, sharing, crying etc. Prayer is where we express these things with our able friend, our Lord. It is alright to sometimes be out of words in prayer, "...We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." (Romans 8:26-27 NIV) Beloved in Christ, all you need to do is pray, just pray. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV) He further cites Elijah who was a human yet his prayers were so powerful. The Lord has heard your cry to relieve you from anguish (Psalm 6:9-10).

4. Pay attention to divine providence: Kofi, my 5-year-old boy, in a devotion, said, "God listens to our prayers but He cannot talk to us." We all laughed but I realized he spoke about the feelings of many Christians today. I believe we fail to pay attention to the voice of God through a significant interruption in the course of our walk with Him. These signs of providence can be subtle and so requires a discerning heart and mind to see them.

Consider Abraham's servant on his quest to find a wife for Isaac. The sign of Rebekah fetching water for him and his camels was enough for him to see the answer to his prayers (Genesis 24:15-20). 

After Elisha's difficult request, Elijah actually told him to pay attention to the providence of God and he will receive what he asked. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” (2 Kings 2:10 NIV)

Precious one, do not take off your eyes from the signs on the wall to find answers and directions God gives. My son, Kofi is drawing our attention to our feelings when in fact God has and is speaking to us always.

Be in the Light

Reflect on the way you live your life nowadays and ask yourself which components of your life are in step with the Lord and which ones stray from the path. Always consider your ways with God.

See the guidance of the Holy Spirit always. Whiles being fellowshipping with others, studying the Bible, praying, and paying attention to God's providence, the Holy Spirit must be your guide because He makes all these possible

Have God's patience. God's time is not dictated by people. Always note that your pace whiles walking with God is not the same as that of others. Elisha had patience with God in all the places they visited before receiving his hearts desire. God will never mistake sending your mail to the wrong receiver and so what others have is for them, wait on your turn.

Always walk with others on the same path with the Lord. "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers." (Psalms 1:1 (NIV) 

Whereas you can have loved ones outside of the Christian faith, it is important to fellowship with those who share in your dedication to God. "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14 NIV). "Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”" (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV).

No matter what, keep walking. No matter how many times you trip and stumble, you need to dust yourself off and continue walking. "For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again" (Proverbs 24:16 NIV). God will not turn you away and will never leave you. Beloved, even if you temporarily lose sight of the path never give up, just grab the waiting arms of God to keep walking but faithfully with the Lord.

Shalom aleichem...