WALK AS HE WALKED

By: Dennis Harworth

Very early one August morning I strapped on my 50 lb. backpack and headed up the trail.  It was a 10.7 mile hike up to the top of Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States at 14,505 feet.  This was the beginning of a weeklong adventure that was to take me more than twenty miles into the Kern River Valley.  My trail guides were two older friends that were brothers, and both were well experienced hikers.  They had planned out every detail for each day and prepared for any contingency for wilderness living and sleeping under the stars.  However, they were concerned about my exuberance without a hint of fear of doing something like this for the first time.  I told them not to worry because after all, I was 16 years old and I thought I was invincible.

It was no small wonder I was strictly instructed to always walk in the middle of the two and closely follow each and every step of the leader.  It quickly became very clear to me how crucial this was when walking a narrow trail with sheer drops of hundreds of feet to the jagged rocks below.  Once I gave up my careless attitude and listened intently to their instructions, they decided to hike deep into the wilderness off the John Muir Trail.  They followed their maps to locate hidden lakes and streams.  It was there where I saw the spectacular beauty of Nature at its finest, untouched by man.  Not one scrap of litter, the air was sweetly pure, and the streams were so clear you could watch the huge natural trout swallow a baited hook.  Even the meadows were perfectly blanketed with colorful wild flowers, which caused us to walk around them so as to keep them undisturbed.  All of this I would have missed if I had not listened and followed their lead, walked as they walked.

The memory of this grand adventure came flooding back like it was yesterday when I read the scripture in 1 John 2:6: “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”  Just as I was instructed to continuously walk in the footsteps of my hiker friends, the Word tells us as believers that we are obligated to walk as Jesus walked.  Since we are supposed to live a Christ-like life, how did Jesus walk upon the earth?  He walked closely with His Father by:

-believing and trusting

-worshipping and praying

-fellowshipping and communing

-giving and sacrificing

-seeking and following after

-teaching and telling others

-loving and caring for others

-obeying and keeping all the commandments.

Isn’t this one of the most encouraging scriptures you have ever read?  Do you realize that because the Word tells us to walk like Jesus, then we will be able to do just that!!!  The power of the Word will always fulfill the promise of the Word.  John 14:12 from the Amplified Bible confirms this: “I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do;…”

So, if you want the same results as Jesus like mountain-moving faith, answered prayers, and blessings from obedience (just to name a few); then follow in His footsteps.  You will truly experience an abundant life and enjoy living in the supernatural if you just – WALK AS HE WALKED.