Walk in the Way

And a highway will be there;

    it will be called the Way of Holiness;

    it will be for those who walk on that Way…

They will enter Zion with singing;

    everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Walking is the perfect metaphor for life in Christ. We do it daily, with the Lord, in a clear direction, in relationship with those who are also walking on that Way, in intimacy with God who is Holy. It is clearly worth it. The Psalmist says that those who walk in the way have joy resting upon them. Gladness chases after them until they are overtaken. Jesus connects life in him with this passage when he says that he is “The Way, the Truth, and the Life, No one comes to the Father but by me.” (Jn 14:6) When we walk with Jesus we gain clarity about our relationship with God and a beautiful life filled with purpose, meaning, joy, and gladness. It is the Way of Holiness that will lead us to the heart of the Father.

The verse in between the call and the promise says that fools won’t walk in that way. They haven’t heard about it. They don’t get it. They don’t trust the One who calls them to that Way. Or, they simply think it is too hard. Whatever the reason, they are missing the blessing that they long for in their hearts, joy, and gladness. 

Who do you know who is far from God and struggling in life because they don’t have peace, joy, and gladness in themselves and their relationships? I challenge you to Walk in the Way of Jesus and extend an invitation to find Life in him. Sunday, Oct. 13 is ‘We Love Our Neighbors’ Sunday. It is an opportunity to invite someone to discover that they can have abundant life when they decide to walk with Jesus. And in doing so, they will discover the joy and gladness they were designed to experience. 

Let’s not settle for the occasional commitment to Jesus. Let’s not follow only when convenient. Together, let’s draw closer to the Father by walking in the Way by the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to show you who he wants you to invite – then do it.

Walking in the Way,

Jonathan