Bread for the JourneySample

Get Up and Walk

“Then Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.' At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath.” (John 5:8-9, NIV) That is what Jesus told the paralyzed man; that is what the Lord tells each of His children. Life is a path along which our steps proceed. Some go faster than others, but we are all walking in faith and moving towards growth, maturity, and transformation.

Even though this walk is continuous, we don't always feel like we are moving. Sometimes, circumstances seem to have put a stop to our movement, and it seems like we are lying prostrate, tired, and exhausted. These are the moments when we feel like we have no strength left and wonder if it's worth continuing.

It is then that this powerful and wonderful voice is raised, telling us with divine authority: "Get up and walk." He has said it, and in saying it, He extends His hand to us, just as He did to the apostle Peter when he was sinking into the water. It is in that instant that we put our gaze back on God, taking it off the winds and the storm. It is the moment when we remember and experience His divine presence. Suddenly, the eyes of our souls are opened, and we are certain that we can keep going because God is with us.

And we get up, and we continue, because just as God told the prophet Elijah, we still have a long way to go. “The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, 'Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” (1 Kings 19:7, NIV)

Our beloved Father knows us. He knows when we are galloping on a faith that ignites passion in our souls, and He also knows when we have stopped on the road. He loves us so much that He is always talking to us, helping us, and sustaining us. His Word says: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22, NIV)

Look up to heaven, take hold of your Lord's arm, and in an act of faith, get up! Even the great men of God had moments when they felt faint, when faith seemed distant, and strength failed. But they got up and continued the journey, convinced that the one who sustained them was God.

Don't believe the enemy's lies; don't let him deceive you into thinking that this time you won't be able to get up. Remember that the One who lifts you up is God Himself with His strength, not yours, with His power, not your weakness. King David experienced that divine mercy and left us the grateful expression of his soul so that we, too, may know that God can do the same for us.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:1-2, NIV)

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10, NIV)