I have always been afraid of snakes. We live on the lake and have a couple of acres that we have left heavily wooded. I have researched how to determine their habits and where they prefer to dwell. Snakes like to hide in brush or other places where they cannot be detected. Therefore, I do not go to the woods, and I watch where I am walking when I am outside. The thought of stepping on one sends shivers up my spine. I will not watch them on TV or go to their exhibits at the zoo. I pay close attention to where I am walking. I look several steps ahead on any path I take. If you have not figured it out by now, I have an inordinate fear of snakes. My son tells me I need to get over it and face my fears, but I say, “I’m perfectly fine with my inordinate fear.” It makes me pay attention to where I am walking.
When the Bible speaks about walking, it is often used in the scriptures to denote a way of life or conduct. It is a means of getting from one point to another. It requires action. The word walk, walked, or walketh is used in the Bible 375 times. It is represented both positively and negatively. God uses this word to teach us biblical truths about ourselves and others.
In Proverbs 15:21, we see that “Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.” We see that foolishness is seen in an unwise man. He lives for what seems to be fun and satisfying to the flesh. However, if he has understanding he will walk straight, which means he is seeking to do what is right according to God. He keeps his focus on what is straight ahead. His actions are governed by God.
A man who is not paying attention to where he is going, or looking around to do things that are pleasing to the flesh, is like the animal that is stalking his prey and does not see the trap set for him. In Job 18:8, a man is plotting to trap others. He is as the man in Psalm 9:16b. “the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.” He is reaping what he sowed and falls into his own trap.
Job 18:8 “For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.”
In II Thessalonians 3:6, Paul is commanding those who are born-again believers to withdraw from those who are walking disorderly. This would include any brethren who are walking in ways that are contrary to what Christ taught. In Psalm 1:1, the man is blessed if he does not listen to the words of those who are ungodly. His source for advice is God’s word. He does not allow himself to linger by standing around, hanging out with them, or sitting down as if he were taking his place with them. They are wicked men who mock the righteous. He avoids walking with them at all costs.
II Thessalonians 3:6 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”
Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
What governs our way of life, the things we think about, or the things we do? It should be our love for the Lord. When we love deeply, it will change the way we act and think. In Psalm 1:2, the person who conducts himself honoring the Lord finds delight in God’s word. He meditates on it day and night. He is always conscious of God’s presence in his life. God’s laws are not grievous to him; instead, he embraces them. He understands that God loves him infinitely and wants what is best for him. This truth changes how he thinks and acts. Where you walk is determined by a choice you make. When you choose to love Christ, you will want to please Him. Love is always shown by our obedience. The closer we get to the Savior, the more we abhor the conduct of those who do not know God. While we have pity on their souls, we also despise their conduct. We come to a point where their lives are not attractive to us at all. When we reach this point, we will walk in a manner that is pleasing and honorable to God.
Psalm 1:2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
