Month: February 2025

walking on what?

Posted on by Grace Day

What if I told you I was walking on water yesterday? That’s right – I went water walking. Well, ok, full disclosure, the water was frozen, so it was actually ice I was walking on. Although, having walked on said ice without sustaining any falls or injuries, I consider this no less a miracle than walking on water. I found myself wondering, however, if this is what it feels like to go glacier walking?

One of the rules of glacier walking is that you never walk alone, but always in the company of others. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone as I “glacier walked” the sidewalks and the streets of this inner-city neighborhood. My intrepid, all weather, prayer walking partner was with me. Due to below freezing temperatures, the snow and ice have remained on our streets and sidewalks, although there are now increasing patches of pavement between the “glaciers” that still flow across most of the sidewalks and streets that comprise our prayer walk route.

As my friend and I picked our way carefully across the stretches of ice and snow in our path that we were forced to cross in order to get to the next patch of visible pavement, it occurred to me that people actually pay money to do this, walk on snow and ice, that is. Glacier walking is a real thing in places such as Iceland and Alaska. There is a whole tourist industry built around doing just this. Of course, the scenery is a bit more dramatic on actual glaciers, being full of ice towers, deep ice caverns, waterfalls and beautiful views.

The ice patches (or mini glaciers) we encountered on this particular morning weren’t that deep, definitely not as dangerous, but still just as challenging for us to walk across. (in my opinion) Perhaps it is because my friend and I were not properly prepared for glacier walking on this morning or on any morning for that matter. We were not equipped with the essentials of glacier walking which include crampons, rope, a climbing harness, a helmet and an ice axe. We had none of these things. Neither of us had even so much as a walking stick to steady us, nor did we have special shoes. We were totally unprepared for glacier walking.

BUT – we were prepared for prayer walking. Before setting out on our prayer walk this morning, my friend and I had suited up with all the essentials that we would need. How did we know what to put on and what to take with us? Our instructions are given to us in Ephesians chapter six.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. . . . Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:11&13)

Interesting, the goal is to stand. That was certainly my goal as I was glacier walking on this cold morning. My goal was to keep from falling, to remain upright. My goal was to stand. Our instructions continue –

“Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:14-17)

So my friend and I found ourselves glacier walking while wearing full armor. Seems cumbersome and counterintuitive at best. But, I gotta say, having the sword of the Spirit is even better than having an ice axe. The sword of the Spirit cuts through anything. Here’s how the sword of the Spirit is described in Hebrews – (remember the sword of the Spirit is the word of God)

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Sounds like the sword of the Spirit is sharper than any ice axe, so I guess my friend and I were in possession of the more powerful of the two weapons. And our footwear? (which is pretty important when one is walking on ice) My feet and my friend’s feet were custom fitted with “readiness” – perhaps readiness to face and to flourish in any situation – even glacier walking? At any rate, we were bearers of the gospel of peace – a large load to carry in treacherous terrain such as we found ourselves traversing. A weighty message, the gospel, yet inexplicably light, a joy to carry. Must be why Jesus told His followers –

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)

That’s how we ended up glacier walking in the first place, my friend and I. We are servants of the gospel, commanded NOT to keep this Good News to ourselves but to share it freely, just as it was freely given to us. And so sometimes we find ourselves walking in places that are not always easily traversed. There are deserts and oceans to cross, and valleys and mountains and rivers to ford and sometimes even glacier walking is necessary. No one ever said following Jesus is easy. BUT following Jesus is the ultimate adventure. Jesus told His disciples this –

“If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)

One translation of “must deny himself” says – “you must give up your own way.” That’s how I ended up glacier walking with my friend early on that cold weekend morning. Left to ourselves, we would have been asleep, warm and indoors. BUT – I wouldn’t trade our slippery, semi-perilous, very cold, praying, glacier walking time for anything. Better to be about my Heavenly Father’s business than my own, even if I end up walking on ice!

sincerely, Grace Day

open hands

Posted on by Grace Day

“You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16)

That’s what King David had to say about God’s provision when he wrote this particular psalm. He started by saying –

“The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time.” (Psalm 145:15)

This beautiful image of God as our Provider, God as my Provider, is also expressed in another psalm –

“These all look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.” (Psalm 104:27-28)

This picture of God’s open hand offering to you and to me everything we need or could ever need is profound. God’s provision is available to me. BUT – do I draw near enough to Him to “eat from His hand” so to speak? Or do I keep my distance, preferring what the world or others have to offer me, rather than what God wants to give me? Why would I settle for less when my Heavenly Father’s riches are readily available to me? After all,

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

In both psalms, the word “satisfied” describes the recipients of God’s provision. I can’t say the result is the same when I attempt to fill myself with what I think are “good things” or when I look to current culture to satisfy my desires. In reality, only the One who created me, the One who knows me completely, can truly satisfy the longings of my heart. After all, I am created with eternity in my heart. So are you, dear readers. You and I are created for, specifically wired for, an eternal relationship with our Creator.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

The image of God’s hand, full of His provision, opened towards each one of us, towards all He has created, reminds me of times I have tried to coax or to tame one of God’s creatures by opening my hand full of whatever their preferred food is, in hopes that the allure of food will draw them close to me and get them to return to me willingly again and again, thus establishing a relationship between the object of my affection and myself. “If I could just get them close enough to taste what I am offering them,” I think to myself, “then they would see what they are missing when they ignore my outstretched, open hand, extended to them full of good things. They would see that I mean them no harm.”

I wonder if that’s what my Heavenly Father is thinking about me? (and the rest of humanity) After all, His intention is that you and I and others will –

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8)

I think it is fear that keeps whatever creature I am attempting to tame from coming close enough to me to eat out of my hand. Is it fear that keeps you and I from drawing close enough to our Heavenly Father to receive what His open hand is offering to us? I have to ask myself – do I truly believe these words of Jeremiah, and if so, am I brave enough to boldly approach God’s outstretched, open hand?

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God’s hands are open today and every day, filled with good things, reaching out to you and to me. Will I draw near to Him? Near enough to be fed from His open hand? Will I leave my own pursuits and instead pursue Him? Will I receive from God’s open hand all the good gifts He is offering to me today? The choice is mine. God’s open hands hold an infinite supply of all I will ever need. God patiently continues to hold out His open hands to me, desiring to bring me into relationship with Him as my Provider, my Protector, my Heavenly Father.

God’s open hand is always outstretched toward me. BUT – the question remains – will I draw near to Him, near enough to allow my Creator to tame my wild and rebellious heart? He says to me, to all, and to each one –

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

sincerely, Grace Day

walking with who?

Posted on by Grace Day

They were very large white letters on a black background – too big and too bold for me to miss their message, although I was definitely caught off guard when I saw the words, probably because of context, meaning where I was at the time. These words were on the front of a student’s hoodie – all in caps – inescapable – “WALK WITH GOD”. It was something I didn’t expect to see in this public inner city high school. A private Christian school, maybe. But here, no. Maybe that’s why her hoodie got my attention even in the crowded hallway, packed with students hurrying to their next class, intent on beating the bell.

I must admit, I have grown accustomed to the more typical cliche’s of the current culture being displayed on the students’ t-shirts and hoodies. As there is no real dress code, a lot of darker sentiments and profane sayings are more often displayed on students’ clothing than something as counter cultural as – “WALK WITH GOD.”

So of course these words got my attention and got me thinking about . . . about walking and about how walking is, in many ways, a metaphor for how we go through life. ie. – “a walk in the park, a walk on the wild side, walking on eggshells, walking a fine line, walk a mile in my shoes”. You get the idea. And in this case the question becomes – “who do we go through or who do we walk through life with?” As it turns out, the answer to this question makes all the difference in how we experience this life and in how we navigate our way through life. Who it is that is walking with me matters. And of ultimate consequence is – who do I chose to walk with?

You would have thought I would have figured this out by now. Although I often prayer walk by myself (but not alone) I also join with others weekly to prayer walk and this is a very special time because of who walks with me – another praying person, someone to share in this part of my daily walk with God and vice versa – I am sharing in their journey on this stretch of the road as well. Our journeys or Christian walks intersect during this time and it is encouraging and uplifting.

There’s a song – “You’ll never walk alone” – a beautiful song but my experience often makes me question its sentiment. If you’re like me, maybe you question that too? Like me, you probably feel like you are walking alone many times in your life, perhaps daily? BUT – there is One who is always walking with me, (and you) even when I am not acknowledging His presence nor seeking His company. My Heavenly Father has promised –

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

King David acknowledged this truth when he said –

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

Walking with God is not something new. It’s been going on since the beginning of time, even though sin disrupted this activity. Ever since Adam and Eve made their fateful choice in the garden, you and I can choose to walk with God or not. Adam and Eve chose hiding rather than walking.

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8)

Adam and Eve weren’t the only ones to walk with God. Consider Enoch –

“And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” (Genesis 5:22-24)

Enoch surely walked a lot of miles/years with God! Maybe he holds the record? But there have been others.

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9)

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless. I will confirm My covenant between Me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’ ” (Genesis 17:1-2)

“Then Moses said to Him, ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?’ The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ ” (Exodus 33:14-16)

Moses has a good point. If I don’t walk with God, if His Presence doesn’t go with me, what sets me apart as belonging to Him? When I’m not walking with God, I lose my way and I miss out on the direction, the protection, the provision and the peace that my Heavenly Father’s Presence brings me as I walk with Him. The Israelites experienced God’s Presence walking with them in the desert in this way –

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)

As the Israelites walked with God, God provided them water from a rock and manna new every morning. His Presence lit their way at night, protected them from the sun by day, and guided them on their journey. Of course, walking with God means He’s in charge. I have to walk His way (or in His ways) instead of going my own way.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

Instead, as I walk with God I am learning to –

“Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding; but in all my ways to acknowledge Him, and He will direct my paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The psalmist had this to say about those who choose to walk with God –

“How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.” (Psalm 128:1)

I want to walk in God’s ways. I want to walk with God like Enoch and Noah and Abraham and the Israelites in the desert. As I write this, I realize something – God’s word says, “Noah walked with God” (where God was going) – not “God walked with Noah.” (wherever Noah was headed?) It was all about God’s plan for humanity, not Noah’s plan for himself. Noah never would have built an ark if he were doing his own thing. An ark would have made no sense in a land locked place that had never experienced rain. God didn’t join Noah on Noah’s journey, Noah joined God as God was in the process of carrying out His Sovereign, eternal plan to save those He created in His image (you and me) from eternal destruction.

God will not join me on my self-centered journey BUT – I am invited to walk with God on His road – to walk in His ways. I am invited to experience the journey of a lifetime, the journey that leads to eternal life. Walking with God is an adventure. I will walk in dark, dangerous valleys, I will walk through fire, I will walk through deep waters, I will walk up steep mountains, I will walk across deserts. I may even find myself walking on water! Impossible? well –

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ ” (Matthew 19:26)

As I walk with God, His words give me comfort, courage and the hope I need to continue walking in His ways rather than pursuing my own path –

“But now, this is what the Lord says – He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel; ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.’ ” (Isaiah 43:1-2)

the choice is mine – with whom will I walk?

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

sincerely, Grace Day

the sound of forgiveness

Posted on by Grace Day

It started slowly enough, at first, only a few metallic thuds broke into the stillness of the sanctuary, echoing eerily all around us, sounding vaguely like gunshots. This quickly grew into a barrage of loud crashing sounds, gathering momentum and increasing in intensity, like hail hitting a tin roof. Except this din didn’t come from above. Rather the echoes of rocks hitting metal reverberated, the resounding ripples of jarring sound surrounding us on all sides as we exited the sanctuary.

By the sound of it, we could have been fleeing a war zone and perhaps in a sense we were leaving behind a battlefield. Normally when we leave the sanctuary, it is worship music that surrounds us – providing an inspiring and uplifting sendoff for the week ahead. But not today. Today we left in somber silence, while all around us the clamor of rocks being dropped into empty metal trashcans exploded, their echoes lingering like thunder’s ominous rumbles after a storm.

Could this be what forgiveness sounds like? – like a war zone – like a battlefield. We were each given a rock as we entered the sanctuary at the beginning of the service. The dropping of our stones into the large, empty, metal trashcans at the end of the service was symbolic. This was a tangible way for each of us, if we so chose, to symbolically drop our stone of unforgiveness into the can, signifying our choice to forgive, to let go of any offense done against us and subsequently to let go of any accompanying bitterness or anger we are currently holding tightly in our grasp, due to our refusal to forgive someone else.

If only forgiveness was as simple as dropping a single stone into an empty trashcan and walking away – as simple as letting go. If truth be told, though, I carry with me more than just one stone. I carry multiple stones. Perhaps you do too? Nowadays we collect and hoard offenses like it’s a competition or a sport. The resulting stones of unforgiveness that we carry with us, have a way of accumulating over time, eventually becoming an unbearable burden.

When I am unwilling to let any of my stones go, the load of stones I carry continues to increase until the weight of my stones soon surpasses my own weight. When this happens, I end up buried alive beneath my own stones, all the stones I have so carefully hoarded over the years. I find myself barely able to breathe, unable to move forward, trapped inside the rubble a lifetime of stone collecting brings.

This certainly gives new meaning to the phrase “stoned to death.” And in an ironic plot twist, I am the one carrying out the stoning of myself! Reminds me of the time the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, saying the law required that she be stoned to death for her crime. Jesus’s reply?

“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)

Their response? “At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.” (John 8:9)

Those present, no doubt released their stones as they walked away, stones intended for the woman, dropping them to the ground as they left in silence. Apparently, the woman’s actions had offended them, but when forced to face their own sinfulness, they forgave her offense and let go of their stones. In this case, the sound of forgiveness was the dull thud of rocks hitting the dirt and of feet shuffling in the dust as they walked quietly past her. That day, she heard forgiveness, not as loud as rocks falling into metal trashcans, but no less dramatic.

Forgiveness demands that I put down my stones, that I release them, that I give them up instead of carrying them around with me twenty-four/seven, always at the ready for me to throw at those who have offended me, hurt me, wronged me and even persecuted me. Jesus showed all of us “how it’s done” as He hung on the cross. Those present at His crucifixion were hurling the stones of insulting words at Him –

“The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Him. . . . The soldiers also came up and mocked Him. . . . One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him:” (Luke 23:35-39)

Jesus’s response?

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ ” (Luke 23:34)

the sound of forgiveness – pleading in prayer to God for those who have offended, hurt and wronged us, just as Jesus prayed for the people who were literally in the act of murdering Him even as He prayed for them –

forgiveness – impossible, impossible for me on my own – BUT – “with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

So, I have to ask myself, do I really want to go through life carrying so many stones of unforgiveness around with me all day every day? Unforgiveness inevitably becomes a burden which weighs me down, a burden which holds me hostage, and robs me of the riches of the relationships that I lose if I choose unforgiveness over mercy. Forgiveness, on the other hand, lifts the load off my heart, sets me free and restores the relationships unforgiveness has stolen from me.

I know I desperately desire forgiveness from my Heavenly Father and from others when I have offended or wronged them. Why would I withhold from others the very thing that I myself most wish to receive – forgiveness? I can’t in good conscience. In fact, when Jesus was instructing His disciples in how they should pray, He included these words –

“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12)

forgiveness – highly sought after but often in short supply – except with our Creator, God – He has an infinite supply of forgiveness at the ready –

“If You, Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4)

the sound of forgiveness – a father’s footsteps running toward his son in order to welcome him home after his rebellion and disobedience

the sound of forgiveness – sometimes harder to hear than at other times – tears falling, hearts softening, hands clasping, relationships reuniting, walls coming down, (like Jericho, but much tougher walls) sighs of relief, shouts of joy, heavy loads lifting, the beating of a thousand wings as hearts set free take flight, no longer earthbound by anger, bitterness or unforgiveness –

the sound of forgiveness – the Holy Spirit’s whisper of truth – “It is finished.” “You have been forgiven!” I have been forgiven!

Jesus also said this –

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

When I realize the enormity of how much I have been forgiven by my Heavenly Father, I dare not withhold forgiveness from anyone. Why hold onto my stones? Who am I to do such a thing? The forgiveness I daily receive from my Heavenly Father, I daily extend to others. I no longer need to carry all those stones – I travel lighter through this world. In forgiving others their offense against me, I am the one set free!

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)

sincerely, Grace Day