In a physical sense, walking is greatly beneficial to human health. Many of us wish we can run regularly; go to the gym regularly or be involved in serious regular workout sessions; not knowing that regular walking can do us greater goodness.
Walking for 150 mins a week on a regular basis is deemed helpful to burn calories; strengthen the heart; lower blood sugar; ease joint pains; boost immune function; boost energy; improve one’s mood; extend life; tones legs; clears the mind; etc.
So also in a spiritual sense, walking in faith is very beneficial to the life of believers: it keeps our focus and away from distractions; it helps us to meditate and reflect on the goodness of God; it brings us inspirations and revelation on what to do; it gives us victory over enemy forces; it gives us hope of a better tomorrow; it gives us the strength to overcome the challenges of today; etc.
As many of us still find it challenging to commit time to regular walking despite its benefits; regular spiritual walking can also be challenging, except one is determined and prayerful.
In Isaiah 40:30, the bible tells us that it is possible for the youth to grow weary and tired; and that even the strong men can stumble and fall badly while walking; but it says that those that wait on the Lord, regardless of their age and gender, they will walk and not faint.
It means that walking and not waiting on God for the renewal of strength can make one to faint, no matter how strong physically that person might be. There are strong men in the bible who had fainted temporarily before; because they did not wait on the Lord to renew their strength at the time.
Samson was a strong man. A thousand men could not stop him. City walls and gates could not stop him. The lion could not stop him. When he stopped waiting on God, just a lady stopped him. He fainted in walking. His eyes were removed. He was made a laughingstock by his enemies. As soon as he waited on God again, his strength became renewed and he was able to walk again with lasting victory (Judges 16: 21-31).
Prophet Elijah was a strong man. He could stand in front of the king and dare him. He could seal the heavens from rain. He could open the heavens again. He could roast his aggressors with fire. He could end the life of 850 false prophets. When he temporarily stopped waiting on God, only the Queen of the land stopped him. He ran for fear of his life (1 Kings 19: 1-8).
As soon as he waited on God again, his strength became renewed, he was able to walk again with glorious victory (2 Kings 2:1-12).
King David was undoubtedly a strong man. He killed lion and bear. He killed Goliath of Gath. He obtained 200 foreskins as dowry for his wife. He also championed many raids in the land of the Philistines and other surrounding nations. But when he temporarily stopped waiting on God, it was the disappearance of his family made him faint (I Sam. 30: 1-6).
As soon as he waited on God again, his strength became renewed and he was able to walk again triumphantly (I Sam. 30: 7-20).
Apostle Paul was a strong man. A fearless lawyer and Pharisee. An enforcer of the law of Moses; and later a bold and courageous follower of Christ that had zero priority for an earthly living (Philp. 1: 21). For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity].
But while Paul was on missionary trip at West Coast of Asia Minor; the enemy mounted undue pressure on them so that they could faint. Their waiting on God and the prayers of other saints helped to renew their strength and thereby avoided fainting (2 Cor. 1: 8-11). For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about our trouble in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor], how we were utterly weighed down, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life [itself]. 9 Indeed, we felt within ourselves that we had received the sentence of death [and were convinced that we would die, but this happened] so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. 10 He rescued us from so great a threat of death, and will continue to rescue us. On Him we have set our hope. And He will again rescue us [from danger and draw us near], 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then thanks will be given by many persons on our behalf for the gracious gift [of deliverance] granted to us through the prayers of many [believers].
Prayer: Father, no matter how strong or young I think I am; help me to always wait on you for renewal of my strength.
I read of the story of a man that walked across America with his dog in 1973. It took him several months or years I cannot remember. He was robbed thrice; stabbed once. He got hit by a car once, and his dog got killed by a car.
When he was asked if there were any time he felt like quitting, he said yes. They asked him was it when you got robbed? stabbed? hit? dog died? NO.
When was it then? Whenever sands entered my shoes. No matter how strong a man is, it is difficult to keep walking for long when you have grains of sands in your shoes. Little and tiny things can make one to faint in walking.
Nothing shall make you faint in Jesus name.
The Bible, however, gives us several examples of those who walked by faith and finished well without fainting. You too will not faint in Jesus name.
In Gen. 5: 21-24, the bible tells us about the life of a man that walked perfectly well and never fainted once. God was so pleased with his walk that he was invited home for coronation earlier than the people of his time and age.
May your walk certainly please the Lord God.
May you not struggle to walk in habitual fellowship; reverence; and obedience to God in Jesus name.
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One of the greatest prayers in the bible is found in 2 Cor. 13: 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
May you walk with the blessed Trinity Almighty all your life in Jesus name.
Prayer: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God; and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit abide with me all the days of my life.
The same thing happened with Noah. In Gen. 6:9 These are the records of the generations (family history) of Noah. Noah was a righteous man [one who was just and had right standing with God], blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked (lived) [in habitual fellowship] with God.
While the people living over the surface of the earth were doing what they liked; Noah, however, was walking perfectly without fainting.
When God gave him the instruction to building an Ark for the impending flood; he did not argue nor doubted God. He acted in obedience and his close walking with God preserved him and his household from destruction (Gen. 6: 13-22; 7: 1-10).
May God save you from local and/or global destruction. He will save your household. He will save you from danger. He will keep you in His pavilion.
He will provide for you. He will shield you till evil be passed.
He will bless mankind through you. The favour of God will preserve you in Jesus name.
Prayer: Father, save me and my household from any and every destruction in Jesus name.
In Gen. 37: 5-11, Joseph had 2 dreams which were rightly interpreted by his brothers and his father. But he was the 11th son of his father, how would such a dream come to pass? He, however, kept walking with God without fainting.
It was his walking with God that made him accept the request from his father to go and check on his brothers’ welfare who hated him. It was his walking that made him go further looking for them in Dothan when they ought to be in Shechem.
His brothers initially wanted to kill him, but later sold him into slavery to the Ishmaelites merchants going to Egypt. They, in turn, sold him to Potiphar – Pharaoh captain of royal guards.
Things were going a bit fine for Joseph until the wife of Potiphar lied against him. He was thrown into jail for what he did not do. For the next few years, he spent his life in the dungeon until 2 principal officers of Pharaoh were thrown into the same prison: Chief Baker and Chief Butler.
They both had somehow similar dreams on the same night, which Joseph was able to interpret correctly. Baker was killed; the Butler was reinstated.
Joseph pleaded with the Butler not to forget him when he would be released, but he did (Gen. 40: 14-15). Only think of me when it goes well with you, and please show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. 15 For in fact I was [a]taken (stolen) from the land of the Hebrews by [unlawful] force, and even here I have done nothing for which they should put me in the dungeon.”
So, for 13 years after Joseph was sold into slavery, he suffered one thing or the other; but he kept walking without fainting. He would have been praying for freedom to go back to his father and mother’s son – Benjamin in Canaan; little would he have known that God was planning something bigger and greater for him. When one day they came to fetch him in prison, he would be thinking what have I done? What has happened? It could not be the Butler? But what could it be? It was to be his day of miraculous coronation!
Those who sold him to slavery and those who locked him up in prison would have thought he would never have a meaningful life again. But God shocked them to their marrows when they saw him next!
There is someone listening to me now, you have been going through some hard stuff in the last few years: attack on your life; you have experienced betrayal; lied against; forgotten; etc. God has opened your book of remembrance today.
You shall soon be called upon for your miraculous coronation.
You will soon forget all your years of servitude and toiling.
Those who had done you evil will be shocked by God with how good your life will turn out.
They meant what they had done against you for evil, but God will turn it for your good in Jesus name.
God will array you in royal robes.
God is promoting you to a position of complete amazement.
Those that swear that they will never bow to you as a brother will still do so as a ruler.
There is someone listening to me, you have suffered so much for choosing to walk perfectly; God is about to compensate you.
Those that have known you before when they see you next will not recognise you again, because your level will have gone up dramatically.
Prayer: Father, keep me alive for my day of coronation.
David was another character in the bible that one can say walked and not fainted eventually. When King Saul misbehaved, God chose David as the next king of Israel. Prophet Samuel was sent by God to go and anoint him as the next king (I Sam. 16: 1-13). It will seem as if David will ascend on the throne soon afterwards, but no. He had to walk with God in endurance, patience, perseverance, and even longsuffering for the next 13 and 20 years before he began to reign on the tribe of Judah and the whole of Israel.
David had to go back to caring for the sheep after been anointed as the king; he had to serve the rejected king as the armourbearer; he had to go on military errands at the order of the rejected king; he had the opportunity to kill Saul severally, but chose to keep running away from him; he had to live in caves and strongholds just to avoid King Saul, till Saul was killed by the Philistines.
Before David would embark on any trip or venture, he would ask God first if he should or should not (I Sam. 23: 2-3, 10-14 at Keilah – defend crops & escape;
I Sam 30: 8 at Ziklag;
2 Sam. 2:1 Hebron;
2 Sam. 5: 19 Valley of Rephaim).
David truly walked with God with a perfect heart.
There is someone listening to me now, what you are experiencing currently is like the opposite of what God has promised you. Just keep walking. The promise is for an appointed time. It will yet speak; it shall not keep silent.
There is another person, you are still serving when you ought to be served. Your coronation is not far from now.
There is another person, you are been chased vigorously to stop your destiny from been fulfilled. Those who are chasing you will fail.
Prayer: Father, cut off the enemies that are chasing me so that I will not faint.
As Jacob was making a return journey home to Canaan at the instructions of God; one problem was facing him; the fear of his brother Esau. He knew how he left home having obtained the blessings his father wanted to pronounce on Esau; and how Esau had vowed that he would kill him when their father would have died. Worse still, their mother that could pacify Esau had died as well.
No one could save him from Esau who was a talented fighter. So, he decided to wait on God for help. God sent angels to reassure and protect him (Gen. 32: 1-8).
He sent a message to his brother that he was coming home; the messengers returned and told him that his brother was coming to meet him with 400 men. Even though he had seen angels with him before; Jacob became greatly afraid and distressed. He divided his people into two batches and asked the first batch to go far ahead so that the second batch could escape if Esau attached the first batch.
He also sent plenty of animals as a gift ahead for his brother to pacify his heart from anger. He then waited on God in prayers until he had a breakthrough. God changed his name from Jacob to Israel (Gen. 32: 24-32).
By the time he finally met his brother; God had turned the tide in his favour. Esan ran to meet him, embraced Jacob, hugged his neck, kissed him and both wept for joy.
Esau did not even want to collect the gifts; Jacob had to press him to accept them. So, while Esau went back to Seir, Jacob settled at Succoth.
There is someone listening to me now, you are afraid of something. Even though you may have reason to be; God asked me to tell you He has cancelled the reason. I have cancelled the reason for your fear, God says.
Your going out and your coming in shall be in peaceful.
You will dwell in your own land with peace and prosperity.
It was planned by the wicked that you should weep for pain and sorrow; that weeping will now be for joy and gladness.
There is a new name for you. Prevailer. You shall prevail in life, and not be prevailed upon.
Prayer: Father, make me prevail over that which has threatened my life before.
Prayers
Father, help me to walk and not faint.
Father, grant me the resilience to keep walking regardless.
Father, get rid of those things that want me to faint in walking.
Father, silence every power that is trying to cause me to faint.
Father, help me to walk with you till the end.
The sermon, Keep Walking: Don’t Stop. Walk And Stop Not. Just Walk, by Pastor Samuel Obafaiye was delivered on May 3, 2020