Let's Take a Walk: A Fifty-Two-Week Journey into Intimacy with God, Meditation on His Word, and Fellowship with His Spirit

By Randy Grimes

In a society of fast-paced living and instant everything, many reach for a devotional to find a quick feel-good thought to make it through their days rather than seeking life-changing encounters.

Lets Take a Walk is a devotional intent on slowing the pace down and allowing time for meditation on Gods Word and communication with the Holy Spirit, preparing you to eventually take these skills from your quiet time to the world. Fifty-two challenging yet inspiring sessions will lead you down a road to deeper intimacy with Jesus Christ. Each lesson concludes with a focus, a goal, and an assignment to help guide you on your journey.

So if youre looking to break the feel-good mold, come on and lets take a walk!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490883250

Book preview

WEEK 1

Something New Under the Son

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

—Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV)

Every year around New Year’s, my thoughts go to Ecclesiastes. In this book, Solomon ponders his own life and also life in general. He opens with a summary of what he has deduced, and he closes with his conclusion about the whole topic. In his summary, Solomon deduces in verse 9 that basically history repeats itself. As humankind, even though we have lived in different time periods and different levels of technological advancement, we struggle with the same issues over and over again. Why? Don’t we learn from our mistakes? As individuals in individual lifetimes, we do. But overall, we struggle with the same things as those who have lived before us: selfishness, greed, lust, etc.—our fleshly nature. Ever since the fall of man in the garden, all humanity has suffered the same sickness throughout generations: sin. So Solomon’s deduction about the futility of things in the world (all is vanity, Ecclesiastes 1:2), is very accurate. So why go on, if life is futile?

For many of us, to go on means the continued, exhaustive search for something different, something that can break the futility. Cars, bank accounts, relationships, careers, drugs, alcohol, lifestyles, technology—the list is larger than life itself. Some of these grant pleasure for a season, but all lead us right back to the point of beginning—emptiness. Tragically, some people get tired and seek to break the cycle the only way they know how, through suicide. Since there is nothing new, this hopelessness seems incurable. Yet, there is a cure; there is a balm in Gilead.

Solomon wrote that there is nothing new under the sun. Well, let’s get over the sun and talk about the Son. Romans 6:4 states, As Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Second Corinthians 5:17 states, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. Praise the Lord! In Christ the cycle has been broken! Now, we don’t have to accept that our life is one of repeated mistakes, but we can experience newness of life in Christ right now. Many think that believing on Christ only changes our destination, but it also transforms our journey. Now we have a reason to face each day with hope and expectation. This is what makes our walk with Christ an exciting adventure. In the Bible, God rarely moved the same way twice. That’s why the possibilities in our lives are endless in Him. When we think we have seen it all, God moves in a new way we haven’t witnessed before. He is definitely The Way Maker.

Even though Solomon did not live on this side of grace, he reached the best conclusion he could in Ecclesiastes 12:13, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. He realized the only hope to be found by man resided in trusting in God Himself and not in His creation.

In Matthew 7 and Luke 6, Jesus told the parable of a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. Everything was fine until the rains fell, the floods came, and the wind blew. The house fell because it was founded on something that could not sustain it through tough times. This man would have to build again each time the storms came. He was in a cycle of repeating the same process with the same result. Some define this as insanity.

Jesus also, however, told of a wise man who built his house on a rock foundation. When the rains fell, the floods came, and the wind blew, the house did not fall because it was resting on something that could withstand the times of adversity. Jesus Christ is the rock that God said in Exodus 33:21 is near Him. There we can stand just as Moses did and witness all the goodness of God as it passes by us each and every day. God’s goodness is eternal and when we allow the Holy Spirit to train us to look for His goodness daily instead of looking at the futility of the worldly efforts around us, we then can truly walk in newness of life every day. Someone around us needs to see and know that there truly is life out there. Show them Christ!

This Week’s Focus: To start walking in the newness of life that Christ died to give me and get rid of the old foundations that I have built upon in my life. These can be my possessions, hobbies, careers, and even family—children and grandchildren. Christ must be the base of all I am and all I do.

This Week’s Goal: To ask the Holy Spirit to begin to reveal in me the things I am building my hopes and dreams upon outside of Christ. Then, ask the Holy Spirit’s help in surrendering each one of these things to Christ in spite of what my flesh wants or thinks.

This Week’s Assignment: Spend time with Christ by talking and listening to Him in prayer and by studying His Word. I will focus every day looking for and expecting the goodness of God no matter where I am. Whether it is work, school, the grocery store, the hospital, or even at home. God’s goodness is there. I need to see it and acknowledge it.

WEEK 2

Brand New Every Day

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion saith my soul, therefore I will hope in Him.

—Lamentations 3:22-24 (KJV)

We all as Christians have the general knowledge that God looks out for us every day. He makes the sun rise and rains come. However, if we stop and dwell on His goodness, we will realize more deeply the extent He goes to ensure our health, our safety, and even our existence.

Jeremiah was the weeping prophet who saw his homeland destroyed and his people carried away into bondage. In this Scripture, while pondering all he has been going through in affliction, Jeremiah in verse 21 says he recalled to his mind that he had hope because of what verses 22–24 say. He didn’t just say that God’s mercy and compassion last forever. He says that His mercy and compassion are new every morning. In other words, the mercy and compassion He had for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc. were fresh and new then, but the mercy and compassion He has for me this morning are also brand-spanking new.

I remember that in my senior year of college, my wife—fiancée then—lived between my house and the university. Every Monday morning on my seventy mile journey to school, even though it was early, she would get up and meet me on her carport and give me a hug and kiss as I came through. We were crazy in love and even though we had just seen each other hours before on Sunday night, the Monday morning ritual seemed necessary. It is neat to think that each and every morning God falls freshly in love with us over and over again. His mercy and compassion are like His kiss on our cheek each morning telling us it’s going to be okay.

One of the most quoted Scriptures of the Bible is Proverbs 3: 5–6 which states, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Even though this verse has four parts, they all rest on the first part, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. This is basically the greatest commandment that Jesus pointed to in the Gospels. He said everything else hangs on this.

I don’t know about you, but I am a forgetful person. No matter how much I would rather not be forgetful, I am. So to help myself, I use notes and computer reminders, and I even ask others to help me remember things. I am no different when it comes to the Lord often times. I will struggle with a situation or circumstance for a while and then remember that I haven’t even carried this to the Lord yet! This is where the other parts of Proverbs 3:5–6 come in: Lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. To lean on my own understanding means that I try to figure my way out of the situation and when I can’t, I worry. To acknowledge Him in all my ways means more than just saying I am a Christian. It means I need to invite Him—include Him—in every part of my day, good or bad. He is everywhere—omnipresent—but until I acknowledge His presence, I keep Him shut out of my circumstance. If I would trust Him and invite Him in, I have His promise that He will direct my paths.

So, how can I remind myself of His presence throughout my day? There are many reminders I can use: daily reading His Word, daily talking to Him (not just once), daily looking for His goodness, daily spontaneous praise and worship, and yes even getting other believers to remind me (exhort one another). By doing it this way, I won’t miss what He has made new for me today.

This Week’s Focus: To start daily being more aware of His presence so that I acknowledge Him and don’t miss what He has made new for me each day.

This Week’s Goal: Sense and acknowledge His presence throughout all parts of my day, wherever I am.

This Week’s Assignment: Spend time with Christ by talking and listening to Him in prayer and by studying His Word. I will start training myself—with the help of the Holy Spirit—to praise and worship Him daily at all hours of my day. It may be humming a praise chorus while I work, saying Thank You Jesus as I do menial tasks, or testifying of His goodness to a co-worker. I must realize the avenues are endless.

WEEK 3

He’s a Big God

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? —Romans 8:31 (KJV)

Paul opens this verse with a question, What shall we say to these things? What things? All the promises to the child of God that are given in this chapter up to this point. Based upon all the promises we have, Paul poses another faith building question, If God be for us, who can be against us?

As I write this, I have been teaching and preaching on faith a great deal lately. As we look at the concluding question Paul posed, it contains two subjects and two verbs: (1) God is for us and (2) who is against us. So, in order for me to stand and be strengthened by the previous verses of promise, a choice has to be made. Either God is bigger than who or who is bigger than God. How big God is in my eyes is directly proportional to my faith; my perception of Who He is, what He can do, His unchanging nature, His faithfulness, etc. Otherwise, we can recite this verse over and over and never witness its impact. I have always put it this way, If we have a problem bigger than we are, then we need a God bigger than our problem.

Sadly, many times we let our struggles become giants in our eyes while viewing God as some concerned bystander Who may or may not get involved to help us. The opposite is really true. God is greater than anything, anyone, or any situation. To state that He is concerned is a gross understatement. If we would remember what comes before this verse in Romans 8, we would learn who we are in His eyes and how much He is doing to make sure all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). In running to his giant, David didn’t see a nine feet plus man, he saw someone who didn’t revere His big and awesome God. So when we read Romans 8:31, we have to ask ourselves the question, Is there an overwhelming sense of assurance in having God on my side, or am I uncertain?

Let me tell you the story of Rocky and Waldo. Rocky was the big German shepherd that lived across the street from our house while I was growing up. He was a partially trained police dog with a bad temperament. Waldo, on the other hand, was a short, sawed-off mutt that we took in as a pet. Waldo was so brave that we could tell if anyone pulled into our drive because he would be under the house barking. If he was out from under the house barking, there was no eminent danger.

Rocky didn’t like Waldo. If they were ever in each other’s presence, Rocky would attack Waldo, leaving him torn and bleeding. For this reason, Waldo did his best to avoid Rocky. One day we got a half-collie, half-Labrador retriever puppy named JJ to be a companion for Waldo. As a pup and young dog, JJ witnessed several fights in which Waldo got whipped by Rocky. Then one day as a young adult, JJ snapped! During one of the usual Waldo beatings, JJ jumped on the German shepherd and put him on the ground. This marked the end of the Waldo beatings. Waldo and JJ were inseparable from that point forward and Rocky retired from fighting Waldo. Why? Because as far as Waldo was concerned, if JJ was for him, who could be against him?

Two thousand years ago, the devil was laid on his back once and for eternity. First John 3:8 tells us that the purpose Jesus was manifested for was, that He might destroy the works of the devil. And that He did. So let’s walk close to our victorious champion, never to be defeated again.

It takes faith to let God be as big as He truly and rightfully is in our lives. This is why the Word is so important. It constantly reminds us of His sovereignty and His eternal attributes. Also, in prayer, it is a good practice to tell God Who He is. He is our Source, our Deliverer, our Provider, our Healer, our Redeemer, and the list goes on and on. So, how big is God in our eyes and how big is He in comparison to our struggles? It’s a matter of how much we have allowed the Holy Spirit to reveal in us Who He really is.

This Week’s Focus: To have a greater vision of Who God is and what He is capable of doing in my life.

This Week’s Goal: To daily walk victorious in spite of the intimidations thrown out by a defeated Satan, knowing God is victorious and greater.

This Week’s Assignment: Spend time with Christ by talking and listening to Him in prayer and by studying His Word. I will get into the Word, find, and write down—or memorize—Scriptures that attest to who I am in Christ; and then, boldly proclaim