....walk

The average person will walk about 65,000 miles in his or her lifetime—that’s three times around the earth!

Caleb Smith is a dedicated walker. When he moved to the Big Apple, he was so enamored by the little-known places that he decided to purchase a map and walk on all the roads, avenues, and streets on the entire island. He eventually covered about 700 miles. He was inspired by Thomas Keane, a man who did the same walk in 1954. Caleb finished his walk on December 19, 2004, the 50th anniversary of Keane meeting his goal. 

I think we underestimate the health benefits of simply walking. For instance, Duke University Medical Center found that a brisk 30-minute walk three times a week was just as effective as antidepressant medication in relieving the symptoms of major depression. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that older women who walked regularly were less likely to develop memory loss. And the Mayo Clinic uncovered evidence that walking positively affects the levels of certain mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain. 

You don’t read about the health benefits of walking in the Bible. People didn’t read books and articles on getting this form of exercise because their feet were the standard mode of transportation. Jesus and His disciples didn’t take the bus from Jericho to Jerusalem. They didn’t ride the train from Galilee to Bethany. They walked everywhere they went! 

What made the walking excursions of the disciples so beneficial was not just the fresh, unpolluted air in Palestine. They walked with Jesus, their Master and Teacher. Christ was the wisest of all people who ever walked the face of the earth, much wiser than even Solomon. It was common for ancient sages to have a group of students to teach. Many of them shared their wisdom with their disciples while walking. As they passed through villages and trekked the countryside, these teachers would point to the things around them as a means of illustrating their wisdom. 

We also may walk with Christ. We may walk with the wisest Teacher and, as our proverb this evening states, become wise. The knowledge of Scripture, given to us by the Lord, will lead us to someday walk streets of gold. 

That’s a trek we should not miss! 

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20

-douglas batchelor