What Would it Look Like to Walk in the Way of the Lord?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord? 

“For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of his people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear , and let him be your dread.” - Isaiah 8:11-13

 A little bit of background on this scripture is important to understand what is being said here. Isaiah and the people of Judah were in fear of the threats that were said to come against them from the armies of Israel and Syria. These armies planned to destroy the king of Judah and to replace him with their own man. Isaiah’s prophecy stated that the armies of Israel and Syria would fail in conquering Judah but there was another army, Assyria, who would attack and conquer them. The Assyrians were trusted by Judah to help them, but instead they turned their backs and were planning on destroying them. 

In the midst of all of this fear and news that was being shared among the people, the fear of what might happen to them was running rampant. This is when God uses these words through Isaiah to remind the people of Judah not to give into the fear and conspiracies of what others are sharing. It’s easy to give into the fears and conspiracies of those around us when they appear so real. But, the appearance of something is a lot different than what’s truly under the surface. So, how are we supposed to know the difference?

We live in a time where politics seem to rule the screens, where the thoughts and opinions of others hold so much power. In a time where we don’t fully know what to believe, because one lie after another somehow equals the truth. In a time where we are judged for every little opinion we have, even more if we don’t have any. In a time where we find ourselves all lost, clinging on to someone or something as hope for our future. We are living in a time of fear. We fear what the world has come to and are in a desperate need of saving. 

I don’t know about you, but when the word politics comes up I immediately want to run for the door. This seemed to work for me in the past, but as I become older I am realizing that there is no more escaping the topic. Instead, I find myself right in the middle of these conversations praying for a way out. You see, everyone seems to have an opinion of some sort and we have to be careful that these opinions don’t become the truths that guide our life, because opinions can be easily swayed and changed. In a recent conversation I found myself drowning in the opinions of those around me. These feelings and thoughts that others were sharing were felt so strongly, that it made those listening consider agreeing with them. This is a good example of why opinions are so dangerous. Opinions, when they are not backed by truth or when the person listening does not have a firm foundation of truth on their own, can easily turn into facts. 

As previouslyI mentioned, we live in a time of fear and questioning, leaving some of us hopeless. I too can say that I have struggled feeling this way in the midst of hard conversations and not knowing what “opinions” I should have about certain things. So, I decided to seek the one who I knew held all of the answers. 

On a car ride home with the Lord, I sat and reflected on some of those hard political conversations I had been a part of earlier that day. I reflected on the opinions others had shared, wondering if I should agree with them or not. This is what the Lord warned against when he stated “not to walk in the way of this people, saying: ‘Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.’ (Isaiah 8:11-12). I wondered how Jesus would have responded to the things that were shared with me. Furthermore, as a follower of Jesus, I wondered how are we to respond to these things? 

The scripture says “Do not walk in a way of this people…” I have come to realize that this is the biggest problem we must overcome because it is the hardest thing to do. We are called to be “salt to the earth” (Matthew 5:13), “the light of the world”, “a city on a hill” (Matthew 5:14). We are called to stand out for Jesus. To spread his love and his glory to those around us. We are called to “fear him” and him only shall we fear. When we live this life that we are called, we are not walking in a way of this people. We are walking in the way of the Lord. So, what would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when faced with fear?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when rejected?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when there are lies being shared about me or someone I know?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when what is being done is not right?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when the rest of my friends are doing something I don’t agree with?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when that one person is constantly left out?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when mending a broken relationship?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when not guaranteed an outcome?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when everyone is watching?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when the world may not agree?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when meeting a stranger?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when you are too tired or busy?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord for the rest of your life?

What would it look like to walk in the way of the Lord when…?

My prayer is that we would learn to respond to this world with full faith knowing that the only thing to fear is the Lord. Christ has made himself known as both our savior and our judge. Therefore, we are in no need of something or someone to save us, nor are we in a place to judge or to be judged. When faced with hard conversations, we can respond by walking in the way of the Lord knowing he would love. We must respond in truth, but always with love. 

“And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken…” (Isaiah 14-15).