In case you missed the message:
The devotions this week will build on the ideas of hiking and botany from prior weeks.
Mark 12:43-44 (NASB95): “Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.’”
Let me pre-apologize that today’s devotional is going to be a little longer than usual.
In a post last week, I shared how I had encephalitis in 2022 and ended up lost in Garfield, Georgia. At the time, I did not share how the encephalitis was misdiagnosed as a bipolar episode and I ended up in Greenleaf Behavioral Health Hospital in Valdosta, GA and nearly died when they gave me a dose of someone else’s Haldol, which I am allergic to. I ended up with Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome on top of the still untreated encephalitis. Had it not been for the coordination of an incredible support system and God’s intervention at many times in the process, I would be dead. During that time, my muscles were dying and I was losing a lot of functions. I couldn’t take care of myself or perform normal activities of daily living. Then I ended up with akathisia and couldn’t stop moving even when I needed to be sleeping, and I was a fall risk in my condition. Now that I have recovered, I am in a different situation, needing to walk to stay healthy but not necessarily having the time or energy to do it during the long workdays of tax season.
Kayci mentioned that “death is necessary for resurrection.” I know that God used my experience and recovery to radically change my priorities and prepare me for the things I am doing now. The Life We Live can sometimes feel like a compulsion or medical necessity–we move just to keep our heads above water. The Walk We Take is a shift in priorities that happens after an encounter. It is the moment when “walking” is no longer a restless symptom of life, but a sacred, intentional exercise and devotion.
Day 1: The Trailhead—Moving from Survival to Stride
The Core Truth: Seeing Jesus rightly begins the moment we stop moving because we have to and start moving because we choose to.
The Life We Live: The Necessity of Germination
In the world of botany, life often begins without our permission. A seed buried in the dirt doesn’t “decide” to sprout; it reacts to the pressure of the soil, the presence of moisture, and the change in temperature. Germination is a biological response to the environment. It is survival.
Often, our spiritual lives feel like this. We move because the “soil” of our lives is pressing in on us—work demands, family chaos, or even physical restlessness. We pace back and forth in our circumstances, spinning our wheels just to stay ahead of the “weeds” of anxiety, exhaustion, or even just daily work. This is the life we live: a series of involuntary reactions to the world around us.
The Walk we Take: The Decision of the Trailhead
In the world of the trail, movement is a different machine entirely. You can sit in the “parking lot” of your comfort for as long as you want. To step onto the trail is an act of the will. It is a decision to leave behind climate control, predictable surfaces, and the safety of the car.
This is the “Stride.” It is the moment you stop pacing in the room of your circumstances and decide to hike the mountain of your calling. As the message reminds us, when we crucify our comfort, that is exactly when the Lord can speak and use us. Engaging Jesus properly isn’t a biological reflex; it is a mechanical choice to take the first step when your body would rather stay put. However, we must recognize that Jesus has invited us to the trailhead–to do more than just survive.
The Comparison: Restless Pacing vs. Intentional Pursuit
There is a profound difference between the “walking” of survival and the “stride” of devotion. One can spend all night walking in circles due to restlessness, exhaustion, or internal pressure, yet never move an inch toward a destination. That is “spinning your wheels.”
But when we see Jesus rightly—as the Guide who has already walked this dirt—our movement changes. We move from a restless symptom of a hard life to a disciplined exercise of a healthy soul. We transition from being a seed reacting to the dark to being a hiker pursuing the light.
In today’s scripture, we see the widow making the choice. She chose to abandon her last bit of earthly security to fully engage God–giving everything she had to live on. The gift demonstrated a total commitment and sincere dedication. She moved away from the restless pacing of survival and toward a sacrificial decision to pursue God. The demonstration of her trust cost her everything. “Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Voices of Experience
“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness; I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” ~ Søren Kierkegaard
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” ~ John Muir
Scripture for the Stride
- Matthew 16:24 (NKJV): “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” (The Trailhead requires the denial of the “parking lot” of self-comfort.)
- Isaiah 40:31 (BSB): “But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” (God transforms our “survival” movement into “endurance” strength.)
- Psalm 119:105 (NIV): “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (We don’t need to see the whole mountain; we only need to see the next step from the trailhead.)
Daily Reflection & Engagement
- Identify the Pacing: In what area of your life are you currently “spinning your wheels”—moving fast but going nowhere?
- Locate the Trailhead: What “comfort” is the Lord asking you to leave behind today so that He can finally speak to you?
- The First Stride: Declare one scripture over your mind today. Don’t wait for the feeling of “growth” (Botany); make the choice to move your feet (Hiking).
Lord,
Thank You for being the Guide who has already walked the dirt before us. We confess that too often we are caught in the restless pacing of survival—spinning our wheels in the chaos of our daily lives, moving out of necessity or anxiety rather than purpose.
Today, we make the intentional choice to meet You at the trailhead. Give us the courage to leave the parking lot of our comfort and predictability behind. Like the widow offering her last two coins, we want to surrender our need for earthly security and trust You completely with the path ahead.
Transform our involuntary reactions into a deliberate, sacred stride of devotion. When the trail is dark, be the lamp unto our feet. When we are exhausted from the demands of the season, renew our strength so we can walk and not faint. Help us to stop merely surviving and start truly following You, one intentional step at a time.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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