Long Walk Part Of Gift!


John Clardy

 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

Rev. Norman Vincent Peale founded a little magazine called Guideposts.  It has enjoyed spectacular success with its uplifting and real life stories.  One such story told about a missionary teacher in Africa who received a beautiful seashell from a student. The missionary knew that the sea was many miles away.  Upon inquiry, the missionary found the student had travelled on foot hundreds of miles to a distant section of the African coast to retrieve the seashell.

 

“It is a wonderful present,” the missionary told the student, “but I feel for you because you had to walk so far to get it.  Can I repay you in some way?”

 

“Oh no teacher,” the boy replied, “long walk part of gift.”

 

The greatest gift that mankind ever received is when God took the long walk to humanity! Deity descended and walked from a heavenly throne to a lowly stable.  He was in the world, the world was made by Him, but the world did not know who He was.  God went from being omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, to an unknown, unlearned baby born in poverty and wrapped in rags.

 

Long Walk Part Of Gift!

 

17th century theologian, George Herbert said it thus:

 

"The God of power ,as He did ride

 In his majestick robes of glorie

Resolv'd to light , and so one day

He did descend,
undressing all the way."                                   


Not only did He take the long walk to humanity, He took the long walk among humanity. He walked to where people in need were.  He walked among the lepers and the lame.  He walked among the blind and the bruised.  He walked with publicans and sinners.  He walked among funeral processions and walked up to a woman at a well.  He walked out of a ship and into a demoniac’s life.

 

Long Walk Part Of Gift!

 

He took the long walk to humanity, He took the long walk among humanity, and most of all He took the long walk for humanity. The walk He took up Calvary’s Hill should have been mine.  It should have been yours!  But He took that walk for us.  He who was sinless became a sacrifice for sinners.  He was wounded for our transgressions.  He was bruised for our iniquity.  The payment for our peace was upon Him.  By His stripes we are healed. 

 

Long Walk Part Of Gift!

 

Have you really considered what Jesus had to do to come to where you are?  He had to lay aside his Holiness.  He had to lay aside His deity.  He had to lay aside His royalty!  That is what He had to do to walk to where you are!  And just as the missionary was unable to repay his student for traveling so far to bring him a gift of a seashell, neither are we able to repay God for His love and mercy to us! 

 

Long Walk Part Of Gift!

 

Ephesians 2:8        For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God!