You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Although I’m a bit older than most at Sound of Heaven Church, some of you might remember a great sweet silver song entitled, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” It was written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and published in 1945 for the Broadway show, Carousel, which later became a great film as well.
The song was used at the close of the Jerry Lewis MD telethons sung by Jerry himself because it speaks of hope, persistence, and resilience when you walk thru the storm. I’ve had the privilege to sing the song myself on special ministry occasions, and it remains powerful. It has been recorded by many vocal artists, and its message never fades.
The song speaks of knowing that you’ll never walk alone when going through your personal storm. It expresses that you need not to fear and can faithfully persevere through every onslaught, continually clinging to hope even when you feel helplessly tossed
If you are unfamiliar with it, here is a link to the 1945 Broadway original Christine Johnson vocal rendition:
The original cast recording was recorded (July 19, 1945) on Decca after Frank Sinatra’s original cut (May 1, 1945) on Columbia. Thanks, Joop Jansen (audio), Josse Middag (artwork) and Dick Rosemont’s www.OriginalsProject.us site (info)
Well, I’m still walking through my recent medical storm, but a “golden sky” is on the horizon. I am not walking alone. Jesus is right next to me, just as He was in the boat with His disciples. Jesus is holding my hand, I have a prayer agreement with faithful fellow believers, and the storm must respond to my Savior who commands, “Peace, be still.” (Mt. 8:26; Mk. 4:39; Lk. 8:24)
The Bible has a lot to say about walking and especially the fact that you’ll never walk alone.
Walking requires deliberate steps, tighter focus, we see more, and take time to engage more fully with our surroundings. Life is not a drive-by, but a deliberate walk-through.
How does Webster define “walk?” It is more than a means of transportation:
Don’t walk alone, just move along on foot advancing by steps.
We come or go easily or readily for exercise or pleasure—to go at a walk.
“Walk” also refers to behavior:
Maybe we need to walk warily.
We can also be or act in association—we can walk together side by side in unity such as walking in Spirit. We are then one with God and other believers.
The important point is that we walk attentively, fully aware, in faith, and trust.
Here are a few of the many Scriptures that provide some guidance:
In Ps. 37:23 learn that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he (the man) delights in His (God’s) way. When we delight in God’s provision during our walk, He assures that our steps will be in His order. We won’t try to jump ahead or veer off course to take a shortcut, which will only delay His purpose.
When we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), we are totally trusting in what is yet to be seen, not what our senses might perceive now. What we see can be distorted when we focus on current circumstances.
Deut. 5:33 confirms that walking in the way the Lord has commanded will allow us to live so that it may go well with us, and we may live long in the land that we shall possess. That sounds like a great promise to me.
When we read Micah 6:8 we are told to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. It seems that God puts a lot of emphasis on walking, and we should also. The meaning here as noted earlier from Webster, is walking in association or unity, not just moving alongside someone step by step, but actually marching in a harmonious cadence like a well-conditioned army.
In line with this behavioral approach, Eph. 2:10 reminds us that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, and we should walk in them. We should make every effort with the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, to maintain an attitude of faith and trust, to stay in alignment with all God has promised in His Word.
Gen. 6:9 confirms the importance of relationship when it tells us Noah walked with God. He was seen as a good man with whom God could enlarge His relationship. Enoch also is said to have walked with God (Gen. 5:22-24), and he continued his walk for 365 years.
In Amos 3:3 we are asked, “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?” You can’t have a genuine walk together without a total desire to commune with the person with whom you walk. Anything else is not genuine, and how many times have we seen personal relationships fail because of lack of fidelity?
We are instructed in Gal. 5:16 to walk by the Spirit, so as to not gratify the desires of the flesh. Why? Because when we walk focusing on the waves in the midst of our storm, we focus on the needs of the flesh, we feel alone, and forget that Jesus promised to never leave us or forsake us. (Heb. 13:5)
Col. 2:6 says as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. The more we become one, the more we will be like Him doing what He says, moving and having our being in Him. Now, that’s walking through the storm.
When we say we abide in Him, we ought to walk in the same way in which He walked (1 John 2:6). How did Jesus walk? What was His character like? The disciples tell us much in the four Gospels, so we need to be sure we know our Lord more intimately.
Psalm 1:1 tells us we are blessed when our walk is not in the counsel of the wicked, nor standing in agreement with sinners.
It is comforting to know that when we walk in the light as Jesus is the light, we have fellowship (we walk) with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)
In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” I don’t know about you, but I prefer walking in the light. I’ve tried stumbling in the darkness, and it is not fun. I want to walk in the light every day, every hour, so I can have the light of life!
Here’s another good reason to keep on walking. When I seek to walk in love, as Christ loved me and gave Himself up for me, I can be a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph. 5:2) And the best part of all this, is that I don’t do it alone. As long as I walk with, in, and through Him, I am never alone. I can walk through the storm in victory, and all the glory is attributed to my “walk mate.”
Knowing I am not alone in the storm, as the disciples were not alone on the Sea of Galilee, I am able to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Col. 1:10)
Here’s another good reason to keep on walking. When I seek to walk in love, as Christ loved me and gave Himself up for me, I can be a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph. 5:2) And the best part of all this, is that I don’t do it alone. As long as I walk with, in, and through Him, I am never alone. I can walk through the storm in victory, and all the glory is attributed to my “walk mate.”
Knowing I am not alone in the storm, as the disciples were not alone on the Sea of Galilee, I am able to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Col. 1:10)
Yes, I am maintaining my walk. It isn’t easy, and there were moments along the way when, like the disciples in the storm, I felt as if my Savior was sleeping. I wondered if He knew I felt overcome by the waves, and I wondered where He was.
I’m sure many of you have been, and might now be, in similar situations. Well, the truth is, Jesus is not so much asleep as recorded in the Gospel, that He doesn’t know our needs. He is right next to us, and the storm is no match for Him. But, even better, the storm is no match for any of us when we realize that we are walking with Him, and He with us. Jesus told us in John 14:12 that we could do the same works He does, and if we abide in Him (again walk with Him), and His Words abide in us, we can ask anything of Him, and He will do it for us to glorify His Father. Can any two walk together and not be in agreement? No, not at all!
So, I encourage you, in whatever circumstance you might be facing, to just keep walking. Isaiah 54:17 says as you wait (continue to trust) in the Lord, you will walk and not faint. You’ll never walk alone.
Put on your walking shoes. There’s a golden sky ahead.
Don’t walk alone. Contact us.
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