By the time Jewish boys reached early adolescence, they could recite most of the Psalms. I perked up and listened more closely to the lesson as our group rested in the shade of an ancient sycamore. Our guide shared that the Hallel (Psalms 113-118), which the students repeated at home and school, became as close to them as their own thoughts. Squinting, I could make out a boat rocking in the sea, maybe 200 yards away. The breeze that carried it rustled the highest leaves of the tree. I tucked the idea away in my mind and then jotted it in the back of my Bible. As close as their own thoughts.
Rabbis and elders bumping into the young scholars in town might challenge them to “Tell me your verse.” The boys focused on one piece of Scripture at a time, reciting it over and over to each other, to themselves, and to any adult who pressed them. They walked the Israeli roads, meditating on God’s Word, which rolled through their minds and off their tongues. I walked the same roads many years later, determined to do the same.
Psalm 116:7 — “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.”
My favorite verse from the Hallel, Psalm 116:7, is a picture of this truth — that it’s necessary to remind my soul of who He is and what He’s done. I’m learning that the quickest way for me to remember is to get outside. As I walk, I remember His Word and marvel at His world.
But it’s an effort, isn’t it? Prioritizing our relationship with God quickly becomes another box on the checklist. Sometimes the check doesn’t mean much, even when we mark it down. But taking my quiet time (my devotional time) on a walk has brought me back to the simple joy of knowing Him. I bring myself outside. Sometimes I bring one verse. He brings the rest. Literally.
Here are three ways to move your quiet time outside:
- Play the Invisible Qualities Game: Romans 1:20 tells us that God has revealed His invisible qualities through creation. Observing His character in this way is an ancient game that you can play as well. An oak providing shade? His strength and provision. A glimmer of sunlight through clouds? His light in the darkness. A new bunch of daffodils popping up among dead leaves? The hope of eternal life.
- Way There, Way Back: On the first half of your walk, tell God everything. Empty your mind of your needs and worries. On the way back, surrender it all. Repeat a verse (such as Philippians 4:19) or just walk with open hands.
- Borrow a Prayer: I have enjoyed praying the “Jesus Prayer,” borrowed from the tax collector in Luke 18:13. Repeat it as you walk until it softens you. Breathe deeply. “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” There are thousands of prayers to borrow from history – this shared experience alone is a comfort.
God didn’t need to take me across the world to teach me the power of connecting with Him outside in these simple ways. But I’m so glad He did. I realize as I look back at my pictures of that trip (tree, tree, lake, river, tree, mountain, stream.) that He was showing me to how walk with Him like Jesus did – hiking along the road, perched by the water, resting under a tree with friends.
Of all the notes in my journal, highlights in my Bible, and history in my head, this practice was the most important thing that I brought home from the Holy Land. And as I finally flopped into my own bed with sore legs and a smile, ready to walk with him again the next day, I really felt that he was closer than ever. Closer, even, than my own thoughts.