forget not
I paid $10 for these sweet Canadian-made Sorels at a garage sale in California back in 2003. They still do the job, and I’ll soon need them on #thelongwalkUSA.
Greetings in the name of the Jewish Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s now real easy follow our long walk across the United States and to keep up with our last logged location, the latest stats, the route, posted videos, prayer requests, and recent blog posts. Just bookmark thelongwalkUSA.com.
We recently experienced a good snowstorm here in North Carolina, one that compelled me to dig out an old pair of Canadian-made Sorel boots. Strangely, this old set of snow boots brought to mind Psalm 103, not in portrait mode, but in landscape mode. Christians often zoom in close to the Word of God, seeing it in portrait mode, while failing to ever zoom out and consider the wider picture, landscape mode, or the Scriptures in their broader context. Landscape mode, particularly in the Psalms, really sheds light on the great truths of God’s Word, and it becomes apparent that the very order of the Psalms, all 150 of them, is not by accident. They are ordered precisely and on purpose; and I am amazed at how these build one upon another. The Gospel is all over the Old Testament, my friends, and the progressive unveiling of truth in the Psalms not only declares it but mirrors the spiritual roller-coaster of the believer in this old flesh, thereby pointing us right back to the answer for it all—reconciliation with Almighty God through the Messiah. That is the answer for you and me. And that is answer for America.
So, what does any of this have to do with a pair of old snow boots? The Jewish sages used to say, “God gave Israel five books of the Law AND five books of the Psalms.” Have you ever noticed that the Psalms are numbered by chapter, but also divided into five books, just as the Law is divided into five books. And, it’s interesting how the overall theme of each book of the Psalms mirrors the theme of a respective book of the Pentateuch:
Book I (Psalm 1-41) centers upon God’s counsels concerning man, all men (~Genesis).
Book II (Psalm 42-72) centers upon God’s counsels concerning Israel (~Exodus).
Book III (Psalm 73-89) centers upon the sanctuary of God (~Leviticus).
Book IV (Psalm 90-106) centers upon the lessons of Israel’s history (~Numbers).
Book V (Psalm 107-150) centers upon the authority of God’s Word (~Deuteronomy).
As to my point about a pair of old boots, I have Book IV of the Psalms (90-106) in mind, the lessons of Israel’s history. It’s amazing to look at Book IV in landscape mode: Psalm 90 begins with Moses describing the years of this earthly life as a “tale that is told” (90:9). He therefore asks the LORD to “teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (90:12). Oh how we need the LORD to teach us how to number our days, especially us here in America who have too long loved and worshipped our wealth and our ease. But what does that mean? How do we properly number our days? The answer can be found in the Psalms that follow Psalm 90 in Book IV. What does it look like to properly number our days according to the exhortation of Psalm 90? Read Psalm 91; that’s the answer. How can we then number our days to mirror that of the Psalmist in Psalm 91? The specific answers are in the Book IV Psalms that follow:
We can rightly number our days by having a RIGHT REST or sabbath that is joy and not labor (Psalm 92); a RIGHT COSMOLOGY where the heaven is God’s throne and the earth is His footstool, versus the warped and ridiculous pontifications of NASA (Psalm 93); a RIGHT RESISTANCE to wickedness and tyranny (Psalm 94); a RIGHT FAITH that praises, thanks, acknowledges, worships, bows before, and trusts God (Psalm 95); a RIGHT OFFERING (Psalm 96); a RIGHT HATRED of evil (Psalm 97); a RIGHT WORLDVIEW (Psalm 98); a RIGHT APPRECIATION (Psalm 99); a RIGHT KIND OF PRAISE (Psalm 100); and a RIGHT ATTITUDE (Psalm 101).
In view of these right possessions that we must grasp to properly number our days in this tale that is told, the next three Psalms in Book IV show us where we can ALWAYS find comfort on the spiritual roller-coaster that is our pilgrimage in this fallen world. One can always, no matter the circumstance or the rate of inflation, find comfort in the FUTURE KINGDOM OF MESSIAH (Psalm 102), one’s PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (Psalm 103), and in the WONDERS OF GOD’S CREATION (Psalm 104).
Book IV then closes by showing us the two primary purposes of Israel’s detailed history as recorded in the Scriptures: for our LEARNING (Psalm 105) and for our ADMONITION or warning (Psalm 106). In the New Testament, Paul the Apostle affirms these very two purposes:
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4)—FOR OUR LEARNING.
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (I Corinthians 10:11-12)—FOR OUR WARNING.
Israel’s detailed history in the Old Testament was given for our learning (Romans 15:4) and our admonition (I Corinthians 10:11).
If we will learn from Israel’s history and take heed of her failures and God’s judgment, we can properly number our days and thereby “set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).
We are trying to number our days on this long walk across America with all of these things in mind; and as we prepare to go back out this coming week to where we stopped walking at these coordinates (37.035339, -88.206049) just before Christmas, I am brought back to those old boots. You might be wondering if I am ever going to get to the point. Yes. Psalm 103 in the heart of Book IV amidst all this counsel about how to properly number our days reveals that a pilgrim can always find comfort in his personal relationship with God that comes through the Messiah. And, an important part of nourishing that relationship involves a very, very important spiritual vitamin that ought to be taken every single day:
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and FORGET NOT all his benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2).
If we will FORGET NOT all that God has done for us in this life, all those benefits—His provisions, His chastisements, His rescues, His longsufferings, His judgments, His protections, His guidance, His divine Hand of Providence, and His workings in and through us by way of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ … we can properly number our days and find reason and initiative to keep on walking.
In all honesty, I have been struggling with getting back out there and to keep on walking in obedience to God’s command and my commitment before Him. Nagging injuries and the comforts of rest, family time, and my own bed at night have made that inevitability more difficult to accept. Then, the snow fell, and I had to pull out those old Sorel boots. You see, the benefits of those boots are very, very hard to forget. I paid $10 for them at a garage sale in California during my 2003-2004 bicycle ride across America. They were practically brand new and cost me ten bucks, one of the sweetest deals I have ever stumbled upon. I have used them many times—the 2004 winter that my daughter Bethany was born in Mammoth Lakes, California; during the winter months we spent in Alaska after I pedaled all the way up there in 2009; when I drove to Alaska in 2016 and got back just before Thanksgiving (13,000 miles in 5 weeks); and during our recent snowstorm in North Carolina. It’s rare that a man can get good use out of something he paid ten dollars for 19 years ago. Moreover, I needn’t concern myself over what I’ll need to wear on my feet if I run into a snow in the coming weeks as we make our way into the Midwest. I’ve got a good pair of boots I can throw into the back of the S.A.G. vehicle.
I hiked out to the middle of this frozen lake in Alaska with those $10 Sorels back in 2016 and left this message for all of creation.
It’s funny, pulling out those old boots prompted me to start reading some of my old journal entries and ministry newsletters from back at the same time I bought those things. In doing so, I stumbled across an incident I had completely forgotten about. Jamie was very pregnant and we were following some friends in their jeep on a very icy stretch of US Highway 395 along the east side of California’s Sierra Nevada. For some strange reason, I was prompted to pass them. To this day, I know not why I decided to do this on what was a dangerous stretch of road anyway. Just as my truck pulled around to the side, a large surfboard attached to the roof of their Jeep came loose and flew straight back where our windshield had been seconds earlier. Most assuredly, this surfboard would have come right through the glass, thereby certainly causing a fatal accident. God protected us from certain doom! How could I have forgotten about that? How could I forget one of these, the LORD’s benefits?
Some years later, when I rode a bicycle to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska (with those same boots in tow), the LORD protected me from certain doom at least twice. In a newsletter dated 6/28/2009, I wrote:
“The next morning, I decided to take a break from pedaling and climb a mountain. I thumbed through my peakbagging guidebook for Glacier National Park, remembering the last time I had a summit itch in this place. I took a scary fall just below the summit of Going-to-the-Sun mountain (2004) and never wanted to mess with the loose trashy rock in these mountains again. Well, I was back. This time, I opted for Mt. Sinopah, a pyramidal crag at the head of Two Medicine Lake. It looked daunting but doable. A steep couloir would be a challenge, but I welcomed some technical climbing. So, Ricky and I slogged through several miles of nice forest and saw a couple of sweet waterfalls. Then, it was a nasty bushwhack up through alder thickets to tree-line and mountain meadows. Before I knew it, the sick little couloir was staring me in the face. I made Ricky stay behind to soak up the awesome view of neighboring peaks as I pushed for the summit. There was lots of snow in the couloir and I was thankful to have an ice axe. Water was streaming over the cliff bands, and the rock was typical Glacier National Park loose nastiness. I traversed a couple of snow fields and stayed on rock as much as possible. Some serious exposure and a few Class 4 moves had me wondering how in the world I would get back down. Finally, I reached the summit, a knife-edge ridge with amazing views. All praise to the Maker of the Mountains (Amos 4:13)! Quickly, I snapped a couple of photos, put together a summit register with a Gospel of John and a few Gospel tracts, and penned these words in my journal: ‘Wow! Weather is coming in. How will I get down? Scary. Lord, make my feet like the mountain goat (Habakkuk 3:19). Ricky is somewhere far below and probably worried. Gotta get off this mountain. So, help me God!’ ... Yes, the Lord eventually got me off that mountain and back to the truck with Ricky in an annoying afternoon rain, but not before I took a frightening 100+ ft. tumble down one of those steep snow chutes. There was no way I could descend the rock, so I had to kick steps and carefully position my ice axe down the 50-60 degree snow. I made it down one chute, then two, and then traversed across some scary small fissures. In the third chute, I kicked a solid step out and then pulled out my axe to reposition. The step collapsed, and I started tumbling end over end. Stupid me had forgotten to take the protective rubber end off my ice axe, and I tried to pull it off to no avail as I was falling. Thankfully, the Lord gave me the presence of mind to perform the self-arrest techniques I had often practiced. With my life flashing before my eyes and dangerous rock bands quickly approaching, I rolled over and dug in with all my might. The “rubber-protected” end grabbed, and I came to a halt. Oh, the rock was so close. I looked up, and blood was splattered on the snow. Uh oh, I was hurt; maybe the ice axe stabbed me in the fall. I sat up, felt around; all my limbs were there; no major injuries. Where was the blood coming from? Oh, merely an inconsequential gash on my left pinky finger. I never knew a small cut could bleed so much. I paused with tears welling up in my eyes. It was not yet my time. ‘Thank-you, Lord. If you still aim to use me, I am willing,’ I prayed. I had almost gone home that afternoon, but it was not yet time. I presume some of you were praying for me at that moment. Thank-you; your prayers were heard. So, that’s two technical climbs in Glacier National Park and two scary falls. Maybe I should take a hint. Nonetheless, the mighty Sinopah was conquered.”
Mt. Sinopah in Glacier National Park, Montana
A little more than a month later, I had pedaled form Glacier National Park in Montana all the way up into the Yukon Territory when I had another brush with death. I wrote of it thus:
“Last night, I was the victim of a hit-and-run about 35 miles east of Whitehorse, Yukon on the Alaska Highway. A man tried to run me over twice with his car and was unsuccessful. About half an hour later, I saw a guy on an ATV drive by on a trail. I waved at him, not knowing at the moment it was the same fellow. He drove up onto the road, came up from behind, and ran over me over while traveling pretty fast. As I lifted my head up from the pavement to catch a glimpse of the perpetrator, he was screaming and cursing while driving off. My first thought: this was the same guy. The only possible motivation for this was hatred for the Gospel message on the flag that I was flying. I had never seen this guy before and had been on a remote section of road most of the day. I am banged up pretty good, but miraculously, no major injuries. My head smacked the pavement hard, but the helmet did its job. Earlier, I had thought about taking it off for awhile because I was sweating profusely. I didn’t, thank the Lord. I had also thought about changing into shorts and never got around to it. The long spandex saved my legs from turning into mincemeat. Ironically, the pannier bag with the attached flag took the brunt of the impact and absorbed the initial contact with the ground a split second before my left leg followed. Undoubtedly, this saved me from a broken femur and the end of this journey. The flag that this man hated so much actually proved a hedge to upend his intentions. Even as I sit here in pain, it’s hard not to chuckle. The Lord God was very merciful to me.”
A week later, after healing up and waiting for a shop in Whitehorse to finish repairing my bicycle, I went right back out to the same spot where that large ATV ran me over, and I rode my backup mountain bike the twenty miles into town. Eventually, and by God’s grace, I made it to the Arctic Ocean at the top of Alaska.
I still have that same flag. Sometimes, if I am not carrying the cross, I walk with it. I still have that same bicycle. It hangs in my storage shed taking up space that I really could use for something else. How could I forget God’s past deliverances, especially with visible reminders still hanging about?
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and FORGET NOT all his benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2).
My friends, don’t forget about those times the LORD delivered you, those times He healed you; those time He provided your every need. FORGET NOT! To remember and reflect upon them in these dark days is strength, impetus, and excitement for the unseen path ahead.
I had been struggling about getting back to our long walk. An arm injury from a couple of weeks ago has made it difficult to even carry the cross. I tore a muscle in my forearm, and my limb was back and blue from the bicep down to the wrist. But, pulling out a pair of old boots and reminding myself of the LORD’s benefits from long ago has been good medicine. It’s time to get back out there. And whatever the many miles of highway and hedge might hold, there will always be comfort and strength found in the FUTURE KINGDOM OF MESSIAH (Psalm 102), one’s PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (Psalm 103), and in the WONDERS OF GOD’S CREATION (Psalm 104).
Before I sign off, here is a new card tract we will be distributing along with the familiar WALKING PREACHER GOSPEL TRACT. It features one of my favorite quotes from a former United States President. Actually, Teddy Roosevelt was Vice President when he said these words in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair on September 2, 1901. Four days later, President William McKinley was assassinated in Buffalo, New York, and Roosevelt then became President. His words are so very true and so very appropriate for America in 2022. We cannot save ourselves. We must repent or perish. We need God to pour out a spirit of revival upon our nation’s lukewarm churches and to send a great awakening into her streets. Until then, we will just keep walking and keep preaching. To God be the glory, and many thanks for your prayers and support.
If this long walk across America and these testimonies are, or have been a blessing to you, please consider financially sowing into this difficult endeavor. We definitely have financial needs, and anything you can share is a blessing that will be used faithfully and with account. All contributions are tax-deductible, and donating online via PayPal is very easy. Thank you in Jesus’ name. Learn more . . .
2,503 miles walked, 7 states, 118 counties, 1,457 witnessing encounters, 74 Bibles … and counting. Stay tuned.
3 walking watchmen upon a wall (Ezekiel 3:17),
Jesse Boyd, Bethany Boyd, Eric Trent