”:  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King was no stranger to adversities. His everyday life required strength and courage just to live within the world, let alone, to do all that he did to change it. And his quote above couldn’t say more to exemplify the way he approached his days. But his drive and determination didn’t just come from within. As a graduate of Crozier Theological Seminary, Dr. King was also a knowledgeable and practiced minister in the Baptist Church. And as such, would have subscribed to verses like we have today. In fact, scholars have traced multiple segments of King’s speeches to biblical scripture found in Isaiah and Deuteronomy. Likely because Dr. King identified with Moses as a leader of people wandering in the wilderness. King knew that the “Promised Land”, a place where all were treated equally, was God’s design for us. And like Moses, Dr. King also knew that he himself would not enter it. Dr. Martin Luther King was an incredible example of how God would use a single man to change history.

As Christians, what are we to take away from looking at the life of Dr. King, how does this verse from Deuteronomy play out in our lives today? God calls us to replace fear with faith, and to replace the unmoving statue-like stance (caused by doubt) with motion. God says that He will go with you, and that means moving in the direction He has provided. If we follow God’s way, He will never leave nor forsake us. God wants His Christian army to be movers and shakers. To put Him first and to have the prayerful, faithful strength that it is God that will do the heavy lifting.