THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.—1 John 2:6
The word walking speaks of regularity, of moving at a certain pace. The Bible tells us in Genesis 5 about Enoch, who walked with God. But what does it mean to “walk with God?” Is it just a religious cliché?
The prophet Amos asked, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). The idea is to be walking in pace or harmony with another.
I have a problem with this when I walk with my wife. I always walk a little faster than she does. Every time, I find myself walking out ahead of her. Then I’ll stop and wait for her to catch up. So I’ll try to walk more slowly, but the next thing I know, I’m walking fast again.
When it comes to walking with God, some of us want to run ahead of Him. Others lag behind. What we need to do is move in harmony with Him. We need to stay close to Him and make a continual commitment to do so. Referring to our daily relationship with God’s Holy Spirit, the New Testament says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, NIV).
But what does this mean in practice? How do we do this? What does it look like to “keep in step with the Spirit”? It means we take time for the things of God. It means that when we get up in the morning, we take time to read the Bible. If we neglect the Word of God, it will show in our lives. Abiding in Jesus also means that we spend time in fellowship with God’s people.
Make time for the things of God. And don’t wait for time to simply materialize; deliberately carve out room in your schedule. If it means an hour less of sleep, fine. If it means skipping a meal, okay. If it means missing a television program, so be it. Do what you need to do because these things are essential to spiritual growth, to abiding with God, and to bearing spiritual fruit.
And this walk with God is a walk—the best of all walks—that will bring indescribable richness to your daily life.
Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013
Radio Program: “Why God Allows Suffering, Part 1 — III”
TV Program: “Hope for America, Part 1”
Bible Reading: Nehemiah 1-2, Psalm 133, Luke 22
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Used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie, PO Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514.
