Walking with God
Micah 6:8 “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Walking through the woods or over farmland has been an activity which I have enjoyed since I was a small child. In the days of my youth, my parents would take long “hikes” over the farm property of my grandparents in Central Kentucky and my brothers, sisters and I would delight in joining them for those long walks. Even though I rarely have the opportunity anymore for long walks in the woods or over farmland (now replaced by long walks hunting my golf balls in the oddest places on a golf course), I nonetheless continue to enjoy this activity when the occasion arises.
Often times when we as a family “hiked”, we came back home with evidence of where we had walked. That evidence was often in the form of the distinctive smells of the honeysuckle covering us or the “stickers” or thorn like attachments to our clothing. Sometimes the evidence was the mud on our pants or the small pieces of hay from a mown field stuck in our shoes. Often it was the remnant water from the creek now drying from our clothes.
I heard of a family who walked over their farm and were confronted by a skunk which proceeded to protect itself and territory in skunk like fashion. You can only imagine how they came home with evidence of their walk. It didn’t take others any amount of time to understand what had happened. Thus the phrase- “the smell will tell” (in case it isn’t obvious-I just made that phrase up).
Spiritually,God calls us to walk with Him. He has provided a way through Jesus Christ for us to walk in fellowship with Him. That walk rightfully exercised will be humble. That means we recognize the right to be with Him is not a right we naturally have nor a right we have earned, rather it is a right He has given.
Nonetheless and despite the fact it is a right we have only by way of His gracious gift, it nonetheless brings us to a unique position with Him. We are not distant from Him, rather we are with Him. Being with Him is described in the verses above as “walking” with Him. My mind returns to my childhood memories of walks with the family. I was with my family and in the same way God wants us to be like family walking with Him.
As there was evidence of where my family and I had walked when I was a child roaming over the farm, isn’t there evidence of our being beside God? Isn’t there noticeable evidence of our special time with Him and being in His presence in a very special way? Isn’t it something that others should see to some extent? I believe that our walking with God leaves much evidence on our being. I believe that evidence is clear, first to be seen and appreciated by us and then to be seen and appreciated to some extent by others.
What would that evidence be? What evidence of our walking with God be?
Next week we will look at some of the evidence we should see. The evidence, whatever it is, should be visible first to us before it is to others. Moreover, the weight and impact of the evidence should mean more to us even though it may have great influence and impact on others. It is our personal evidence and that should mean more to us than to anyone else. So let’s look together for the evidences that should mark our lives because we are walking with God.
This coming week be very attentive to God’s desire that we walk with Him and how that activity marks or impacts our lives.
“Walking with God”, what a delight and undeserved privilege which brings rewards for our time on earth as well as our future in heaven.
More next week.
eMullins
