Skip to main content

How Do We Walk?

Is it in carrying a flag or a banner?  Words on a hat or t-shirt or bumper sticker?  Displaying a tattoo?  Jewelry hanging around your neck?  Huh?

In a previous post, I referenced a verse that indicates that we usually walk in the name of our god or in the name of the Lord our God (Micah 4:5).  So is incorporating any of the above an indicator that you are walking in the name of your god or the Lord God?

Those external things could be indicators but they really don’t get to the root of what is going on. While I could try to analyze what it might mean to be committed to a god to the extent that a person walks in that god’s name, I want to focus on what it means to walk in the name of the Lord our God.  And it really has little to do with any of the external indicators mentioned above. 

So what does it mean to walk in the name of the Lord our God?  The answer is simple and is contained in just two words.  But to even scratch the surface on those two words takes a lifetime.  We walk in the name of the Lord our God by walking before HimBut we’re not just talking taking steps physically; we’re talking how we live our lives before Him.  Some examples:

And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.  (1 Ki 3:6)

“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart;  (1 Ki 8:23)

See what I mean!  Those two simple words of walk before require faithfulness, righteousness, uprightness of heart and doing things wholeheartedly.  And none are done in a moment or by just coasting along!

But take heart, even if you didn’t start young, there’s still time.  Take a look at what God asked of Abraham:  When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless” (Gen 17:1).

Abram, who was renamed Abraham, lived to be 175.  You don’t have to do the math to get the picture.  But you do have to get going to walk before Him.  So get to it.  Start now.  It’s never too late.  Walk before Him and keep on walking!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Not Just Idle Words

I own a 25 year old car.  The body might be falling apart but the engine runs great and it idles smoothly.  Such idling is good. Idling can also have to do with spending too much time doing nothing or being without purpose or being engaged in that which is pointless.  Such idling is not good. What if I were to tell you that I know of something that is the about as far as being without purpose as you can get?  Would you want it? Here is that something:  “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”  ( Deut 32:47) Other versions of the Bible use some different words for that first phrase in the verse and such can be helpful in assessing how important the words really are: “Not meaningless words…”   “These are not just useless words…”   “No empty word for you…”   “Not unimportant words…”   “Not useless words…”   ...

Very Present

I love words that have multiple meanings but the same spelling.  Take the word “present” for example.  You may be thinking of “present”, as in a gift.  Gotta love those! But I’m thinking of “present”, as in existing now or occurring now. I’m also thinking of “present”, as in being at hand. Why those two latter ones, you might ask, why not just go with the gift! Well, I recently read Psalm 46, and here is the first verse:   “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Some theologians suggest the word “present” in this Psalm has the meaning of “well proven”.  I certainly can appreciate that. But I’ve been wondering if “present” could include the meaning of “now existing or now occurring”.  That is, God is exists now and is occurring in our lives. Furthermore, I’ve been wondering if “present” could also include “being at hand”.  That is, God is here, right now, with us.   And with even further wondering, the wo...

Be Amazed!

Be amazed… Jesus welcomed sinners …The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners… (Luke 15:2) Jesus hung out with sinners …And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” (Luke 19:7) Jesus ate with sinners …And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matt 9:11) Jesus was a friend of sinners …The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ (Matt 11:19) With Jesus being so welcoming, what did people do? People came to see Him …They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” (John 12:21) People came to hear Him …Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. (Luke 15:1) People followed Him …While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many ta...