Tag Archives: walking with God

Protect the Presence

Leave a reply

1 Samuel 4

The ark of the Lord was the Lord’s Presence during the Old Testament. It wasn’t like today when God actually lives in the hearts of Christians. But reading chapter 4 has me thinking.

Israel was at war with the Philistines, and lost an important battle to the enemy. Eli, the High Priest was at home anxiously waiting for news. When the messenger got there, the news wasn’t good.

The first thing Eli heard was that the battle was lost. The second thing he was told was that his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, had both been killed. The news must have cut Eli to the core. Can a parent receive worse news?

There was a third part to that report. The ark of God had been taken as plunder by the enemy.

When (the messenger) mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died… (verse 18a)

Eli’s pregnant daughter-in-law was then given the report. She was told about the defeat of the Jewish army and the deaths of her husband and his brother. To that, she found out her father-in-law was also dead. Again devastating news, this time for a young woman starting her family.

She also was told the ark of Lord had been captured by the Philistines. She immediately went into labor and died in childbirth.

The awful news of the loss of life understandably grieved Eli and his daughter-in-law. But what seems to have tipped the scales and threw them over the edge was the news of the captured ark of God.

Now, here’s what I’m wondering. Like I said the ark was the presence of God in Israel. The presence of God in 2024 is in your heart and mine. If His presence was removed today, would that news tip us over the edge or would we even notice?

Obviously, if the Holy Spirit decided to pack it all in and return to heaven, we’d notice. We’d be in hell.

But do we understand that our sin separates us from God? Some people don’t worry about that thinking once saved always saved, and God’s promise to never leave or forsake us. But that doesn’t mean God will follow us into sin if that’s where we are headed. He won’t forsake us. But we can certainly forsake Him.

I imagine all of us have experienced times when we feel closer to God than other times. Why is that? Does God move, or do we?

What causes the change except sin? God cannot and will not exist where sin is. And if we are holding sin in our hearts, where do you think God is? It’s at those times I might not know where He is, but I sure know where He’s NOT.

If I refuse to confess a sin, and then wonder why I feel I’m not as close to God as I used to be, I need to wake up. The problem isn’t that I don’t “feel” close to God. The problem is I’m NOT close to God because of my sin. It has nothing to do with my feelings and everything to do with my sin.

Oh, that we would be as heartbroken as Eli and his daughter-in-law over the thought of the loss of God’s presence. May we protect the Presence by moving nearer and nearer to Him through reading Scripture, praying and obeying. May we recognize sin and repent every time.

And may we never get comfortable living with the distance between our Holy God and ourselves.

Protect the Presence.

Don’t Go Back

Leave a reply

Deuteronomy 26-28

“A journey I said you should never make again.” (28:6b)

God, as He repeatedly does, lays out His demands, His blessings for obedience, His punishment for disobedience. There need be no question what is involved in God’s kingdom.

Throughout Scripture, God begs us to follow Him. He pleads with us to obey Him. He warns us over and over about the consequences that come with disobedience. He lays out a path for us to take that leads to glorious blessings. He wants us to take that path. But He won’t force us.

That path is paved with the blood of Jesus. It’s the path that leads us away from our bondage to sin, away from darkness and pain, and into freedom, love, light, and joy. It breaks God’s heart to see anyone turn around and head back toward the darkness and bondage.

It’s a journey we should never make again.

Yet some do. Some choose sin over holiness, self over surrender, things over a relationship with God. The path isn’t always easy. And some people just don’t want to make the effort.

These days when so many people are “deconstructing” their faith, please don’t go back. Hear God say:

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it. (Isaiah 30:21)

In which direction are you heading? My prayer, and God’s desire, is that you will follow Him with surrender, obedience, determination, faith, and joy. Because not following Him is a journey you should never make again.

Restrained

Leave a reply

Genesis 18-20

God kept Abimelech from sinning. He’d planned to have sex with Sarah, Abraham’s wife because he thought Abraham and Sarah were brother and sister. Somehow God stepped in and thwarted Abimelech’s plan so that he would not commit adultery.

We don’t know what that looked like, but Scripture tells us God intervened on behalf of Abimelech (and Sarah).

I wonder how many times God has intervened on my behalf without me even being aware. How many temptations has he swatted out of my way, how many doors has he closed, and prayers He’s not answered so that I would not sin?

I was a child long before car seats and seatbelts were required in cars. We kids sat (or stood) on the front bench seat and our safety restraint was Mom’s right arm thrust between us and the windshield when she saw danger ahead. I have that picture in mind when I think about God’s protection of Abimelech; God’s right arm thrust between Abimelech and sin.

I thank God for intervening on my behalf, too. Not that I’m sinless because sometimes I barge right through the barriers God puts in place. But today I want my walk with God to be close enough that I will recognize when He’s got HIs arm out, and allow Him to restrain me. I thank Him for wanting to.

(Psalms 120-125) Walking With God

Leave a reply

There is so much in Scripture about walking with God. These psalms remind me of the blessings that come from a right relationship with the Lord. God is with us, protecting us, guiding us, loving us. It is truly a blessing to walk with God.

But these psalms also remind me that there is judgment to come for those who go their own way in this life, those who walk away from God instead of beside Him. They may seem to be enjoying the pleasures of this world. And many are. Their smiles are genuine.

But there is a reality that will bring such pain and agony for them one day. It breaks my heart to think of it.

I am thankful that there is still hope for them while they are alive on this earth. God welcomes every repentant heart, forgives, and blesses each one now and forever. Life might not get easier walking with God. There are still hardships and trials in this life for all of us.

But walking with God is amazing, and will be even more amazing when our walk is with Him in heaven. I pray that each of you who read this post will experience a blessed walk with God.

(I Kings 3-7) Living In Splendor

Leave a reply

The Temple is built. I can only imagine the splendor. It was a house built for the King of Kings! It must have been breathtaking with all the gold, silver, cedar, carvings and sculptures. I’m glad God included those details in the passages I read today.

But as I read, I kept thinking about how, even after seven years of careful construction and at great expense, this temple will not survive. In a few short years, things will drastically change because of the disobedience of God’s people.

What does this tell us about God? After all, the Bible is given to us so that we can know Him. What does He want us to know?

As I sat here and thought about this, I recognized how this picture of the Temple, like all Scripture, paints a picture of how God blesses obedience; but He removes Himself and His protection when His people disobey. That was true in Solomon’s day. It’s still true today.

It’s true in our personal lives, and it’s true in a nation.

I want my walk with God to be in the splendor of His glorious Presence. Like the brick and mortar temple Solomon built with all it’s glory, every minute detail designed and blessed by God as I obey Him. I am able to do that because of His grace and mercy, as I continually submit to Him.

Sadly, I sometimes find myself walking in the rubble of a temple leveled by disobedience.

We will see in the chapters and books ahead how the Israelites will try time after time to rebuild or redecorate the temple. It will never be brought back to the glory we read about in these chapters in I Kings. However, unlike the temple Solomon built, I am able to return to that splendor when I confess and repent of sin. God’s Presence is renewed, my walk blessed by Him as I follow His blueprint for my life.

May my walk today be a life marked by the glorious Presence of God. May my heart be clean according to His plan. May I stand out as someone who is walking in the splendor which is God Himself. And may I be blessed, and a blessing, as I obey Him with all my heart.

January 30; Walk Away

Leave a reply

Genesis 45:1-46:12; I Chronicles 5:1-6, 2:18-55

Pharaoh is inviting Jacob to come to Egypt so he and his family could be saved from the effects of the famine. That invitation spoke to me today.

Pharaoh said that Jacob should pack up his whole family, and come. “Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.” (Genesis 45:20)

It reminds me that some people hesitate to repent of sin, and accept God’s grace because of what they will have to give up. Friends, lifestyle, that sin they enjoy, maybe family or a job. They see what they have, and hold tight.

But hear God say, “Never mind about any of that. Because what you’ll receive as My child is so much better than you can even imagine. The best of My kingdom will be yours.”

Walk away, dear one. And walk toward your best life as a man or woman forgiven, clean, and in a relationship with God Himself.

It really doesn’t get any better than that.

Psalms 84-89; Today

Leave a reply

Priorities. Pain. Praise. A personal relationship with God. All are familiar themes in the book of Psalms. Some psalms express a longing for the past while lamenting over the present. Some psalms question God, plead with Him for deliverance, or nearly burst at the seams with praise.

As I talked to God about these psalms today, He reminded me I can’t change the past. And worrying about tomorrow is a fruitless exercise Jesus told us to stop.

But I have today.

I ran across something Oswald Chambers said in regard to Psalm 85:

“It is no use to pray for the old days; stand square where you are and make the present better than any past has been. Base all on your relationship to God and go forward, and presently you will find that what is emerging is infinitely better than the past ever was.”

Do you trust God enough to stand square where you are today? Is your relationship with God that solid ground on which you face very challenge, ever opportunity? Or are you content to sit back and wish things were like they used to be (when if you’re honest those times had troubles of their own).

Let’s let God have today. Let’s look for ways to serve Him, to draw closer to Him, to further His will.

THIS is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in…

TODAY!

 

Genesis 24-25 Living Life

Leave a reply

Isaac, the son through whom God chose to reveal Himself to the nations and ultimately to be born into his family, loved Rebekah. Their meeting is a sweet story and filled with lessons about faith and obedience.

They had twin sons, who were as opposite as night and day. Esau, the rough and tumbled hunter. Jacob, the deceiving home-body. Esau, who lived for the moment. Jacob, who began to fashion a future to his liking.

I would suggest that neither extreme is pleasing to God. I think the young Rebekah’s story is a better example of how we should live. She, while still living with her father, had been given expensive jewelry and honor by Abraham’s servant. She enjoyed her new-found riches, but she didn’t just stay there. She got on her camel and moved ahead toward  a life she couldn’t have been real sure about.

Sometimes, I admit, I don’t live in the moment enough. I don’t allow myself to smell roses or enjoy a sunrise on the beach. I don’t talk to a friend about God every time I feel Him nudging me toward that. Sometimes I miss recognizing a blessing because I’m not paying attention.

And sometimes I find myself making decision, or living as though there is no tomorrow, so caught up in the “now” I don’t pay attention to God’s promptings about what He has in store for me up ahead.

I think the Bible teaches us to keep our eye on the sky, watching for Christ’s return, preparing to meet Him, while making every day count. A little Esau, a little Jacob, and a bit of Rebekah.

Dear God, I want to soak in everything You have given me and are doing in me today. I want to live my life with eternity my focus. I don’t want to miss a blessing or a challenge that comes from You. Thank you for walking with me today. May I be intentional about walking with You. 

Genesis 12&13 – Possess It

Leave a reply

If God gave Abram the land, why haven’t they always lived there? Does this prove Scripture can’t be trusted? God even said He was giving Abram the land forever. Is God unable to keep His promises?

Did God fail? The failure lies right smack dab in the lap of His people. God may have given them the land, but they failed to possess it. They got side tracked. They deserted God and worshiped idols. The land was their’s forever, if they’d possess it. But they didn’t possess it.

I see a New Testament parallel here. It’s salvation, bought by Jesus’ blood, a gift we all have at our fingertips. But we need to possess it. God didn’t hold His people captive in Canaan. And He doesn’t force us to accept His grace. Just like the Jews, we have to defeat the enemy, clear the land, till the soil, repent, flee the devil, grow in grace, put on that armor of God.

Then we can live forever in the land.

Exodus 5 – Never Too Late

Leave a reply

Enoch was 65 when he began his walk with the Lord. The Bible seems to link the birth of his son Methuselah with this change. Enoch, you’ll remember, had a walk so real with God that he didn’t die. God took him away.

I’d like to picture God and Enoch were walking together in a meadow where Enoch took one step on the ground, and the next on streets of gold, without missing a beat. I’d like to believe the transition from flesh and blood to his eternal body was seamless and natural.

I know that 65 seems old to many people. But when you lived to be 782, maybe 65 didn’t seem all that ancient back then. I don’t know. But I think there is a lesson for all of us here.

I don’t know how old you are. I do know that if you are reading this, your heart is still beating, and it’s not too late to begin your walk with the Lord, or to pay more attention to your walk with Him. It’s not too late to enjoy that sweet fellowship with your Savior.

Enoch seems to have been challenged to change when he became a father. What challenges you to walk with God? My sisters’ children makes me want to be a godly example to them. My unsaved friends make we want to represent Jesus well. The reality of what Jesus did for me on the cross makes me want to love Him like He deserves.

So I spend time in His Word every day. I pray. I listen, and pay attention to His nudges. I count everything a loss, except for the privilege of knowing Him. Like  Paul, I die daily. Then my prayer is, “Not my will but Thine be done.”

My walk with my Savior is not where it could be. Some days I neglect Him, then wonder why I can’t feel His Presence. But one thing I know, it’s never God’s fault if I feel that way. He wants to walk with me more than I want it for myself.

Whether you are 16 or 66 or 96, it’s not too late for you to take that walk with God. Get to know Him by reading what He wrote to you in Scripture. Spend time with Him.

I was raised in the C&MA church and sang a lot of A.B. Simpson hymns. I want to leave you with the words of one of my favorite hymns of his that speaks to our walk with God:

'Tis so sweet to walk with Jesus, 
Step by step and day by day;
Stepping in His very footprints, 
Walking with Him all the way.

'Tis so safe to walk with Jesus, 
Leaning hard upon His arm,
Following closely where He leads us, 
None can hurt and naught can harm.

Step by step I'll walk with Jesus, 
Just a moment at a time;
Heights I have not wings to soar to, 
Step by step my feet can climb.

Jesus, keep me closer, closer, 
Step by step and day by day;
Stepping in Thy very footprints, 
Walking with Thee all the way.

(Chorus)
Step by step, step by step, 
I would walk with Jesus,
All the day, all the way, 
Keeping step with Jesus.