In recent weeks, we have considered individuals in the Bible, in our churches, in our families and casual acquaintances who have had such an impact on our lives because they carried in their spirit the obvious presence of the Lord that could be felt when we encountered them. We observed that this is a result of their being much in prayer and the life of some of these prayer warriors has been described as a living prayer. In essence, these are people who walk with God moment by moment, and each of us can be just such a person.
Most of us went through a stage of life as infants that we cannot actually remember. The period of time I am referring to is when we were learning to walk. We did not come into this world walking or running or even crawling. Learning to walk for the young comes with time, growth and maturity. I do not remember learning to walk, but I have four younger brothers and I remember well when they were learning to do so. After learning to crawl, the walking process always starts with trial and error – one step and a fall. The infant goes through a series of steps and falls until finally they gain strength, confidence and determination to walk and run.
We, as born-again believers in Christ, are called upon to “walk humbly with thy God,” (Micah 6:7). Evidently, Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden of Eden in their innocence, but when God came walking in the garden in the cool of the day after they disobeyed the one and only commandment given to them as recorded in the Bible, we find them hiding from God (Genesis 3:8-9). We find that Enoch in Genesis 5:22-24 had such a close walk with God that the day came when God took him on to Heaven. Without a doubt, Abraham, Moses and numerous other Bible characters in both the Old and New Testament walked “humbly” with God and their lives proved it day after day.
It is possible for imperfect mankind to walk with and please a Holy and righteous God and the Bible shows us the way. First of all, we must receive a spiritual birth (John 3:7). We cannot walk physically until we are born – profound, isn’t it? We cannot walk spiritually with God until we are born again by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. The second thing we must do to walk with God is to be filled or controlled by His Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:16 tells us, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust (desires) or your flesh (sin nature). Our sin nature has not been eradicated, and the Holy Spirit alone gives the child of God the power to please God and walk with Him.
We learn, also, how to walk with God when we walk in God’s Word. It is imperative to know what God has said in His Word if we are to obey His commandments and directions for our lives. I John 5:3 assures us that, “His commandments are not grievous (burdensome).”
Finally, we want to consider that we must walk in humility with our God, “For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble,” (I Peter 5:5). We are never more like Christ than when we humble ourselves, for Jesus “made Himself of no reputation … and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Would those around us describe us as one who walks with God? “Lord, may it be so in each of our lives.”
— Randy Zinn is pastor of Russell Missionary Baptist Church, Russell, Ark.; formerly of Okmulgee.
