SUNDAY
Walk By Faith
We don’t always understand the way that God is leading us. When we can’t see the path that God has shown us to walk in, then we walk on by faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) The writer of Hebrews gives us examples of men and women in the Bible who walked by faith. Abraham is a great example. He put His trust in God, even though he did not know where God was leading him. He obeyed what God had told him. If we want to walk by faith we must obey God’s Word. Abraham was able to do this because he had an eternal focus. “For he looked for a city… whose builder and maker is God.”
“8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10)
MONDAY
Walk In Truth
What is truth? I was trying to think of how to begin this devotional, and I typed in, “What is truth?” in my Bible concordance app. It came up with a chapter and verse reference where someone in the Bible actually asked the question, “What is truth?” Do you know who it was? Before we look at who posed the question, let’s see what AI says when I ask Google. I get really aggravated when I see all the posts online that are obviously not true. People who know how to use the different apps on the computer can make almost anything look real. They can put you in a photo where you never were, and take you out of a photo when someone doesn’t want to admit you were there. I often complain that children today don’t know what is true and what it just a falsified creation, because many of the things they see are made to look like they actually happened. But, AI pulled a good answer from Merriam-Webster, “Truth is the quality or state of being in agreement with fact, reality, or actuality.” God’s Word is true! “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” (Psalm 119:160) Look also at John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” When we know the Word of God, we can walk in truth. David prayed, “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.” (Psalm 86:11-12) Okay, do you know who asked Jesus, “What is truth?” It was Pilate, who told the Jews, “I find in him no fault at all”, but had Him crucified anyway. Walk in truth.
“37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
40 Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.” (John 18:37-40)
TUESDAY
God Wants To Walk With Us
God created Adam and Eve and put them in a wonderful garden of perfection. God provided all their needs and walked with them. But, after they sinned, they tried to hide from God. “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8) God still wants to walk with us. “And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.” (Leviticus 26:12) The Apostle Paul mentions all the things that cannot separate us from God’s love and fellowship.
“37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)
Nothing can separate us from God’s love but our sin can come between us and the Lord. “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2)
WEDNESDAY
Can Two Walk Together?
In the book of Amos, the Lord asked the people “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) I enjoy walking. My doctor told me to walk so many steps every day. We had a hot summer and many days after working in the garden I didn’t feel like getting all the steps in. On the really hot days I couldn’t walk outside so I walked from room to room in the house. If it was a beautiful day and I asked Michael to walk with me, there are a few things we would have to agree on. First, we would have to agree on the path and direction we would walk. We could not walk together if we were walking in opposite directions. To walk with the Lord we must walk on the path and direction He has for us. Next, we would have to be walking at the same time. If Michael was walking even a little faster than I was, it wouldn’t take long for him to be way ahead of me. Or, if I walked faster, I would get ahead of him. Sometimes we have to seek the Lord’s timing in our daily walk. We may want to do something now and not understand why our prayers are delayed. We must believe in the Lord and put our trust in His guiding and follow Him. His timing is always right. When the Lord posed this question to Israel, they were not in agreement with God. They were worshiping idols and serving other Gods and judgment was coming. So, finally, I think that we would have to be in agreement with each other to walk together. It would be hard to walk with someone that I couldn’t talk with and fellowship with as we walked. Let’s walk with the Lord. “Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.” (Deuteronomy 5:33)
THURSDAY
The Lord Is My Shepherd
When Samuel went to Jesse to anoint one of his sons to be the new king, the older ones walked before him and the Lord told him that neither of these were the chosen one. “And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” (I Kings 16:11-12) David was just a young shepherd who knew The Shepherd. We have been talking about walking with the Lord, and in this Psalm David says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” David fought many battles, but he walked with the Lord and was not afraid to walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
“1 <<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” (Psalm 23)
FRIDAY
Walk In Christ Jesus Unto Good Works
We are not saved by our works. We can’t do anything good enough to pay for our sin. We can’t give away enough money or works to buy our salvation. Paul makes it clear that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. Through His great love, Jesus died on the cross to give His life to pay for our sin. We are going back to the second chapter in Ephesians to see our next walk, but we must be clear that we are not saved by works, but we are to walk in Christ Jesus unto good works. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) Some people can work with their hands and build, or create, or make wonderful things with great skill and quality that shows great workmanship. God is creating, and making us, with great care and quality and it is humbling to think that we are His workmanship. With the price Jesus paid for us, how can we not want to walk in good works unto the Lord?
“1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:1-10)
"4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” (Titus 3:4-8)
SATURDAY
We Better Be Walking With God
I have seen many short videos of the recent flood in Nepal. It is so sad to see the people looking at the water coming towards them, and see that they could not outrun the flood. It was completely unexpected, on a bright sunny day, and the water was unstoppable. When I see disasters like this it makes me so thankful that the Lord is with me. Jesus warns us of trouble in the last days, in Luke 21:11, “And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” I believe that we are getting really close to the end of time and we better be walking with God. One day each one of us will leave this old world and it might be completely unexpected. Look at Genesis 5:24, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Enoch was walking with God so close that one day he just walked with God right up to heaven. What a glorious testimony. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5) Our day is coming and we better be ready. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27)
