Walking with God

“He has shown you, O mortal, 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.” Micah 6:8

One of my favorite ways to connect with people is to go for a walk. I will frequently choose a walk with a friend over coffee and my husband knows that if the weather is nice, a walk will be a part of our evening plans. Part of my love for walks is the ability to get outdoors but the other is the way conversations are deepened by matching cadence. On walks with family and friends I have cried, laughed and worked through challenges together. There is something about walking side by side, in the same direction, that promotes problem solving and sharing life. For that reason I love the image Micah describes in 6:8. He concludes the three well known commands with “walk humbly with our God”.

It is as if he is giving the instruction manual on how to do the rest. The call to act justly and love mercy are challenging as we have seen. But they are only possible when we do them out of our relationship with our Heavenly Father, we can not accomplish it in our own strength. Therefore, the final instruction is to “walk humbly with our God”.

What a challenge and an invitation all at once. Our Lord wants us to walk with him. He desires that we humbly recognize that we can’t do this life on our own. Only by his grace are we saved from our broken natures. Only by his blood are we redeemed and kept from the consequences of sin. To be humble doesn’t mean to beat ourselves up but to honestly view ourselves for the messed up people we are, and view God in his complete holiness. When we fully recognize who God is and the depth of his love for us, we cannot help but stand in humble awe.

But the instruction continues, it’s not “walk humbly” with a knowledge of your sin and continue in your own way. It is “walk humbly with your God”. Acknowledge who God is and then walk with him. How intimate and beautiful to be invited to walk personally with God. This includes not only following the path he leads us on but walking with him through the highs and the lows, the joys and sorrows, knowing he stands by our side.

To walk with him is to listen to his loving direction, to accept his guidance and commit to knowing him personally. Just like my walks with family and friends involve conversation and emotion, so does our walk with God.

It isn’t always easy to follow his path, especially when we can’t see the destination. But Micah is challenging us to say yes to walking with God and trusting that his plan is good, he will equip us for the journey and be by our side. He will empower us to act justly and love mercy. He will give us strength to battle temptation and handle loss.

Take a moment to consider, what’s your answer? Have you said yes to a daily walk with God? Maybe you’ve said yes, but have gone down a few of your own side streets recently. What can you do to realign your heart and mind with God’s purpose for your life right now? What comfort do you draw from knowing that God wants to walk intimately with you and empower you through his Spirit to follow his word?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, We thank you for your word and the challenge to walk humbly with you. How incredible it is that you desire that kind of relationship with us. May we fully accept it and embrace the chance to follow you each day. Give us eyes to see where we have strayed from your path, and draw us nearer to you. We pray for the Holy Spirit to move in our hearts daily to align our lives with your plan. It is in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Makalah Scholten

Director of Operations