Mission Venture Ministries

“Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.” (Psalm 128:1) 

In the original Hebrew, the word translated as “walk” in Psalm 128:1 means “to live or behave in a specific manner.” Respect for God expresses itself in actions and behaviors as Solomon wrote, “fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  And Paul tells the Corinthian church, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). Those who truly worship and serve the Lord God Almighty will devote their lives to Him not only with words but also by obeying His commands. 

Jesus walked in God’s ways as a perfect example for us (Philippians 2:8). He showed us that obedience and love go hand in hand: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). 

The apostle John cites obedience as the proof of our love for God expressed through living for Him: “The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:4-6). 

The Bible is our book of instruction for walking in God’s ways and Scripture illuminates the path for our feet, guiding and directing our manner of walking in this world (Psalm 119:105). To walk in God’s ways describes a lifestyle of daily seeking to know God and living in obedience to His will. It means delighting oneself in the Lord, meditating on His Word, and discovering His will (Psalm 40:8). 

Those who walk in God’s ways choose behaviors that are pleasing to Him. They “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). They “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). They desire to know the Lord’s ways and earnestly and continually pursue an ever-deepening relationship with God. 

Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). There is a cost involved in walking in God’s ways, which means giving up our own way. It involves death to self. In Jesus’ day, the cross represented death. When Jesus said, “take up your cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24), the disciples understood what He meant, that they had to be willing to die to follow Him. It meant relinquishing self-will and selfish ambition. Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it” (Luke 9:24). 

Believers are able to walk in God’s ways because they “walk in the light” of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the light (1 John 1:7). God’s Spirit empowers them to “walk by the Spirit,” obey His Word, and live in a way that honors and pleases the Him (Galatians 5:16; Ezekiel 36:27). 

Those who walk with God obey Him no matter what. Even when there is an easy way out, they still stick to God’s plan and His commandments. It is not easy to live a godly life in the world, but with God, everything is possible (Philippians 4:13). 

Walking with God requires the following: 

1. Commitment – This keeps us going even when we don’t feel like praying or reading our Bible. 

2. Focus – It’s easy to get distracted and forget to nurture our walk with God. Having a focused mind will remind us that we need to set time aside to spend with God. When we make the choice to walk with God we don’t let other things distract us from keeping focused on Christ. 

3. Yielding to the Holy Spirit – When we allow the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts, He helps us obey God and keep away from anything that hinders our relationship with Him. 

When we truly want to walk with the Lord we draw closer to Him, and He becomes our main focus. Our hearts longs for Him and we seek His presence while our worldly desires decrease. 

As a believer the benefits and results of walking with God each day of our earthly life is the comfort He gives us knowing that it is a relationship that will be shared throughout eternity. “And this is what He promised us—eternal life” (1 John 2:25). 

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