Walking With God

It is said of Enoch (Genesis 5:22-24) and Noah (6:9) that they walked with God. Then a time came when men like Abraham and Isaac were said to walk before God (17:1; 48:15). Then a time came when He gave law to Israel's children, and He instructed them to walk in His ways (Deuteronomy 5:33; 8:6; 10:12, et al).

The prophet Micah pleaded with Israel's remnant to return to the days when people walked with God, and humbly (6:8).

When Jesus came to this world, God kept the promise He had made to walk among His people (Leviticus 26:12) as He had in the garden east of Eden (Genesis 3:8). It is no wonder He saw to it that the lame could walk and praise God (Matthew 15:31, Mark 2:12, et al) - and that He shared that ability with His followers (Acts 3:8-11).

It isn't really said of people that they did or should sit with God or rest in God - but, rather, walk with God. They should journey at His side, following where He leads, doing as He does, speaking as He speaks, helping and healing others in partnership with Him. Many did so, literally, when He walked our world in the person of His Son.

Do we seek to walk with Him today?

Fathers and Children

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother' - which is the first commandment with a promise - 'that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.' Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." ~ Ephesians 6:1-4

On this Father's Day, this text will be preached in many churches.

Take a moment to consider how the instruction reflects the relationship God has with His children; how He desires obedience because He knows what is best for us; how He seeks to not exasperate us by not placing harsh or unreasonable limitations on us - but provides freedom to choose, and wisdom to choose well.

Ask, Part 2

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

When we teach, speak, write, and act on behalf of Christ's cause - representing Him to those who don't know Him - there is a partnership between the One who gives and the ones who ask. We ask. He gives. But we need to ask. We need to remember Who it is that gives; that we are not self-sustaining. We need to ask, not to let Him know that we need - because He already does - but because we need to remember what we need and from Whom we need it.

What do we ask for? Do we ask for His Holy Spirit?

Do we even ask?

Sowing and Reaping

In a sequel to his prophecy about those who "sow the wind and reap the whirlwind" (Hosea 8:7), God's servant revealed two chapters later:

"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you." ~ Hosea 10:12

It's a common metaphor is scripture - in Job, the Proverbs, Jeremiah, and even Jesus' story about the timid servant.

May God be praised that - through His justice and grace - we do not always reap what we sow.

It is By Grace

When we want to emphasize something, we often repeat it. Paul repeats a phrase in his letter to Christ's followers in Ephesus to remind them that no one is better than anyone else; all of us were at one time spiritually "dead" because of our sin and headed for physical death in them -but God resurrected us through Christ:

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

For that grace - the salvation it brings (being seated in the heavenly realms) and the purpose in life that comes with it (doing good works) - we should be filled with gratitude and worship with every word and act in our lives.

Salvation and Praise

When others were brought to Christ, His followers in the early church praised God – because they recognized that it was God who drew them all through the ministry of others. When Paul, Luke and party reported to James and the gathered elders at Jerusalem the results of the work on their journey through Macedonia:

"Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God." ~ Acts 21:19-20a

Praising God through Unity

How we relate to each other as followers of Christ is worship to the Father. - Or not.

Having hearts for unity with - and accepting - other believers imitates Christ, Paul writes to Rome:

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." ~ Romans 15:5-7

It isn't always going to be easy. God made each of us unique. We have different points of view. So He gives "endurance and encouragement" because we need it in order to live together peacefully (Ephesians 4:3) - but it is up to us to keep what He has given us.

If we do not have a spirit of unity, Paul implies, we do not have the Holy Spirit by whom we worship God (Philippians 3:31).

Chosen for/to the Praise of His Glory

If there were such a thing as a church in which only a few select members were permitted to worship and praise the God of creation, would you want to be among them?

That's the purpose for which God has sealed followers of His Son with His Holy Spirit, according to Ephesians 1:11-14:

"In him we were also chosen,[a] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory."

As expressed in English here, those who are included in Christ are purposed both for and to "the praise of His glory."

If we examine our lives carefully, prayerfully - and find that's not been our purpose - He has given us each a life worth re-examination.

Praise, Hope and Comfort

Paul and Timothy begin a letter to their dearly loved ones in Corinth with a doxology of hope and comfort. They seem to realize that whatever solace they can offer to those who suffer comes through them and through Christ from God Himself. So they give glory to the Source of all comfort:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

From Mourning to Dancing!

"Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning." ~ Lamentations 5:15

We are confronted by the witness of Scripture concerning worship. it is interesting to see in the Word how praise and joy nearly always follow repentance and brokenness, not precede them. The Israelites in Ezra and Daniel came to God in sackcloth and ashes then celebration followed. Paul labeled himself a wretched man and then praised God for his salvation. Why? Because true worship springs from recognition of who we are compared to God - that there is nothing in us to deserve His grace or mercies. Praise follows when we realize how great He is for saving us! We've got to know brokenness before we can know healing. And then we can sing songs and hymns of joyous praise.

~ Charles Kiser