Are you radically determined to walk closely with God?
Picture yourself and your husband (if not
married, a friend) walking amongst the hustle and bustle of downtown New York
City. You’re walking on one side of the
street, and your husband is all the way on the other side. You’re separated by hundreds of nameless people and loud, exhaust-producing
cars. How intimate a conversation can you have shouting across the street at each other? There’s so much he wants to tell you, but you
can’t hear him, can’t see him. You know
he’s there, but it’s impossible to feel connected.
What do you do? Do you push, shove, and do whatever it takes to cross the street, find him, take his hand, hold tightly, and never let go? Or, do you continue your separate walk, knowing he's there, but, either not knowing how to cross the street, or not caring enough to get to the other side.
Does your walk with God ever feel like
that? By faith, you Know He’s there, you
know He wants to talk with you, but you allow yourself to walk on the opposite
side of the street, feeling separated... Why? By
what?
Knowing myself, and having counseled and coached many precious women, I can safely say that in most of our lives, there are times when we just aren't walking intimately with the Lord.
Why do so few have a consistently close walk with God?
1. The painful truth: We don't want it enough to pursue it. {Ouch!}
A close, consistent walk with God isn't a priority. We allow 'life' to become more important than our Lord.
2. We don't know how. We try, but can't seem to 'get there'.
The reality is, a close walk with the Lord requires an intense pursuit. We may not begin the pursuit with passion, but through our obedience, the Holy Spirit will enable us to develop a deep and abiding love for Jesus. We must (with the help of the Holy Spirit) become radically determined to walk closely with God.
It's not an occasional stroll. It's a radical-lock-arms
don't-let-Him-out-of-your-grip walk!
"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires
of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with
your God.
Micah 6:8
God has a no-bounds, radical love for us. And by His grace, this is what He wants for you and for me:
To Be in His Word, or
Meditate on His Word
"...for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11
"Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Acts 20:32
To Give Thanks and Praise
“Be joyful always; give thanks in all
circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
To Pray Without Ceasing
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
To Confess Our Sins and Forgive Others
"Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love,
Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins." Psalm 51:1
To Surrender Our All
“So here’s what I want you to do, God
helping you; Take your everyday,
ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going to work and walking around life–and place it before God as an offering.
Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.” Romans 12:1
To Listen For His Voice
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
To Believe Him and Soar
“Great and mighty things He has for me,
things my eyes cannot see.” Jeremiah
33:3
"This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah
was a righteous man, the only
blameless person living on earth at the time, and
he walked in close fellowship with God.
Genesis 6:9
Where are you with the Lord, today? Are you walking in close fellowship,
or are you on the other side of that crazy-busy street?
How close do you want to be?
I'd love to hear from you!
Living
in His grace,
Mary
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I look forward to hearing from you!
'Daily' source: Professional Life Coaching 201 Series p. 45
