WALKING BEFORE GOD
IF YOU LEFT THE WORLD, AND NOW, PRESENTLY, DAILY, YOU WALK BEFORE GOD, YOU WALK WITH GOD, THEN THE FOLLOWING IS SERIOUSLY YOUR TESTIMONY:
YOU ALWAYS GO AGAINST THE CURRENT, AGAINST THE CROWDS, AGAINST THE CHORUS.
AFTER READING, CONSIDER THESE WORDS SERIOUSLY, AND REFLECT ON YOUR DAILY LIFE: IS THIS YOUR WALK? IF NOT, I ASK YOU TO BE SERIOUS WITH GOD.
CALLED, SEPARATED, AND WALKING BEFORE GOD
Abraham was called.
He was called out from his country.
He was called out from his kindred.
He was called out from his father's house.
God said unto him:
“Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee.”
— Genesis 12:1
And Abraham went.
He did not have the whole map in his hand.
He did not know every detail of the journey.
He did not know all the places he would pass through.
He did not know all the people he would meet.
He did not know all the trials that would come upon him.
But he knew Who had called him.
And that was enough.
“For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” — Hebrews 11:10
Abraham was not merely called from something; he was called unto something.
He was called unto a land.
He was called unto a promise.
He was called unto a covenant.
He was called unto a walk with God.
And God later said unto him:
“I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”
— Genesis 17:1
Notice it!
Walk before me.
Not before men.
Not before public opinion.
Not before tradition.
Not before culture.
Not before the customs of Egypt.
Not before the voices of the multitude.
Before Me!
That is the life of a separated Christian.
And often a Christian makes odd, yea, very odd decisions and by that acts strangely that it leaves people shaking their heads, or talking in low tones among themselves, or shouting in anger, or fearing and trembling, or reproaching, laughing or teasing, or questioning intensively, or threatening to take action, or just murmuring, or creating a joke about it.
Why?
Because they cannot understand the walk of a man who is walking before God.
These are scenes that keep punctuating a Christian's life because his life is no longer earthly.
He is no more an Adam!
No more earthy!
No more earthbound!
No more agreeable with the customs of Egypt!
He has heard another Voice.
He has received another calling.
He has seen another country.
He has another destination.
He has another hope.
He has another Master.
He is seriously heaven bound.
Seriously led by the Holy Spirit.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” — Romans 8:14
He is no more a yes man.
He is no more a men pleaser.
He is no more a chorus boy, girl, woman.
He cannot simply sing the chorus because everybody else is singing it.
He cannot simply say yes because everybody else is saying yes.
He cannot simply walk because everybody else is walking.
He has God to walk before.
He has God as his Head.
He has light to shine.
He has a commission to fulfill.
He has a pilgrim way to walk.
He has laid hold of eternal life.
He is filled with God.
His hope and aspirations are heavenly.
“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 3:20
He has become holy.
“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:7
He has become just.
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 3:24
He has become righteous.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21
He has become light.
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” — Ephesians 5:8
He has become the image of God.
“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” — Colossians 3:10
He has left the world.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.” — 2 Corinthians 6:17
He has died from flesh and blood.
He has ceased to live merely according to the dictates of the natural man.
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” — Colossians 3:3
He has been crucified with Christ.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” — Galatians 2:20
He has put on the new man.
“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” — Ephesians 4:24
He has the promise before his eyes.
Like Abraham, he looks beyond the present circumstance to what God has spoken.
“Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken.” — Romans 4:18
He has heaven before his eyes.
He has immortality before his eyes.
He has eternity before his eyes.
He is not living merely for what he can touch today.
He is not living merely for what men can give him today.
He is not living merely for houses, lands, recognition, position, applause, or earthly possessions.
He is looking for something better.
“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” — Hebrews 13:14
He is a stranger.
He is a pilgrim.
Abraham dwelt “in the land of promise, as in a strange country,” because he understood that the promise was greater than the temporary dwelling place. — Hebrews 11:9
And Scripture says:
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
— Hebrews 11:13
That is why the Christian can appear strange.
The world cannot understand a pilgrim who has become satisfied with the promise.
The world cannot understand a man who can say no when everybody else says yes.
The world cannot understand a woman who will choose righteousness rather than popularity.
The world cannot understand a young person who would rather please God than be accepted by the crowd.
The world cannot understand somebody who will leave something behind because God said, “Come out.”
But the Christian does not live by the understanding of the world.
He walks by faith.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7
He has Jesus Christ his Friend.
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” — John 15:14
He has Jesus Christ his Saviour.
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” — Luke 19:10
He has Jesus Christ in his heart.
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” — Colossians 1:27
He is a new creature.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
He has sold all and bought the pearl of great price.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” — Matthew 13:45–46
He has sold all and bought the field of treasure.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” — Matthew 13:44
And once he has found that treasure, he cannot keep living as though he has found nothing.
Once he has seen the Pearl, the cheap ornaments of the world lose their glitter.
Once he has heard the Voice of God, the voices of men lose their mastery.
Once he has tasted heavenly things, the old appetite begins to die.
Once he has seen the heavenly country, this present world can no longer become his permanent home.
Abraham was called.
Abraham separated himself.
Abraham believed.
Abraham obeyed.
Abraham walked before God.
And Abraham never stopped being a pilgrim.
So must the Christian.
Called out.
Separated unto God.
Led by the Spirit.
Walking before God.
Looking unto Jesus.
Looking for the city.
Holding the promise.
Laying hold on eternal life.
And if the world shakes its head, let it shake.
If men talk, let them talk.
If they question, let them question.
If they laugh, let them laugh.
If they misunderstand, let them misunderstand.
The pilgrim has somewhere to go.
The stranger has a country.
The Christian has a God to walk before.
And his eyes are fixed upon Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of his faith. — Hebrews 12:2
HERE IS YOUR ROADMAP: called → separated → promised → walking before God → misunderstood by the whole world around → looking for the heavenly country → possessing Christ as the Pearl and Treasure. Disappointing all around for the sake of the riches of Christ.
YES, ARE YOU A CHORUS MAN, WOMAN, GIRL, BOY, A CROWD PLEASER, OR ARE YOU SEPARATED?
DO YOU OFTEN MISS IN ACTION CAUSING OTHERS TO MURMUR BECAUSE YOU ARE OBEYING GOD?
Comments