Walking with God: Lessons from the Life of Abraham
Sadly today, many believers are not truly walking with God. They may have accepted His free gift of salvation, but they do not have a personal relationship with God. A personal walk with God requires commitment and a daily effort. It cannot be done haphazardly or whenever we feel like it. A growing, thriving relationship of any kind requires time, dedication, and WORK.
Abraham is an excellent example of one who walked with God. His relationship was characterized by faith and holy living. James called him the friend of God, indicating the intimate relationship Abraham cherished with the Lord.
James 2:23, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”
Are you walking with God on a daily basis, dear friend?
The Request from God
Genesis 17:1-2, “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.”
God asks Abraham to walk before Him and “be thou perfect.”
Walk Before Me
The word before means “in front of, or in the presences of” (Webster’s 1828).
God was calling Abraham to a personal relationship with Himself. He wanted Abraham to live in His very presence.
Walking with God requires an obedience to His Will. This is not so much about “keeping a list of rules” but more about a surrender of our will, wants, and desires to the Lord. Our relationship with the Lord is dependent upon our obedience to Him.
Thankfully, however, because of His grace even when we resist His perfect plan for our lives, He continues to seek us out. Just like the lost sheep in Luke 15, He pursues us and seeks to bring us back into the safety of the fold. His desire for us is to have a close intimate personal relationship with Him. True peace comes when we are nestled safely within the fold in the presence of the Shepherd.
Abraham left his home country and went out not knowing exactly where God was leading him.
Do you ever feel like you don’t know where you are going in your spiritual walk?
So long as we are living in the presence of God, we don’t need to fear the direction we are going. He will guide us when we are allowing Him to direct our ways instead of trusting in our own wisdom.
Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Be Thou Perfect
The word perfect here does not mean that Abraham was to live perfectly. Thankfully, the Lord knows and understands our human frailty. He knows we cannot live perfectly. In spite of our imperfect humanity, we can live a life of faith and spiritual maturity through His grace. God was asking Abraham here to walk in faith and spiritual maturity. He was calling Abraham to a life of holiness just as He calls us.
As hard as some may try to do, however, we cannot live a life of moral purity apart from first accepting Christ’s finished work on the Cross. We become spiritually complete when we accept the gift of salvation God freely extends to us. After salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells within us, giving us the power to live out a life of holiness.
Hebrews 10:14, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
I Thessalonians 4:7-8, “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.”
Christ’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. Isn’t that amazing? He takes our weakness or human frailty, injects His strength, and thereby enables us to live holy through His power.
II Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
The Response of Abraham
Genesis 17:3a, “And Abram fell on his face…”
What did Abraham do when God called Him to walk with Him? He fell on his face before Him.
This was an act of not only worship, but one of surrender. When a person falls on their face before the presence of another, they are in a weakened state. They are not in a position to stand and defend their rights, or fight their enemy. They become vulnerable in the presence of another.
Have you become vulnerable before God? Have you laid you all before the Lord in complete surrender?
Yielding our life to the Lord in complete and unhindered obedience is the ultimate act of worship.
The Reaping of God’s Blessings
Genesis 17:3b-6, “and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.”
When we become completely surrendered and vulnerable before the Lord, we place ourselves in a place to receive His ultimate blessings. It is in this position that we become a usable and pliable vessel in His hands through which He can flow and accomplish great things.
God changed the world through Abraham. It was through his descendants that God sent the Messiah to redeem a lost world. God not only blessed Abraham, but He blessed the entire world through Him.
When we are fully yielded to His will, God not only blesses us but is also able to use us to be a blessing to those around us. While God may not use us to change the entire world as He did with Abraham, He may, however, use us to change the entire world for one individual. If God uses us to make a difference in the life of just one person, then everything we have surrendered to Him becomes worth the cost.
Final thoughts…
As we walk in complete obedience to Christ, He will pour out His blessings upon us. We worship the Lord through our obedience and enable Him to use us to impact the world around us. A surrendered life is a blessed life!
May we each choose to walk in complete surrender to God’s will today!
