“A Prophetic Word” Day 56: Walk before the Lord.

“I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

Psalms 16:7-11 NLT

The Lord, in speaking to Abram about the Covenant He was making with him, said this:

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,”

Genesis 17:1 ESV

Eli, the high priest had allowed his sons to scorn the instructions of the Lord and the time came when the Lord sent word to him that his family line would be cut off from the priesthood.

“Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the LORD says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” “Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.”

I Samuel 2:30-31, 34-35 NKJV

When Solomon had completed the house of the Lord, the Lord appeared to him a second time, having appeared to him before at Gibeon.

“And the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”

1 Kings 9:3-7 ESV

The above examples all have this phrase spoken by the Lord: “Walk before Me.” Now, what this command references, and is made clear as the Lord spoke further to them, is that they should live their lives with a constant awareness of the Lord’s presence, in an ongoing posture of inquiring of Him. Indeed, they were to be locked in a position of complete obedience, and adoration of the Almighty God.

Sadly, it seems that many Christians have a “transactional” relationship with the Lord. That is to say, the Lord is not a part of their daily life in any meaningful way. His heart and His will are not sought in terms of ongoing decisions and guidance. However, when some urgent need arises, the Lord is suddenly “remembered” and sought after to provide what is needed.

Child of God, make no mistake, a transactional relationship with the Lord does not honor His Presence, treating His Presence as something common, rather than precious.

Only in being mindful of the Lord at all times and walking in obedience to His will, do we truly honor His Presence. Only in so doing, can we expect to have the kind of relationship with Him that leads to the reward promised to the faithful. Deceiving ourselves in terms of possessing some technical safety from destruction, viewing use of the Lord’s name as a sort of get out of jail free card, dishonors His name, and indicates a lack of a real relationship with our One and only Savior and Lord.

“And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.”

Luke 13:23-28 ESV

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!