God Wants to Be With Us

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked … but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
–Psalm 1:1-2 (ESV) 

I’m so grateful to let you know my recuperation following back surgery is on the homestretch. Thanks for your concern, prayers, and encouragement. My early morning walks, now usually an hour or more, are giving me plenty of unhurried time for reflection.

You know, walking is a funny thing. It always begins with a first step, and it always takes us somewhere. God has been challenging me to pause and examine my walking, and I’d like to ask you to join me. Who are we walking with? How are we walking? What are we walking toward—what’s our destination?

Walk with God

The first time anyone is recorded walking in the Bible, it’s the Lord in the garden, spending time with our first parents (Genesis 3:8). God made us for Himself, to share His presence. In fact, the entire story of the Bible is about God restoring His presence with us. Think burning bushes, tabernacles, temples, the incarnation of the Son, the indwelling of the Spirit, a millennial kingdom, a new heaven and new earth, a restored garden in a city where the nations will walk in the radiance of the glory of God (Revelation 21:24)! Enoch walked with God, and it was so pleasurable and meaningful to the Lord that He “took him” (Genesis 5:24).

Jesus walked everywhere with His disciples, often hiking ten, fifteen, twenty, even fifty miles. During these walks, the Teacher poured into His students. They learned, laughed, and interacted as they trekked from place to place.

God’s great goal is simply that we walk with Him—in the truth, in the light, at His pace, and toward the right destination (1 John 1:5-7).

Do Not Walk with the Wicked

Scripture tells us we’ll become like whomever we walk with (Proverbs 13:20). Either we will walk with wise and godly people or with those who convince us that their ways, their paths, and their values will deliver the significance and success that we crave. For better or worse, our friends influence our future. Psalm 1 describes the blessing of God upon those who do not walk in the counsel of the wicked but delight in the law of the Lord and feast on it day and night. That kind of walk produces fruitfulness, stability, endurance, and prosperity.

Walk in a Manner Worthy of the Lord

In Ephesians, after telling us who we are in Christ, the apostle Paul challenges us to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” and then clarifies that this is in the context of deep, authentic, sacrificial relationships. After explaining our personal process of transformation, he tells us to walk in love, walk as imitators of God in Christ, and then to walk in the light (Ephesians 5:1, 8).

We Cannot Walk Alone

Scripture also makes it clear that we cannot walk alone. Jesus walked with the disciples, Elijah walked with Elisha, Joshua walked with Moses, and Timothy walked with Paul.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 declares it’s not good for a man to walk alone: “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

Many years ago, when I was crawling as a baby Christian and struggling badly, God brought a godly bricklayer into my life. He invited me to walk with him to learn how to walk with Jesus. Reluctantly, I agreed, and I stumbled and tripped, but I kept walking with him until one day I realized that he had taught me to walk with Jesus. I found myself delighting in God’s Word and hungering to understand God’s will for me every day. I enjoyed God’s presence.

Come and Walk with Me!

I invite you to join me for the next Daily Discipleship: True Spirituality. We’ll work together through Romans chapter 12—just you and me meeting daily for about three weeks so I can do for you what that bricklayer did for me.

I’ll show you how to walk with God for yourself—how to hear His voice, understand His Word, experience His presence, and walk in it throughout the day. Each day, you’ll watch a short video, then do a ten-minute study on your own. This study will begin on September 27 (you can pre-register now).

To learn more about this and hear more of my musings about walking with God, listen to this month’s Coffee Break message.

I am so grateful for your continued prayer support and generosity. It’s my joy and honor to walk with you as you grow in Christ, growing into “a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither” (Psalm 1:3, ESV).

Pressing ahead together,

Chip Ingram
CEO and Teaching Pastor, Living on the Edge