When a man walks with God, his character will attract unbelievers to Christ without him knowing. He can turn around our lives, churches, and nations. I will continue to push forward and be faithful with my time with the Lord.. You are such a gracious God. Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. Love One Another The Overlooked Commandment. Learn how your comment data is processed. Did you have this in your life when you had to withdraw from things? We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, These men are at peace with us. Henry Morris says, Unattached young women were considered fair game in cities of the time, in which promiscuity was not only common but, in fact, a part of the very religious system itself.3 This was particularly true of the Canaanites, who were corrupt and known for their sexual immorality (cf. Living in right standing with God? 3 Guzik, D. (2013). Earlier this year, a volunteer for a charity in Arizona was going through books donated for a sale. A person who walks with God manifests the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, which includes love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Integrity of heart is indispensable. Lifestyle evangelism has brought many to the saving knowledge of Christ even when the evangelist is not aware of the work he does through his lifestyle. (1) Sometimes religion is used for financial gain. 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 (Genesis 17:1). Sometimes, in the course of life, your walk with God becomes weakened by the hardships, storms, trials, and difficult circumstances. One of the best benefits we have of walking with God is that we can be sure we have eternal life. All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added. Asking someone to explain the importance of walking with God won't be the same for each person. Christians who burn with passion for God's work but refuse to acknowledge the importance of their walk with Him are missing it. Jacobs sons agreed on the condition that the men of Shechem circumcise themselves. But Jonah fled west toward Spain because he feared the Assyrians. Woe to the rebellious children, says the Lord, . Choose God and His divine path for your life, and you will find true, inner happiness and fulfillment in this life. It's easy to get misled by your own thoughts and emotions of what's right or wrong. Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, the life we now live is the life of Christ in us as we keep our faith in Him. Only God can move you from confusion to clarity. The fruit of the Spirit is evident in our daily interactions with others. Jacobs sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem had violated their sister Dinah. God is far more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved. Faithfulness and Fellowship enabled him to walk with God for three hundred years without wavering. It is not possible to do the work of God, unless you are connected to Jesus Christ through a relationship with Him. (1 Jn. Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for you if you belong to Him (John 14:1-4). In Genesis 35:1-3, we see that God uses this difficult event to turn Jacob and his family back to God. When the world denies the knowledge of God, as seen in creation or Scripture, people naturally find something to worship, even if its themselves. Like Paul said, the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you (Rom 2:24). This would have led to compromise and the Israelites further adopting the sins of that culture. You are so faithful and understanding of my circumstances and you reach down to me with compassion. Thank you, Lord. Now Jacobs sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. Anyone who walks with God desires to do things for Him because it brings a fulfillment that no other work does. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. I have also heard an unbeliever saying, "If Christianity is all about the lifestyle of that pastor, I will never be a Christian.". Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is. Inside was $4,000! Jesus repeatedly said that He only did what the Father showed Him to do (John 5:19), and prayer was His means. Shechem said to his father Hamor, Acquire this young girl as my wife. When Jacob heard that Shechem had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. He didnt protect her by loving her and establishing appropriate boundaries for her. This is exactly how Paul describes the pagan world in Romans 1:21-23: For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. The evidence of you having a relationship with God is people see that God is in your life. Copyright by Michael Bradley and Chris Bradley. Our walk with our Heavenly Father results in godly fruit in our lives and hearts, filled with joy and peace. Think of every promise as a precious stone. When Solomon became King, he walked in the ways of the Lord. 1 Peter 5:5, NIV, What is humility? Rather, we should think of it soberly and realisticallyhumblyand minister accordingly. You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, n ever dropping a leaf, always in blossom. When God is neglected, the abuse of religion will be comprehensivedeveloping many false believers and false teachers. The patriarch Isaac could have written that book about his father, Abraham. Religion will be used primarily to comfort people in sin and even encourage it, instead of to warn and challenge them to holiness. All rights reserved. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. God does the same with us. It is also walking in the newness of life in Christ and not in our old life before Christ". Strengthen your walk with the Lord today, knowing that it is a relationship that goes on into eternity. John Calvin, Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. 28And you shall say to them, This is the nation that did not obey the voice of theLordtheir God, and did not accept discipline;truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. The Bible is clear that God does not show favoritism. Religion was also abused for vengeance. Have you found it helpful to know The Benefits and Results of Walking with God? But with Jonah, the second time was because Jonah had failed to speak Gods word the first time. Here are two more good verses showing the negative consequences of not being willing to fully follow God in this life. He wasnt discouraged; he was looking forward to the future. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you (John 15:15). Our lives cannot be made perfect without our walk with Christ. Its not just bowing down to a small carved statue or a pagan worshiper offering incense at a shrine to Buddha. When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. We should neither overestimate the gift of Gods grace or underestimate it. It happens gradually. Intermarry with us. Youll notice that there are people who are joyful, despite some things they are going through, and you wonder how they do it. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8). God tells Jeremiah to not pray for the people who are being judged by God. But Hamor made this appeal to them: My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. There are so many people who have confessed that God has called them into specific ministries. In Genesis 17, God called Abraham to circumcise himself and the males in his household as a sign of faith. 22For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command themconcerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. In Romans 1:24-27, Paul describes this: Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselvesFor this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. If your beliefs, and therefore your actions, have become divided, gather them back together as you commit to God and His Word. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. All rights reserved worldwide. Some parents even say things like, Well, I dont want to shelter my kids and protect them from the world! In Romans 16:19, Paul said, But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. We should prepare our children for the world by teaching them the truth about sin, what they will encounter in the world, and how they should respond. If we dont do that, the world will expose them in a negative wayit will be done in a way that promotes evil and lures them into sin, instead of away from it. In writing about the timing of the Day of the Lord (the end of the age), Peter says God is waiting for all who will be saved to come to Him. Then we will give you our daughters to marry, and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. One of the most striking and helpful illustrations of Jesus humanity was His prayer life. Isaac, Jacobs father, also lied about his wife, afraid someone would take her and kill him (Genesis 26:7). When his thirtieth birthday came, he must have struggled with questions of why and if only.. Their father or mother wasnt around or involved for whatever reasons. They are idolatry, immorality, infidelity, and disloyalty. The people of Israel were no better than the world around them. In the middle of lifes battles, were tempted to question Gods ordering of our circumstances, but every follower of Christ can look back and see the conspicuous hand of Gods Providence. Scripture Passage: Jeremiah 7:16-28 (NASB), 16As for you,do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. You can place your steadfast trust in Him. Gods Word will show you His will, His ways, and what pleases or displeases Him. Copyright 2023 Haly Ministries All Rights Reserved. Waiting is an essential part of the Christian life and, as I learned, there are hefty consequences to not developing this spiritual discipline. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. C. S. Lewis, For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Consider what he says to his household and all who were with him, Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. I confess, patience is not my strongest virtue. Over the years, stars . We are going to go through hard times and we are going to have . Even though God had sent them His servants and prophets daily, they still strayed and did not listen. 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