There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.
-Proverbs 6: 16-19 NLT
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Follow my advice, my son;
always treasure my commands.
Obey my commands and live!
Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.[a]
Tie them on your fingers as a reminder.
Write them deep within your heart.
Love wisdom like a sister;
make insight a beloved member of your family.
-Proverbs 7:1-4 NLT
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He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:6
The word walking speaks of regularity, of moving at a certain pace. The Bible tells us in Genesis 5 about Enoch, who walked with God. But what does it mean to “walk with God?” Is it just a religious cliché?
The prophet Amos asked, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). The idea is to be walking in pace or harmony with another.
I have a problem with this when I walk with my wife. I always walk a little faster than she does. Every time, I find myself walking out ahead of her. Then I’ll stop and wait for her to catch up. So I’ll try to walk more slowly, but the next thing I know, I’m walking fast again.
When it comes to walking with God, some of us want to run ahead of Him. Others lag behind. What we need to do is move in harmony with Him. We need to stay close to Him and make a continual commitment to do so. Referring to our daily relationship with God’s Holy Spirit, the New Testament says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, NIV).
But what does this mean in practice? How do we do this? What does it look like to “keep in step with the Spirit”? It means we take time for the things of God. It means that when we get up in the morning, we take time to read the Bible. If we neglect the Word of God, it will show in our lives. Abiding in Jesus also means that we spend time in fellowship with God’s people.
Make time for the things of God. And don’t wait for time to simply materialize; deliberately carve out room in your schedule. If it means an hour less of sleep, fine. If it means skipping a meal, okay. If it means missing a television program, so be it. Do what you need to do because these things are essential to spiritual growth, to abiding with God, and to bearing spiritual fruit.
And this walk with God is a walk—the best of all walks—that will bring indescribable richness to your daily life.
– Greg Laurie
“And so, my children, listen to me,
for all who follow my ways are joyful.
Listen to my instruction and be wise.
Don’t ignore it.
Joyful are those who listen to me,
watching for me daily at my gates,
waiting for me outside my home!
For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the Lord.
But those who miss me injure themselves.
All who hate me love death.”
-Proverbs 8:32-36 NLT
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And now? Now we are living somewhere toward the end of Act Three. We have a future, but this tale is not over yet— not by a long shot. We now live between the battle for Helm’s Deep and the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Between the beaches of Normandy and the end of the war. Between the fall of the Republic and the fall of the Empire. Between Paradise lost and Paradise regained.
We live in a far more dramatic, far more dangerous Story than we ever imagined. The reason we love The Chronicles of Narnia or Star Wars or The Matrix or The Lord of the Rings is because they are telling us something about our lives that we never, ever get on the evening news. Or from most pulpits. They are reminding us of the Epic we are created for.
This is the sort of tale you’ve fallen into. How would you live differently if you believed it to be true?
The final test of any belief or faith that claims to provide an answer to our lives is this: Does the one explain the other? Does the story bring into perspective the pages you were already holding, the days of your life? Does it take everything into account? Does it explain the longing in your heart for a life you haven’t yet found? Does it explain the evil cast around us? Most of all, does it give you back your heart, lead you to the Source of life?
Something has been calling to you all the days of your life. You’ve heard it on the wind and in the music you love, in laughter and in tears, and most especially in the stories that have ever captured your heart. There is a secret written on your heart. A valiant Hero-Lover and his Beloved. An Evil One and a great battle to fight. A Journey and a Quest, more dangerous and more thrilling than you could imagine. A little Fellowship to see you through.
This is the gospel of Christianity.
-John Eldredge, Epic
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“The Lord formed me from the beginning,
before he created anything else.
I was appointed in ages past,
at the very first, before the earth began.
I was born before the oceans were created,
before the springs bubbled forth their waters.
Before the mountains were formed,
before the hills, I was born—
before he had made the earth and fields
and the first handfuls of soil.
I was there when he established the heavens,
when he drew the horizon on the oceans.
I was there when he set the clouds above,
when he established springs deep in the earth.
I was there when he set the limits of the seas,
so they would not spread beyond their boundaries.
And when he marked off the earth’s foundations,
I was the architect at his side.
I was his constant delight,
rejoicing always in his presence.
And how happy I was with the world he created;
how I rejoiced with the human family!
-Proverbs 8:22-31 NLT
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The new covenant has two parts to it: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26). God removed your old heart when he circumcised your heart; he gives you a new heart when he joins you to the life of Christ. That’s why Paul can say “count yourselves dead to sin” and “alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11).
The story of the Incarnation is the story of a descent and resurrection . . . one has the picture of a diver, stripping off garment after garment, making himself naked, then flashing for a moment in the air, and then down through the green, and warm, and sunlit water into the pitch black, cold, freezing water, down into the mud and slime, then up again, his lungs almost bursting, back again to the green and warm and sunlit water, and then at last out into the sunshine, holding in his hand the dripping thing he went down to get. This thing is human nature. (C. S. Lewis, “The Grand Miracle”)
The Resurrection affirms the promise Christ made. For it was life he offered to give us: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John10:10). We are saved by his life when we find that we are able to live the way we’ve always known we should live. We are free to be what he meant when he made us. You have a new life-the life of Christ. And you have a new heart. Do you know what this means? Your heart is good.
– John Eldredge, Waking the Dead
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Listen as Wisdom calls out!
Hear as understanding raises her voice!
On the hilltop along the road,
she takes her stand at the crossroads.
By the gates at the entrance to the town,
on the road leading in, she cries aloud,
“I call to you, to all of you!
I raise my voice to all people.
You simple people, use good judgment.
You foolish people, show some understanding.
Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.
Everything I say is right,
for I speak the truth
and detest every kind of deception.
My advice is wholesome.
There is nothing devious or crooked in it.
My words are plain to anyone with understanding,
clear to those with knowledge.
Choose my instruction rather than silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with it.
-Proverbs 8:1-11 NLT
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Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
Wisdom will multiply your days
and add years to your life.
If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.
If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.
-Proverbs 9:10-12 NLT
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The words of the godly are like sterling silver;
the heart of a fool is worthless.
The words of the godly encourage many,
but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.
The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.
Doing wrong is fun for a fool,
but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.
The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled;
the hopes of the godly will be granted.
When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away,
but the godly have a lasting foundation.
-Proverbs 10:20-25 NLT
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