Passage of the Day:
The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good. 29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! 30 “Go, tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you stay here with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.” 32 So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess, Deuteronomy 5:28-33.
Reflection:
Since I started reading the Old Testament from the beginning of last year, I discovered a theme in Genesis. Enoch, Noah and Abraham each habitually walked with God. Prior to introducing the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, walking with God appears to be God’s desire for His followers. As Moses writes the Book of Deuteronomy, reminding Israel of God’s commands, walking with God involves obedience to God’s commands, decrees and precepts. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul adds to walking with God by keeping in step with the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25.
Prayerful Action:
I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path, Psalm 119:104-105.
Retracing Your Steps:
If the Bible serves as a lamp for the feet of Christians, sometimes you have to retrace your steps to get back to where the Lord wants you to be. Since Jesus provides the imagery of a narrow path which leads to eternal life in Matthew 7:13-14, you’ll likely lose your way in life. If sin in the form of bad choices separates Christians from God, Isaiah 59:2, retracing your steps is essential to finding your way back to this less traveled path.
Song of the Day:
The Less Traveled Road is a fitting way to end the call to walk with God in 2024. While staying on this narrow path isn’t easy and can be lonely, pointing others in the right direction toward the light of Jesus is a worthy calling to embark upon.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 