Walking With God

By: Joanne Viola

The beginning of the year often brings us back to the familiar stories found in Genesis. Such it was for me recently as the story of Noah was before me.

It happened one day that the Lord saw that the wickedness of man had hit new depths. The intentions of their hearts were continually evil.

God is about to send an epic flood upon the earth to destroy every living thing. But He takes note of something:

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the records of the generations of Noah.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time;
Noah walked with God.”
(Genesis 6:8-9, NASB)

In the midst of times when evil was rampant, God noticed this one man who was righteous, blameless, and had integrity.

God lets Noah in on His plan to destroy the earth by flood. He also gives Noah specific instructions on how to preserve his family and every living thing by building an ark. Noah had never seen rain before, never mind a torrential downpour. Yet we are told:

“Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.”
(Genesis 6:22, NASB)

Noah followed God’s instructions to a T, saving his families and two of every living creature.

Every day we, too, get to decide if we will walk with God. If we are going to live according to God’s will, we cannot leave our days to chance.

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17, NASB)

This “walk” carries the idea of precision and accuracy. Paul is telling us to live wisely, to not walk about life carelessly, without guidance, or giving thought.

To make the most of our time simply means we make the best possible use of all circumstances. We see the opportunities before us and we take them, not letting the time go to waste.

We seize the chance, getting hold of it and seeing the open door as the means to which our lives can be a display of the kindness of the Lord. We may, or may not ever know the result, but we will know we obeyed God and can trust Him to work in and through our actions.

In Ephesians, Paul gives three directives:

1. Live wisely.
2. Make the most of your time.
3. Understand what God would have you to do – today.

May we faithfully walk with God,
obeying all He asks of us,
knowing it just may make all the difference for those around us.

 

What is one thing you can change in your life to make better use of your day?

 

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash