Walk with Me.
I believe this is the life God wants for you. That you would enter a loving relationship with Almighty God and stroll through life with Him, not apart from Him.
As we walk with Him we are shown how He sees things. We learn to walk in His ways.
But how do we enter into this relationship?
Walking with God
As I was reading this week I did a little word study that caused me to think about how God wants to live with us. The word is “walk”.
הָלַךְ hālaḵ: A verb meaning to go, to come, to walk. This common word carries with it the basic idea of movement: the flowing of a river (Gen. 2:14); the descending of floods (Gen. 8:3); the crawling of beasts (Lev. 11:27); the slithering of snakes (Lev. 11:42); the blowing of the wind (Eccl. 1:6); the tossing of the sea (Jon. 1:13). Since it is usually a person who is moving, it is frequently translated “walk” (Gen. 48:15; 2 Sam. 15:30). Like a similar verb dāraḵ (1869), meaning to tread, this word is also used metaphorically to speak of the pathways (i.e., behavior) of one’s life. A son could walk in (i.e., follow after) the ways of his father (2 Chr. 17:3) or not (1 Sam. 8:3). Israel was commanded to walk in the ways of the Lord (Deut. 28:9), but they often walked after other gods (2 Kgs. 13:11).
Walking with Jesus
As I continued thinking about this life and how God wants us to walk, move and flow with Him I wanted to look at the next progression. This is found in the New Testament in the person of Messiah.
- περιπατέω peripatéō; contracted peripatṓ, fut. peripatḗsō, from perí (4012), about, and patéō (3961), to walk. To tread or walk about, generally to walk. Intrans.:
(I) Particularly and generally (Matt. 9:5; 11:5; Mark 2:9; 8:24; 16:12; Luke 24:17; John 1:36; Acts 3:8, 9; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 9:20; Sept.: Prov. 6:22). With an adjunct of place or manner: with an adv. (Luke 11:44; John 21:18); with the adj. gumnós (1131), naked, used as an adv. (Rev. 16:15); so also with a prep. as en (1722), in, with the dat. of place (Mark 11:27; 12:38; John 10:23; Rev. 2:1; Sept.: Gen. 3:8). In John 7:1, periepátei in the imperf., meaning Jesus going about, remained in Galilee; and also, by implication, in John 11:54. En (1722), in, figuratively (John 8:12; 11:9, 10; 12:35; 1 John 1:6, 7; 2:11; Rev. 21:24); epí (1909), upon, with the gen. (Matt. 14:25, “upon the sea” [a.t.]; Mark 6:48, 49; John 6:19; Sept.: 2 Sam. 11:2); with the acc. (Matt. 14:26, 29); metá (3326) with the gen. of person to accompany, associate with (John 6:66; Rev. 3:4 [cf. Job 34:8]); pará (3844), near, with the acc., “near the sea” (a.t. [Matt. 4:18; Mark 1:16]).
(II) Figuratively, to live or pass one’s life, always with an adjunct of manner or circumstances, i.e., with an adv. (Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 7:17; Eph. 4:1, 17; 5:8, 15; Phil. 3:17; Col. 1:10; 2 Thess. 3:6, 11; Sept.: 2 Kgs. 20:3). Followed by the dat. of rule or manner (Acts 21:21; 2 Cor. 12:18; Gal. 5:16); with the prep. diá (1223), through, with the gen., “through faith” (a.t. [2 Cor. 5:7]); en (1722), in, with the dat., of state or condition, “in the flesh” (a.t. [2 Cor. 10:3]); also of rule or manner (Rom. 6:4, “in newness of life”; 2 Cor. 4:2; Eph. 2:2; Col. 2:6, i.e., in Christ; 3:7; Heb. 13:9; 2 John 1:4; 3 John 1:3, 4; see Sept.: Prov. 8:20; Eccl. 11:9). Katá (2596), according, with the acc. implying manner or rule (Mark 7:5; Rom. 8:1, 4; 14:15; 1 Cor. 3:3; Eph. 2:2; 2 John 1:6).
Walking with Holy Spirit
God is always inviting us to stroll with Him, to spend time in His presence. He created us for His purpose; to live, move and have our being in Him. Jesus invites us to follow Him and come further into the relationship and learn of Him. Holy Spirit comes and indwells and empowers us. He makes possible what is impossible for us to do without Him.
Galatians 5:25 (CSB)
25 If we live by the Spirit,
let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Knowing God
God invites us to move through life with Him, to walk in His ways, and to allow Him to lead and direct our paths. He is everything we need. His names reveal a portion of who He is to us, His people.
*Adapted from Experiencing God – Henry Blackaby
