Walk & Live Habitually Before Me!
Reading: Genesis 17
My Verse: "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, I am the Almighty God; walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete) (17:1).
There is no question here as to what You, LORD God expect from us. The New Testament echoes this command. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). So while these words were directed at Abram at the time they were stated, they are for us as well.
I have often struggled mightily with this admonition. Generally I would skim over these words and hurry on to something else. For I knew that I was not perfect or could ever be. I knew and know that You alone LORD God are perfect."And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:18). Yes, I understood this completely.
So how does one respond to such a command? I am learning so much as I keep reading and studying and listening to learned teachers of Your Word. The Hebrew and Greek are definitely different languages and so much is lost in translation. I believe that is why I like using the Amplified Bible - it tries to grab all that meaning!
The ESV notes states that the Hebrew for "walk before me" indicates that this is to be ongoing - we are to do this on a regular basis. Walking before You, LORD God should become habitual for me. I remember once hearing a speaker liken our walk to football or any sport practice. He said that they require athletes to repeatedly practice various moves. By doing this it becomes habitual and one does not need to think on each and every move as they perform their sport. Another term for this is automaticity. And so we should live before You. I need to "practice" living as You would have me to even when I don't feel like it. I need to live with purpose before You and by doing this regularly it will become more and more "normal" for me to walk before You habitually. I like that and as I grow in my walk with You, LORD God I do sense that I am developing some of this automaticity.
The verse then goes on to say "be perfect." I once saw an amplified of the amplified that stated this phrase in this way, "be on being perfect." In other words we are to strive toward this in our daily walk with You, LORD God. It is ever ongoing. Paul likens our walk to a race. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).
I am often overwhelmed with all this. My natural sinful nature wants to kick back and just be! Why must I always be striving! But as I slowly grow in You LORD God I realize that if I don't strive - if I am not going forward I will be going backward. There simply is no in between.
Most importantly in all this I am learning that the striving is not on my part alone. I cannot do this on my own. I must ever be calling on You to keep me upright on my feet. Since I have started running I am able to see how one does improve, ever so slowly! But I need to keep at it in order to improve - I can't just kick back and let it be! I actually feel better after really pushing myself.
LORD God, thank You for Your constant help, constant encouragement. I know I am not on my own here. You are, El Shaddai, God Almighty!
Thank You for this prayer of Paul's. "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ" (Phillippians 1:9,10). Amen to that!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Reading: Genesis 17
My Verse: "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, I am the Almighty God; walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete) (17:1).
There is no question here as to what You, LORD God expect from us. The New Testament echoes this command. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). So while these words were directed at Abram at the time they were stated, they are for us as well.
I have often struggled mightily with this admonition. Generally I would skim over these words and hurry on to something else. For I knew that I was not perfect or could ever be. I knew and know that You alone LORD God are perfect."And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:18). Yes, I understood this completely.
So how does one respond to such a command? I am learning so much as I keep reading and studying and listening to learned teachers of Your Word. The Hebrew and Greek are definitely different languages and so much is lost in translation. I believe that is why I like using the Amplified Bible - it tries to grab all that meaning!
The ESV notes states that the Hebrew for "walk before me" indicates that this is to be ongoing - we are to do this on a regular basis. Walking before You, LORD God should become habitual for me. I remember once hearing a speaker liken our walk to football or any sport practice. He said that they require athletes to repeatedly practice various moves. By doing this it becomes habitual and one does not need to think on each and every move as they perform their sport. Another term for this is automaticity. And so we should live before You. I need to "practice" living as You would have me to even when I don't feel like it. I need to live with purpose before You and by doing this regularly it will become more and more "normal" for me to walk before You habitually. I like that and as I grow in my walk with You, LORD God I do sense that I am developing some of this automaticity.
The verse then goes on to say "be perfect." I once saw an amplified of the amplified that stated this phrase in this way, "be on being perfect." In other words we are to strive toward this in our daily walk with You, LORD God. It is ever ongoing. Paul likens our walk to a race. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).
I am often overwhelmed with all this. My natural sinful nature wants to kick back and just be! Why must I always be striving! But as I slowly grow in You LORD God I realize that if I don't strive - if I am not going forward I will be going backward. There simply is no in between.
Most importantly in all this I am learning that the striving is not on my part alone. I cannot do this on my own. I must ever be calling on You to keep me upright on my feet. Since I have started running I am able to see how one does improve, ever so slowly! But I need to keep at it in order to improve - I can't just kick back and let it be! I actually feel better after really pushing myself.
LORD God, thank You for Your constant help, constant encouragement. I know I am not on my own here. You are, El Shaddai, God Almighty!
Thank You for this prayer of Paul's. "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ" (Phillippians 1:9,10). Amen to that!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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