Daily Walk

November 30, 2014

“We are being renewed day by day” 2 Corinthians 4:16

With the dawning of each day we are given a fresh start and new opportunities to walk with the Lord, leaning on him rather than ourselves, trusting in His guidance rather than our own cleverness. Jesus sits in the place of honor, at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, deflecting the accusations of our arch enemy, satan. Our job is to remember how important each day, each hour are.

We’ve not been left alone. We have God’s Holy Spirit within to guide and intercede for us. Walking requires effort, running even more. Therefore, walking with the Lord each day requires effort on our part. If I am supposed to walk with a friend, I must get dressed, meet the friend and set out on our walk. Dreaming about it will not take the place of actual effort.

When I was a teen my mother was always on the lookout for who I wanted to be with, what parties I wanted to attend and how I talked and behaved. She knew that “bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Now, many years later, the truth of that verse has proven true many times in my life.

When I was an athlete, my body was hard and muscular. Now, without working out regularly, my muscles have taken a holiday. In their place, fat or loose skin remind me of what once was. The same is true of our relationship with Christ…if we are not working out at the Faith Gym, our spiritual muscles get flabby and our desire to walk with the Lord grows faint. If we are not careful, we find ourselves attempting to live on past experiences which have become stale and weak.

Christianity is not for weaklings. Just as a marriage requires effort, so our life with Christ does too. And His reward is a glorious, sin-free eternal life.

1. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

2. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

3. Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11

4. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

5. Don’t worry about anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God, which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus. Here is a last piece of advice. If you believe in goodness and if you value the approval of God, fix your minds on the things which are holy and right and pure and beautiful and good. Philippians 4:6-7

6. You certainly heard about him, and as his followers you were taught the truth that is in Jesus. So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy. Ephesians 4:21-24

7. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. Colossians 3:5-10

8. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. Romans 8:12-13

As Followers of Christ, we have agreed to die to ourselves and become new creations by obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. If we had joined a military service, we would have uniforms and officers to remind us of our obligation. And if sent to war, we would even sacrifice our lives for our country. Why, then, do we mostly give lip service to our faith in Christ our Savior? Our dedication to Almighty God should be uppermost in our minds each day.

Enlisting in the Army of The Lord has transformed us into soldiers of Christ, willing to face any onslaught from satan or our own flesh. In the military people arise each day at the same time and get busy with their work. Is that how we begin our days. arising early to focus on God in prayer and reading the Bible? Unless we are prevented from it, we always find time to do what we want to do. So–what do we want to do?