Accelerated heart rate- Flushed
cheeks-Shortness of breath-Adrenaline Rush-Burst of Tears
At least three times
this past year my emotions, stress and pride physically worked me up to the
brink of explosion in which I found the nearest exit of the office and
power-walked with fury until I calmed down. These walks of de-escalation begin
with great angst and vanity, then transition to an inner battle between truth
and lies, and when truth has conquered, end with surrender to the good
sovereignty of God.
In Micah 6, the people of God wondered what they had to do
to please God. The prophet Micah began with God’s commands to do justice and to
love mercy. He concluded with: “Walk
humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
WALK
The verb walk is used frequently in Scripture in both of the
Testaments. Although it is used in the literal sense, it is most often used
figuratively in reference to the people of God’s observance of His law and
their spiritual life.[1]
Scripture states that both Enoch and Noah walked faithfully
with God (Genesis 5:24; 6:9). In Genesis 17:1 God tells Abram to “walk before
Him faithfully.” In Hebrew, the word appears in the same form in three passages
that say “to walk in all His ways.” The command to “walk in obedience” appears
19 times in the Old Testament and 1 time in the New Testament. The New
Testament contrasts walking in the darkness with walking in the light, and
walking in the flesh with walking in the Spirit.
Just as Jesus called His disciples to “come and follow Him”
we are to actively follow God or walk with Him as we journey through this life
to eternity. This walk manifests itself in multiple ways in our lives: loving
God, confessing sin, repenting, trusting God with our lives, loving our
neighbor, doing justice, loving mercy, etc.
HUMBLY
Humility is one of those characteristics that I think I understand
but I have a hard time explaining in words. In Scripture humility is a
characteristic of those who are in right relationship with God. The Holman
Bible Dictionary defines humility as “a personal quality in which an individual
shows dependence on God and respect for other persons.” [2]
In both Micah 6 and Psalm 51 it says that God does not desire outward
sacrifices but a humble spirit. A humble spirit manifests itself in several
ways:
1. An acknowledgment of our sinful
depravity before a holy God (Isaiah 6:5)
2. Obedience to God (Deut. 8:2)
3. Submission to God (2 Kings
22:19)
4. Treating others with dignity and
love instead of judgment (Matthew 7:1)
Scripture promises blessings for the humble and humiliation
for the proud.
Jesus was a perfect model of humility. Out of obedience to
the Father He left His heavenly throne to come down to earth, be killed for our
sins and be resurrected so that we could have eternal life with Him. Based on
this my basic understanding of walking with God humbly is that as I live my
life: I daily confess that I cannot live a life pleasing to Him on my own; I
surrender my thoughts and actions by repenting and imitating Christ; I do not
live in shame because I know His grace makes me new; I do not live in fear
because I know that He is working all things for my good and His glory; and I
sacrificially love others because God sacrificially loved me.
WITH YOUR GOD
‘With’ implies together.’ Your God’ implies a personal
relationship. God does not require us to walk or follow Him on our own because
our sin makes it impossible for us to do it successfully. The Father sacrificed
His Son so that the relationship between us and Him could be restored. Then He
sent us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us from the moment of salvation and to
help us in our walk (John 14:15-17). What wonderful news that the command is
not “walk humbly” but “walk humbly with
your God.” Through our communion
with the Holy Spirit and His working in our hearts, we are sanctified and made
more like Christ (Romans 8).
It is by walking humbly with God that we are able to truly
do justice and love mercy. As we do justice and love mercy, we do it in the
strength of Christ instead of our own, and we do it for Him not for our own
pleasure or praise.
I long to walk each moment of this journey toward eternity
as I do in the ending moments of my de-escalation walks; those moments that my
heart is calm before the Lord and I walk in trust that God is working for my
good and His glory. May we walk humbly in all things and all circumstances. I close
with these challenging words from Charles Spurgeon:
Dare to keep with God, dare to have
Him as your daily friend, be bold enough to come to Him who is within the veil,
talk with Him, walk with Him, as a man walks with his familiar friend; but walk
humbly with Him.
Walk humbly... when the Lord gives
you success in His service... when you have a great deal of work to do... when
you are weak... when you are seeking after anything...in studying His Word and
believing His truth...when under great trials...when dealing with sinners and
when looking forward.[3]
[1] Miller,
Russell Benjamin. "Walk." International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?topic=IT0009118
(accessed January 22, 2014).
[2] Butler,
Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Humility'. Holman Bible Dictionary.
http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?n=2902. 1991.
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