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Walking with God


Walking with God: A Puritan's Perspective
Excerpted from "A Christian's Daily Walk" by Henry Scudder, c. 1640

To live by faith and to walk with God are all one. Enoch was said to have walked with God (Gen. 5:24). What was this else, but to rest and believe on God, whereby he pleased Him? (Heb. 11:5-6). The moral actions of man’s life are fitly resembled by the metaphor of walking, which is a moving from one place to another. No man, while he liveth here, is at home in the place where he shall be (Heb. 11:5-6). There are two contrary homes, to which every man is always going, either to heaven, or to hell. Every action of man is one pace or step whereby he goeth to the one place or the other…

First, you are commanded to walk as Christ walked (1 John 2:6); and it concerns you so to do, if you would approve yourself to be a member of His body: for it is monstrous, nay, impossible, that the head should go one way, and the body another…

Secondly, it is all which the Lord requireth of you, for all His love and goodness showed unto you, in creating, persevering, redeeming, and saving you. For what doth the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)?

Thirdly, if you walk with God, and keep close to Him, you will be sure to go in the right way, in that good old way (Jer. 6:16), which is called the way of holiness (Isa. 35:8); in a most straight (Prov. 3:17), most sure, and (to a spiritual man) most pleasant way, the paths of which are peace; the very happiness and rest of the soul (Jer. 6:16). God teacheth His children to choose this way (Isa. 48:17, Psalm 85:13, Psalm 37:23). And if they happen to err, or to doubt of their way, they shall hear the voice of God’s Spirit behind them, saying, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isa. 30:21).

Fourthly, if you walk with God, you shall walk safely (Prov. 3:24); you will not need to fear, though ten thousand set themselves against you (Psa. 3:5-6); for His presence is with you, and for you.

Fifthly, when you walk with God you walk with the best company, even such whereof there is most need, and best use. While God and you walk together, you have an advantage above all that walk not with Him; for you have a blessed opportunity of that holy acquaintance with God, which is expressed in Job 22:21-30. You have opportunity to speak unto Him, praying with assurance of a gracious hearing. Is it not a special favour that the most high God, whose throne is in heaven, should condescend to walk on earth with sinful men? Nay, rather call up man from earth to heaven, to walk with Him (Phil. 3:20, Col. 3:2)? It would be therefore shameful ingratitude not to accept this offer, and not to obey this charge.

Sixthly, to set the Lord always in your sight is an excellent preservative and restraint from sin… For who is so foolish and shameless as willfully to transgress the just laws of a father, king, and judge, knowing that He is present, and observes him with detestation if he so do?

Seventhly, to set the Lord always before you (Psa. 119:168) is an excellent remedy against spiritual sloth and negligence in duties, and it is a sharp spur to quicken, and make you diligent and abundant in the work of the Lord. What servant can be slothful and careless in his master’s sight? And what master will keep a servant that will not observe him, and do his commands, while he himself looketh on?

Eighthly, walking with God in manner aforesaid doth exceedingly please God (Heb. 11:54). It also pleases God’s faithful ministers (3 John 3), and doth please and strengthen all the good people of God (Psalm 119:74), with whom you do converse. It is to walk worthy of God in all well pleasing (Col. 1:9-10).

Ninthly, thus walking with God, you shall be assured of God’s mercy and gracious favor. He keepeth covenant and mercy with all His servants that walk before Him with all their heart (1 Kings 8:23). When you do thus walk in the light, you have a gracious fellowship with God, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth you from all sin (1 John 1:7). There is no condemnation to you who thus walk (Rom. 8:1). Your flesh, when you die, shall rest in hope. For to them that set God before them, He doth show the path of life, which will bring them into His glorious presence, where are fulness of joys and pleasures for evermore (Psalm 16:11).

Any one of these motives, seriously thought upon by an humble Christian, is enough to persuade him to this holy walking with God.


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