Three Ways to Walk with God

Enoch walked with God. Wow. Wouldn’t that be an awesome thing to have said about you? Imagine future generations wandering by your tombstone and seeing these words emblazoned across its cold stone front:

She walked with God.

I am afraid I’m not the kind of gal that walks easily. In most anything, I’d rather run. I’m in a hurry, you know. Lots to do. Places to go. People to feed, clothe, shuffle, discipline and prod. Walking seems, well….slow. In my Type-A brain, activity is what scores points. I like a little action. Movement. Evidence some work is taking place.

Sistas, this does not make for a good walk with God. In fact, it almost renders it impossible.

To walk lock-step with someone takes concerted effort. You can’t just go at your own pace. You must keep your eyes riveted on their step; imitate their stride. And, most of all, you must let them set the pace.

In my own walk with God, I admit that more often it has been a race to set my own pace and then ask God to kindly keep up with me! And believe you me–it has gotten me into heaps of trouble.

So just what keeps us from walking with God and, more importantly, how can we learn to walk with Him? Well, I have lots of answers to the first part of the question. I’m counting on the rest of you to help me with the second part here in the comment section.

What hinders our walk? 

Impatience.

In our fast paced society, we don’t like to wait for anything. Fast food restaurants certainly know this.  In fact, after waiting just 30 seconds for their order to be taken, most people become angered. Unfortunately, this impatience spills over into our walk with God. We don’t like to wait for answers. We don’t like to wait for direction. We don’t like to wait to see change. We just plain don’t like to wait!!!! But do you know that when we learn to wait, it doesn’t just benefit us, but it encourages other believers as well?

Psalm 40: 1-3

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, 
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

  He put a new song in my mouth, 
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

Patience. We need it to walk with God.

Okay, obstacle #2.

Fear.

We fear God won’t come through. Or that He won’t answer in the way we want Him to. Or maybe that He hasn’t thought of the same wonderful solution we’ve thought of. Or we fear He will forget us. Or that He’ll ask something of us that is simply too hard. Yes, fear rears its ugly head all over the map. But walking with God and walking in fear are incompatible. I know. When fear is ruling my life, I am not walking with God. And when I truly walk with Him, fear disappears!!!!

This is something I have been struggling with BIG TIME lately. My husband was laid off from General Motors on Christmas Eve and doesn’t expect to be called back due to low seniority. With a mortgage to pay and five mouths to feed, let me tell you fear knocks on my door every morning even before I get out of bed! Here is a new couple of verses I am working on memorizing to help kick out fear and worry:

Isaiah 41:9-10

I took you from the ends of the earth, 
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

 So do not fear, for I am with you; 
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Fear. Let’s let faith get rid of it.

Next we have……

Control.

Any other card-carrying members of Control Freaks Anonymous out there? I’ll bet so. There isn’t much to say about this except that there can be only one boss. Hint, hint…….it isn’t you! Need proof God is God and you are not? How about this:

Psalm 40:4-6 

Blessed is the man 
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods. 

 Many, O LORD my God, 
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t cause any ‘wonders’ to happen. Not even many ‘wonderful’ things. And even if I do, they are easy to count! God’s wonders are ceaseless. Too numerous to count!!! When, oh when, will we let Him take control and quit trying to run the show ourselves?

How can we learn to walk with God?

Now, on the flip side, what actions can we take that will help us begin to walk with God?

Memorize scripture and let its truth sink in deep.

This is one of my current goals. It hit me hard one day not too long ago that I can memorize entire 15 minute monologues for drama, but in comparison, I memorize very little scripture. Surely hiding God’s word in my heart and speaking it from my lips strengthens my walk with God.

Have an accountability partner. 

My friend Mary is my lifeline. I have given her the right to speak truth to me, even when it isn’t pretty. Yes, sometimes it ticks me off, but I have grown so much as a follower of Christ by having her shoot straight with me. Usually her words are encouragement, but she also provides the oft’ needed ‘kick in the pants’ to get me back on track and headed in the right direction. Oh, and I have kicking rights to her too!!!! The Christian life wasn’t meant to be a solo flight. Find an accountability partner. Not a chatting buddy. Not someone who will give you a ‘poor baby’ and take your side every time you and your hubby (or co-worker) have a spat. Find a godly truth-teller. Pray for each other and speak the truth in love.

Learn from saints of the past and present. 

We can learn much from faith-filled Christians of the past and present who walked with God. Go online or pick up a biography about George Mueller, Dwight L. Moody, Amy Carmichael or Jim Cymbala. Or brush up on stories about John Bunyan, John Wesley, Bill Bright or Billy Graham.

Okay, now it is your turn. What helps you in your walk with God? Or, what hinders you?

Sweet Step-takin’ Blessings,

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28 Comments

  1. Hey Sweetpea, That was my all time favorite devotional ever and I am OLD! I loved the Word picture you painted there with Enoch walking for so long with God that they were closer to the Lord’s Home of Heaven than to this old earth’s home. Makes me long for that “twinkling of a an eye” moment some of us will be blessed with if we ARE walking with Him on His Way when He call His church home.

    My husband too lost his job over a year and a half ago and like yours it was in a profession that isn’t too likely to make him easily hired in another. Plus He is an old saint like I am. “But with God nothing is impossible.” Look at what God did with Abraham and Sarah.

    It has been loaves and fishes time here in the mountains of North Carolina too. I rest on His Word that reminds us that a man’s or woman’s life does not consist of the abundance of our possessions. Not even a house, as we both may be having to learn!

    Our Lord had no place to lay His head. Do you think this is going to be a chance to share in the fellowship of His suffering? I am trusting Him to prepare our hearts for whatever hardships may be coming our way, and may it help us to know Him better and love Him more. Look at the home He gave up to come down here as one of us. And we ARE going back to THAT home when He comes to take us to be with Him where He is.

    It IS hard to think that we may lose our homes since we have lost our jobs. We women are nesting wonders huh?

    There may be many more of us without our well lined nests in the days that are coming. It is a great opportunity for the church to minister to each other and the world.

    But God is faithful…. two of the BEST Words in His Word… But GOD,… if it wasn’t for that we would ALL be on sinking sand.

    After a year of asking the Lord for rescue and no rescue (that I envisioned) has come except for the undeserved mercy of daily care and bread and His presence. He is teaching me the secret of being content. AND Godliness with contentment is GREAT GAIN!

    ALSO what I REALLY wanted to share with you is what the Lord kept bringing me back to in His Word. Just so the enemy doesn’t set any of us up to an unbalanced expectation from God and His ways.
    The Lord kept bringing to my attention this odd thing.

    The story of John the Baptist…. After being puzzled for a good long time about this and asking Him “WHY Lord? John the Baptist??? What could this Possibly have to do with ME”????And how could it POSSIBLY apply to THIS situation we find ourselves in?

    He finally highlighted with heaven’s light the verse at “the end of the story”. Remember?….

    John had been faithful to walk the path that God had set him on since BIRTH ….John, being the one who had the honor of going before the Lord to say to Israel and the world “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”,… after John had been faithful and bold enough to speak the Truth to Herod about the lifestyle Herod was choosing to live in, the consequences of that right move landed John in prison waiting to get his head chopped off for the whim of a dancing girl and the pride of a king.

    Sooooo, here he is…. in a terrible place in life caused by someone elses actions,…. KNOWING enough of Jesus by the revelation of God to proclaim Him as GOD’S LAMB!!!!! and on a lifetime mission set out by God Himself,… BUT LOOK AT THIS PART !

    John is just like ME!!!!! This so shakes him to his core when he finds his God given mission take this SCARY turn he hadn’t anticipated, that it give him all kinds of doubts!!! Right down to who is this Jesus and am I crazy for believing in Him and His care of ME?
    Sooooo,…he sends his disciples to ask Jesus if what he had been told since birth BY GOD about Jesus…. WAS it all true or NOT?????? Is He the Messiah or should they wait for another to come????? Can the enemy plant doubts in the best of us or what!???

    And what did Jesus say back to him???? Did he say,.. hang on John , I am gonna rescue you from that terrible king Herod and what he has planned for your neck??? No…. I wish the Word had recorded John’s thinking process when THIS reply from the Lord came back to him while sitting there in the dungeon with all his doubts surrounding him.

    What the Lord says to John and then WROTE down for our example should be enough for us as well as it was for John when we find ourselves like John and not being “rescued” in a scary, hard situation.

    After all,… God is Good, and Kind, and Loving, and All Powerful ??? RIGHT? So He WILL rescue me from this, won’t He????

    Hmmmmm. So,…. WHAT DID JESUS SAY?

    Well, what He highlighted for me was HIS last sentence AFTER He tells John in a sense,…

    I am doing what I said I would do, “The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them ” ( I AM doing all the things the Messiah was prophesied to do)

    (now for what will forever be Words spoken for me) Jesus then says,

    “AND BLESSED IS HE WHO IS NOT OFFENDED IN ME.”

    WHAT????????!!!!!!!!!

    That said to me, …..happy ( the meaning of blessed) is she who CHOOSES to not be offended when I do not act in the way you expect Me to act , or in your timing , or if I choose for reasons unknown to you to not rescue you at all.

    Great is the mystery of Godliness.

    And THAT is where temptation from the enemy is laying a trap for me and for all of us!!!!

    What DO we do when God doesn’t act like WE think He should or would act?

    After all He IS GOD!!! Are we falling for the temptation of the enemy to doubt God’s goodness?( Just like Eve did?) Or doubt His ability to “fix” this to our “comfort ” level.

    Maybe it is OUR comfort level or our expectations that get us into trouble and doubts. We get so caught up in the “why is this happening to me….. IT HURTS!” part of situations that we fail to look at it from God’s perspective.

    As for John,…I know if we could talk to him now from THIS side of the beheading he would perhaps say to us
    ‘ the instant my head was chopped off the Lord was reaching down to the foot of His Throne to place it back on my shoulders just as quick as He put that ear back on when they came for Him at the Garden.’ And I HAD finished the work God had given for me to do as the forerunner to the Lamb of God.” I don’t envision him as a headless wonder wandering around heaven.

    I guess bottom line of THIS Word of God for me about choosing to not be “offended” is that it tests me to the point where I must know myself.

    “Do I love God for WHO HE IS or do I love Him FOR THE BLESSINGS HE GIVES?”

    Remember how many people followed him for the loaves and fishes?

    Can I say with Job,… “Yet though you slay me still will I trust in you”?

    The very Word of God is FULL of warnings that it is through MUCH tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God. Why am I always surprised at how rough the enemy plays?

    I KNOW that ANYTHING that comes into my life is there to conform me more perfectly in some way to the Image of Christ. It is a chiseling tool in God’s Hand. Even the hard things the things I don’t want for myself OR the ones I love. EXCEPT I have learned the wisdom of praying this prayer for myself and ALL those I love. Feel free to borrow it. It is a mama’s prayer for sure.

    ” Whatever it takes Lord,… but make me able to bear it.”

    The very thing I keep wanting to pray away because it is hard to bear or watch may be the very thing God is using to make them like His Son.

    It was hard for our Savior,… should we expect better treatment than He received. The Word says not.

    Get your armor on girls. It is a war down here…

    but PRAISE GOD! He has revealed the end of the story to us and HE WON and we are with Him in the victory!

    He may NOT always rescue us from trials or pain or sickness DOWN HERE but HE is WITH us IN IT ALL and that makes it all worth it, and He does rescue us totally in the ultimate sense. And He IS ALL GOOD, and ALL KIND, and ALL LOVING, and ALL POWERFUL.

    Look up the road. “For the joy set before Him He ENDURED the cross.”

    Lets be of those who are overcomers no matter what the enemy throws on the path marked out for each of us.

    The LORD is walking on it with us and it is quite an adventure.

    We have been on a pretty easy part of the path in America for a long when compared to the rest of the church in the world, and all those saints in the Word that are there for our example. Read again the faith stories in Hebrews 11 and 12.

    Somehow what I read of the New Testament church that is our example doesn’t look much like what we we have come to expect our lives as American Christians to look like.

    Our path may be getting to the rocky or thorny parts with some “cares,, riches, and pleasures” of the world strew about on it for us to fall over.

    The enemy deliberately plants them there and the Lord has allowed them to be there. HE is Sovereign. He has been on this part before,.. lets follow hard after Him. He knows the Way.

    Prayin you through. Just THINK!!!! HE will pray for you that your faith may not fail just like He did for Peter and all the rest of us. It is just that ol enemy of our souls askin to sift us like wheat….

    Ain’t skeered!

    The Lord tells us again and again to “Fear NOT”.

    Thanks for the encouragement. Love your blog. Love YOU! In Him <

  2. Karen,
    As I walk the road of grief after losing my son in November, I am so thankful to know that God longs to walk the road with me. It is remembering that He is there on every sharp curve that I sometimes forget.. Thank you for reminding me that walking “with” God is a choice I have to make…..He’s always there….ready to walk with me.
    Love,
    Tammy Nischan

  3. Karen,

    I love the picture that you painted with the comment about being closer to God’s house than Enoch’s. Wow! What a beautiful picture of truely walking with God. To be soooo close to Him that you are living more ike you are in Heaven or with God, instead of living like you are in the world. I have forgotten what it was like to have vision like that. Thank you so much for posting that devotional.

    I also want to thank Marjorie for reminding us who we are. We are God’s. Even though God allows Satan to tempt us and present us with undesirable circumstances; we have the authority in Jesus to tell Satan to STEP OFF. I am so hungry for godly counsel from seasoned sisters. I was truely blessed to read Marjorie’s “old fashioned” post.

    Like everyone else I struggle with my walk with God as well. When I loose perspective I like to take a bathroom break and just sit in the dark and try my hardest to be still. God said in Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” At first, I would say knowing God is the easy part of this verse and that I struggle with being still. But if we truely knew are God it would be easy to be still because we would have full confidence in Him. We would be able to trust Him. We would know we are safe. May God help us all in our walks with Him and draw us each closer to Him daily. May we sing “Just a closer walk with thee, grant it Jesus is my plea,daily walking close to thee,let it be dear,Lord let it be.”

  4. What helps me in my walk with God? Encouragement like this!!!!! Wow – so much to meditate on. Thank you so much. Oh, how I pray it will be said of me that I walked with God.

    Beautiful. Thanks Karen.

    Love & prayers,
    Joy

  5. Worry and the feeling that I have to fix everything and everyone hinders my Walk the most. Like I think God expects me to take care of it. I guess that is really just fear that He won’t come through for me, but I’ve never really thought of it that way.

    I worry most about my family (family relationships and emotional well-being). I have a hard time releasing to God because I feel the need to do or say something when something happens. I’ve got to learn how to only do or so what God wants me to and then just pray and let Him have control. That is SO hard for me. I love my family so much. It crushes me when I seem them hurting, see strains in relationships or see them sad/depressed.

    I am starting a 21 day fast (daniel fast) on Monday. I have asked God what I should focus on and pray about. Since this is the 3rd time today i have read something about “walking wiht the Lord”, I believe that should be my primary focus and all of the other things will fall into place when I learn to get out of God’s way and let Him be in control and be The Fixer.

  6. I know I have not been wholeheartedly walking with Him. I have fear that God will not provide. Starting today, I’m taking Him at His word and give 10% to Him freely and without fear. I know that to really trust I have to quit talking about it and just let go. He says He will pour out a blessing.

    Malachi 3:10
    Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].

  7. One other thing that has helped me as I am learning a scripture is that I write it down on index cards and carry them around in my pocket or purse. When I realize I am feeling fear, I tell God how am I feeling then say, but God you said in… then I read the scripture as part of my prayer. I learned to do this in a time when I literally felt I was losing my mind and my faith. It also helped me to realize that I didn’t have to feel guilty for feeling the way I did at that moment, but I had a choice not to stay or beleive that that feeling was the truth. I turned to God’s word that holds the ultimate truth and is the timeless truth. I also type up and print scripture and put it in the bathroom where I will see it when getting ready and in other places that I look at often as a way to remind me of God’s truth. Finalyl, I have learned to stop and pray whether I can do it out loud or in my mind. I use to wait until I had a moment to pray. Now I make a moment to pray because it is better to give it back to God than hold onto it. I find I need to do this the most in the moments when I really don’t feel like praying. I am learning that making the choice to do it helps it to become more of a habit. To everyone who has repsonded to Karen’s blog, i want you to know that I am lifting you up to our Heavenly father, so please share your answers to prayer! Martha H, thanks for sharing because I am also learning to trust God to be my provider. It was encouraging to see your faith!

  8. It is unbeleiveable how often we need to hear these words of giving it up to God every day. Most days, I do wake up and say God, I need you, but then there are days that I seem to forget that since I did give it to Him, I now have to walk in that release, trusting Him even when I don’t know how it is all going to work out. I will read how the Israelities or others in the Bible quickly forgot what God did for them or walk away from Him or try to do it on their own and literaly am slapped in the face by my own failure to keep walking with Him. Memorizing scripture, daily devotions, reading convicting Christian novels or biographies, listening to music that makes me think more of who God is and remember what He has done for me, and keeping accountabile with my sisters in my weekly Bible study are ways that keep me focused on God and help me in my walk with Him. My favorite novelist is Michael Phillips because he writes such great Christian fiction with such convicting storylines. I have had to put ihe book down togive myself time to digest the truths presented in these novels. My favorite Christian biography is about Hudson Taylor and His trust in God. The thing I am feeling compelled to do more,not only on my own daily,- but with children is pray. pray about everyting, pray more in one accord- meaning we each take the time to pray about one thing with those not praying outloud praying for that thing silently and then choosing to beleive that God is great enough, big, enough, wise enough, strong enough and loving enough to take care of what I have prayed for. I too like Enoch and these verse in Hebrews because it is simple yet not easy to please God. Trust and obey, talk with Him and choose to do it day by day moment by moment. This is the first time I read your blog Karen, but I know I will be coming back becuase we are walking the same journey of faith. I will be praying for you and your family too! Keep the faith!

  9. Karen,
    Thank you for this TODAY. I needed this reminder.

    Thought you might enjoy reading The Message’s version of Isaiah 41:9-10. I find it so reassuring during my times with trust issues. Here it is:

    “I pulled you in from all over the world,
    called you in from every dark corner of the earth,
    Telling you, ‘You’re my servant, serving on my side.
    I’ve picked you. I haven’t dropped you.’
    Don’t panic. I’m with you.
    There’s no need to fear for I am your God.
    I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.
    I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.

    Blessings to you and your family!

  10. Thanks for the P31 devo! What a treat to find even more here on your blog. I started the Chronological Study Bible on January 1, and I too was intrigued by Enoch. How divine to have it said that he walked with God and was no more. My desire is to one day hear God say “There she is…that’s my girl. It’s great to have you home!” Also- I refuse to be the same this year that I was last year or the year before. What is life about, besides becoming more and more like Christ? I long to be a clear reflection of Him, not clouded with things of the world. Thanks again for the post and the encouragement.

  11. What helps me in my walk with God is to praise Him throughout the course of the day, I have recently been turning on the radio to a Christian station and singing along with the praise songs that I hear. My cat thinks I am crazy as I am doing laundry and singing, but I love this time that I can spend with God praising Him! Your blog and the posts have encouraged me to dig deeper into the Bible, and memorize scripture. I think I would like to start carrying around scriptures that I should meditate on, on notecards in my purse. That way I can use my time more wisely in situations where I am waiting, I can be meditating and memorizing God’s word. I looked up biographies of Mueller, Carmicheal, Moody, and other people of faith. I noticed a theme these individuals shared were that they were completely focused on God, and sharing God’s love with others. They were not thinking about themselves. I know that God is calling me to think of myself less and others more. It is something that I need to dedicate to doing daily, and times when I fail to think of others, I need to ask God for forgiveness, and start afresh putting the needs of others before my own desires. Thank you again for the words of Truth that you described in this blog!

  12. It is always good to show God your ability to submit to him by taking time even if for a day to Fast by either cutting down to just a veg/fruit (anything fruits/veg harvested from seeds) regimen and/or a full fast of not eating until dusk, and spending time meditating during the fast and just in our daily activities (even in as little as 15 min) reflecting on all the different blessings God has placed in our lives. If we just spend small amounts of our time reflecting and sacrificing our small simple pleasures (such as chocolate chip Cookies, while fasting) We are able to see the ability for Christ to do the same for us throughout his whole life and the strength and Faith it took to resist temptation in order to carry the sins of the world on his shoulders.

    God Bless,

    Jess
    Brooklyn NY

  13. I just found you, and am grateful. I am one of the “old” saints, will be 86 this Feb. and I sense that my comment will also be “old fashioned”, but, here goes: We must stand our ground against Satan and know that he wants to keep us in a financial crisis and so many times we think it is God’s plan and we just setttle in and ask God for peace about it. BUT, some-times it is up to us to use the weapon that God has given us “THE NAME OF JESUS’ to resist any influence that Satan is trying to use against us regarding our finances. DEMAND THAT SATAN TAKE HIS HAND OFF OF OUR INCOME, OUR JOB, OUR PROFESSION………IN JESUS NAME!!!!! We are God’s property and HE is our source. Use John 10:10 as His Word to stand on.
    Thank you for letting me “comment” and I pray that God will continue to use you as His ambassador, yoiu are doing a great job!!!!
    With the love of Jesus, marje

  14. Karen,
    As I read your devotional and your blog the Lord spoke directly to my heart. My husband also works in the auto industry and is on temp. lay-off. I’m having the hardest time trusting the Lord for our daily needs. The scriptures you gave were just what I needed .
    What helps me in my walk with the Lord? The same things as you mentioned. I’m really trying to memorize scripture. I’m starting with Colossians 3.

  15. What helps: journaling the answers to prayer, blessings, provisions and protections from God at the end of the day. Reviewing it when I am down. Making time for Bible study, prayer and devotion in the morning (usually with a cup of tea and snack as though I am having a face-to-face with Jesus). Avoiding books, movies and TV that don’t glorify God. Avoiding gossip. Church helps a lot. I email my questions to my pastor and receive a quick reply. I fellowship with old and new Christians who challege me with fresh views. My biggest help: asking God to change what He wants when He wants in me.
    My hindrances: busyness, lack of motivation.

  16. I have several small ways to help me walk with God. I keep a journal listing God’s answers to prayer, His blessings on friends and family, and His protection over us. I try to write something in it daily and look over it when I’m feeling distant from Him. You wouldn’t believe how many times He has helped me find my keys!
    When I warm-up on the treadmill at the gym, I read a passage in my Bible and try to meditate on it. I used to drag myself out of bed early and have a cup of tea and read my Bible, a devotion and pray before starting the day. Having a long break from school and holidays has messed that up. It helped a lot when I did it.
    At this point, I enjoy books that edify me and encourage my faith. I am a busy mom, so I try not to read long or involved stories because I love to read and get grouchy when I’m interrupted.

    Church helps me a lot. I can email my pastor any question, and he is quick to answer. He is honest, and sometimes I don’t like the answer. We are challenged to grow closer to our Lord, and devotions, prayer requests and praises are sent out regularly. If nothing else, I am reminded to make time for God. There are people there who have walked with God for over 50 years and have a lot of insight to offer. There are new Christians with questions or viewpoints that I may not have considered before. It keeps my faith fresh.

    Other helps include avoiding gossip, books, movies or TV shows that don’t glorify God, playing Christian music, especially during tedious chores or when my toddler is cranky.

    Focusing on the to-do list hinders me. I feel I don’t have time for Bible study or regular prayertime then. Busy-ness hinders me. Bad moods, sleeping in and discouragement and feeling rushed hinder me. I have plenty of ways to improve my walk with God, but lack of motivation hinders me. I also will read scripture in a hurry and not let the words sink in. I am terrible about memorizing scripture.

    I am learning to give God my weak areas and ask Him to change what He wants to when He wants to. I can’t force it and will be discouraged if I try on my own power. He will lovingly correct me and show me what to tackle for now. That has perhaps been my biggest help in my relationship with Him.

  17. I have a really hard time memorizing scripture. Any helpful hints???
    I have all of those things that you have listed. We bought a business about 1 1/2 yrs ago and have already relisted it. My husbands income isn’t a sure thing right now with his job either and I don’t bring in an income from the business. I truly believe the Lord put me in the business to grow closer to him. I didn’t make the time for his word before I took that on and have grown to see how very important it is for HIM in my day. So the impatience of the business selling is there. The fear for the income and bills is also there and the control issue. That’s a big one. As much as I don’t like to say it aloud, I like to control things and this is completely out of my control. I try and remember it’s his plan. MULTIPLE TIMES DAILY. Praying for my patience. You have definately hit the nail on the head for me today. It’s amazing how often that happens when reading these posts. Thank you so much for the encouraging words. I thank God to have found all of the wonderful people he has led me to.

  18. Waiting on God, that’s a tough one. I’m not one to wait, if I want it done I normally do it myself. That way I make sure it’s done and done my way!
    But just as the seasons of nature come and go, so are the seasons of our lives (I think I stole that line from a soap opera). I’m now in a season where I wait on God.
    Oh I thought I knew God’s ways, or at least that I was a work in progress! I teach Sunday School, and I speak at gatherings every chance I get. I proclaim God’s Word because His are the Words of Life that are given to us to direct us and teach us His ways. God’s Word is given so that we may know Him in a personal, one on one way.
    He is teaching me to know Him by a new name, Provider.
    This is my season to trust Him for every need.
    The bills that are waiting to be paid, the food on our table, the task of fixing up my first house. All the everyday things that I use to take for granted, are now a daily miracle, an act of power and grace by my Lord. Like so many people, I have lost my job. In fact I’ve been out of work for 6 months now. It was easy at first, I couldn’t imagine what God had planned for me, but I knew it would be awesome!
    But here I am, 6 months later, my savings depleted and still no job. Thanks to His Grace and Mercy, I want for nothing! All glory belongs to God!
    I was sure that God would give me my hearts desire, that I would find a good job where I could work for Him. Maybe through a ministry of some type.
    My prayer was simple, open the doors I am to go through, and close the ones I am not to enter.
    After 6 months of searching, all doors have been shut. In fact He recently slammed a door in my face and told me without a doubt “NO”.
    So I wait, sometimes impatiently, but I wait. I know that His plan for me is better than anything I could dream of, and I know that His timing is perfect. Not a minute early, and not a minute late. His will, His timing, is perfect. I am right where He wants me to be at this time in my life.
    I praise God that He knew I would fail, that I would become impatient at waiting among my many other faults. But He loves me anyway. He loves with a pure love that is hard for me to understand.
    Its probably obvious that I’m not a blogger, but this devotional was right on time for me. I felt I had to reply.
    I needed this opportunity, not to complain or even to look for a way to change this ‘Season’ that God has given me.
    But I needed to give God glory and thanks for teaching me to know Him in a new way, in a personal one on one way, as Provider.
    Thank you and God Bless!
    MH

  19. I always enjoy reading the Prov 31 ministries, some days I relate more than others. Today I related %100 I have struggled to walk with The Lord but I always fall down. My best intentions are in the AM, ready toa take on anythig, but by 10:30am I still the same old sinner I was the day before. It’s very frustrating yet I remind myself that I am flesh but even that can’t keep me from loving God, asking for forgivness and trying it again…..every single day !

  20. Dedicate Each Day: I think God waits to be invited into the chaos of our daily lives. As I get set to roll out of bed, before my feet hit the floor, I try to remember to take a breath and say, “Make this day all yours. Go before me, and show me the way.” The same chaos may happen on those days, but it doesn’t knock me around in the same way.

  21. Karen,

    Thanks so much for your encouraging words! I love to read your devotionals and blog because they seem to speak straight to me. When I read your devotional I thought my biggest issue was control. I see it spill into my kids lives and I’m asking God to help me let them make the little mistakes now so they can learn to deal with the consequences. When I read your blog explanation of fear, I realized that I sometimes fear that God won’t answer the way I want him too or that He will ask me to do something hard. I also had to admit that I have a bit of impatience in me too. My husband says I don’t know how to sit still and rest so I’m asking for God’s help with this also. I want my children to catch some good disciplines about how to walk with God from me. My struggle with the kids is making it something that they want to do and not because I’m making them. We worked on memorizing scripture at meals before Christmas. They enjoyed it when it was new but then we got busy. Praying with the kids or telling them about even little answered prayers, I think helps me and them to walk with God. I’m working on finding an accountability partner that I won’t be too defensive with. I’m also trying to start the day off with reading God’s word as well as working on reading the Chronological Bible that I won from your Christmas contest (Thanks Wendy). I also love reading the P31 devotionals and trying to apply them to my life.

    Thanks,

    Shelley

  22. Karen,
    Thanks for these words, precisely describes me, how many times I want to be in control, I am fear and of course things comes worst. Yesterday I was reading about Enoch and I was asking God to help me walk with Him!
    God is good and patience!
    Blessings
    Norma

  23. For me, walking with God is about spending time with Him. Keeping my nose in His Word inspires me more than anything else. Yet I struggle to do this. I wrote a post on it, about being a spiritual wannabe: http://juliecoleman.blogspot.com/2008/10/confessions-of-spiritual-wannabe.html. Check it out.

    As I study His Word and spend time not just praying, but LISTENING, it becomes all about Him and not so much about me. The more I learn about Him, the more valuable He is to me. And so I get my footsteps in line with Him, because walking with Him is so much better than not.

  24. The devotion & blog hit me like a dager, it’s everything I’ve been thinking and feeling lately but did not know how to put into words.
    “In my own walk with God, I admit that more often it has been a race to set my own pace and then ask God to kindly keep up with me! And believe you me–it has gotten me into heaps of trouble”
    That is me in a nut shell…in fact I did it just yesterday again! Thank you for speaking such clear truth. So many things you say are just what I’ve been dealing with in my renewed walk with God. I’m sure I’m not the only who can say this, but I truly feel God spoke through you directly to me…Thank you for being his vessel.

  25. Fear. Fear is a big one. It took a long time to even realize how out of alignment I was. One answer God has given me in this is to be a part of a prayer group. Four of my closest friends meet once a week to pray about whatever is going on with us and whatever God puts on our heart. We also have a pact to send a text whenever we need immediate prayer. We’ve been doing this for about a year and have seen amazing results.

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