The Sacred Pearl - "Walk With The Lord" Devotional

The Sacred Pearl is a daily devotional that I publish online via Facebook. It is open to all to view and follow for daily devotions and inspirations to help foster a closer relationship with Christ. The page typically focuses on one particular subject or issue for a few days then changes over to a new discussion, each day challenging the reader with spiritual challenges and meditations as well as bringing you to ask yourself to look into your own heart and evaluate your relationship with Christ.

This post I am sharing with you a 3 day devotional that I posted on the page titles “Walk with the Lord.” I hope that you find it spiritually invigorating and if need be a fruitful edification to you in your daily life with Christ. If you enjoyed the devotional and care to follow The Sacred Pearl feel free to follow the link below the post to The Sacred Pearl’s page.

In Christ - WH

Walk With The Lord!

Day: 1                                                    How Do We Walk With The Lord?

Read: Psalms 1:1-3 (Highlighted words are defined below the passages)

Psa 1:1-3  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  (2)  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  (3)  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Blessed - Happy

Counsel – Advice or direction

Way ­– Course of life or mode of action or living

Sitteth – To dwell or be rooted in, joined to, to remain or to marry

Delight ­– Desire, pleasure

Meditate - To ponder on, place on ones heart, to make an emotional feeling

** I also below will display the NLT version of this passage. This passage as well explains the above from the KJV in a very literal sense from Hebrew translation***

Psa 1:1-3 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. (2) But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. (3) They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Lesson:

                How are we walking with the Lord? As a Christian how are we to live and walk with Christ in a way that will benefit us and help us grow closer to God and become more Christ like. This very first book of Psalms starts off by explaining just that. Clearly and plainly it tells us to surround ourselves with believers!

                When the passage mentions the ungodly, sinners, scornful, wicked and mockers, who do you think it is referring to? It is speaking of those who do not believe those who are not saved and those who do not know Christ. Now am I or this passage saying never go talk to a non-believer non-Christian? No, not at all for we are commanded to go to the sinner and give them the word of God and make disciples of them and are commanded to be the light and salt of the world in the world. It is impossible as well to work, function and live without coming into contact with a non-believer anywhere you live as well. This is not speaking on interacting or being around a sinner, it is reflecting on how we live and function and are guided through life. Who guides you and influences you in your life?

                What this passage is pointing to is the importance of the Christian community, the importance of the body of Christ, which is all believers and the importance of having strong relationships with other Bible believing children of God. Why is this important? There is one main reason: where else are we to go to get guidance, advice and help with our personal growth and decision making? It is from fellow Christians that have the same desires as us, the desire to honor God, bear fruit and gain His blessings.

                Are we to turn to those who mock God for advice? How can a mockery of God help us grow closer to Him? Are we to approach a sinner for advice on how to be sinless in our lives? If we have problems with strongholds in our lives we cannot go to those who are stuck in their own strongholds and living for the things that capture them. We will find the truth and the strength and power of Christ among other Christians as they can help nurture us and guide us out of our sins, addictions and earthly habits an grow closer to God.

                The word sitteth is an expression of being rooted with somebody. It donates time spent in one place. What is there to gain if we sit with sinners and live our lives adjoined to them? This is referring to those friendships and relationships we form. Who are we spending our time with in close relationships? Those that can help us or those that will pull us away from God and not help us bear fruit? To walk and sit with the Lord is to walk and sit with His family as well and we and other Christians are His family.

                Do you delight in the Lord? Do you find pleasure in keeping His word and living life as Christ like as you can? Then we need to be around others that are like the same. We need to place the word of God on our hearts day and night. This meditating or murmuring is putting time and thought, pondering and placing the word of God emotionally on our hearts. It’s an emotional desire to be close to God, to desire God and to feel the love of Christ within us. How can we achieve that being surrounded by those who desire the opposite?

                Verse 1 teaches us who not to walk, sit and gain advice from. Verse 2 shows us how to walk, sit and gain advice from God, which is a daily constant action. Verse 3 then goes on to show us the benefits of seeking advice, walking with and sitting or being planted amongst those that believe in Christ, His salvation and the importance of walking with the Lord.

                In any study of the New Testament you will see Christ and the Apostles talk continuously of the body of Christ (Christians) being like the branches of a vine and Christ being the vine. Anybody that has done any gardening, farming or even taking care of plants understands the importance of pruning plants, removing weeds and caring for the entire plant to help it grow, flower and bear fruit. Christian, how can you get this pruning, care and growth if you’re planted in a bed of mockers and unbelievers? 

Today:

                Plant yourself in Christ, in His garden. Find or seek out other Christians who believe in the word of God and Christ’s eternal salvation through faith. Find a fundamental Bible teaching church, bible study, social group or service. Find friends that you can sit with, stand with and walk with that believe in the true gospel. When you seek advice, go to those that will love you as Christ loves you and has your growth and life in Christ as their main focus and concern.

                When we walk in Christ, and are planted, rooted and cared for by the rest of the body, we will bear much fruit, find joy and never wither away.

Day 2:                                                    Is The Lord Leading You?

Read: Psalms 5:7-8 (Highlighted words are defined below the passages)

Psa 5:7-8  But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.  (8)  Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

Lead - /H/ nâchâh – Guide, bring, bestow, govern, lead, straighten

Righteousness /H/ ts^edâqâh – Right (objectively, morally, figuratively)

Way - /H/ Derek – Course of life or mode of action

Lesson:

                Yesterday we spoke on walking with God but are we letting God lead? God is righteous and right. He is perfect and lacking any fault. We as Christians know that we were all born of sin as Romans 3:23 states “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. This being said who should we allow to lead us? God, the almighty creator our heavenly Father needs to be the one to lead us. He is righteous and He is the only one who can guide us to righteousness.

                Prayer is an important part of our lives as Christians. In the previous day’s devotional we spoke of walking with God and His people and fellow Christians but today I wish to focus on our communication with the Lord. How do we get somebody to lead us? We come before them and ask them to, or come before them and give them our confidence to let them lead us to where we desire to be. Are you daily coming before God and asking Him to lead you?

                In verse 7 of todays passage the writes stats “in thy fear will I worship”. This is the fear of God, the fear of what can happen when we live a life far from righteousness. We as Christians everyday fall. Every day we have temptations and Satan is especially eager to attack a believer of God and drag you away from God’s righteous path. We may truly desire God’s path and He will indeed illuminate it in front of us, the Holy Spirit will guide us and let those doors be visible, however, Satan comes in and opens many more doors for us as well. This can get confusing to us as we strive to choose the right door to walk through. Are you choosing on your own?

                This passage is a prayer of the writer coming before God and saying “Lord, I am confused and I need your guidance. Show me the right door to walk through.” God is righteous, He will not steer us wrong when we have faith in Him. The writer asks “make thy way straight”. The word way means course of life or mode of action in its original Hebraic definition. The writer is asking the Lord for guidance in his lifestyle, choices and all things that govern his way of living.

                Are you struggling with choices in your life? Are there things you need to choose between in your life that you are unsure of if they are righteous or unrighteous? Is there a choice between two or more things that you are unsure if one is pleasing to God or unrighteousness to God?

                Bring it to Him in prayer. Ask Him to lead. When we have faith in God He will answer loud and clear. God is righteous, He cannot lie and when a child of His is calling for guidance in pure faith He cannot lead you astray. He will not show you those doors of Satan. God is the infinite creator, He is stronger than Satan and all sin and when we are calling to Him, Giving Him our choices, those doors of unrighteousness will fade away and all we will be left with is God’s righteous path set straight in front of our faces.

“When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way.” – John Stammis

“Lord when I cry out to you. I say “You are my protection. You are all I want in life” Psalms 142:5

“Teach me your way,  O Lord: I will Walk in your Truth..” Psalms 86:11

               

Today:

                Are you struggling with choices? Do you desire to walk with the Lord but have difficult choices in your life confusing you as to what is right or wrong? Are you unsure of weighing circumstances and deciding what is what God wants? Do you fear your making a bad decision in the face of God?

In prayer give each of these over to Him. Cry out to your Lord, your God and protector, your provider. Bring these decisions before God in continuous prayer. The more you give over to the Lord for guidance the more righteous you will see the decisions in your life becoming.

Day 3:                                                                    Do You Walk In His Way?

Read: Psalms 119:1-3(Highlighted words are defined below the passages)

Psa 119:1-3  Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.  (2)  Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.  (3)  They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

Undefiled – Entire, complete, with integrity, with truth

Way – Mode, course or way of life, living, action

Keep – Guard, observe, preserve

Iniquity ­– Evil, unrighteousness, wickedness

Lesson:

                We discussed in the first 2 segments of this series about first who we should walk with and second who should we be allowing to lead us, now we come to the question: In what way do we walk? The word way in this passage in its Hebraic use means a course or way of action, a way of life, how you are doing something, what actions you take in life, basically, it means how we live our lives.  As Christians how do we live our lives?

                If you agreed with the first two segments, and you believe that Christ is your savior, God is the creator and He sent His son to die for your sins and the only way you can be granted eternal life in the Lords kingdom then without any arguments our WAY of living should be in a way that honors God and promotes His name. The passage in verse one tells us plainly that we will be happy and joyous for being complete and true in the way, the method of living, that the Lord has passed down to us. How did God pass down His laws? From the testimonies of those that come before us and carried His word to us, through the word of God, His son Jesus Christ and through the apostles of Christ that the Messiah empowered and taught and being witnesses of God on Earth went forth and delivered to the world. Where can these testimonies and laws be found? In the Bible, the true inspired Word of God.

                How close do we keep Christ’s teachings and those of the early church to our hearts? Do we guard them and keep them as if a treasure? Do we seek out with ALL our heart, emotions and inner self to obtain their lessons and place them into action in our lives? Many Christians accept Christ as their savior but then that is that. No growth continues and the young un transformed Christian continues on in life but never finds joy, peace and happiness in their salvation. Why is this? They did not take the laws and teachings of the Lord to heart and they did not implant them into their lives.

                Believer, Christianity is not a religion, its spirituality, it’s a way of life, it’s a WAY of living. The word religion refers to all that ritualistic mumbo jumbo that is mostly created by man, and implemented by man in churches as their way of professing or checking the blocks on their check list of religious living. As a believer we contain the Holy Spirit of God within us. This is what links us to God, not the rituals that man states we must obey. Spirituality and Christian living does not need ritual or religion. I am not denouncing any ritual per say, however spirituality and Christian living does not need religion and ritual, ritual and religion is in need of Spirituality.

                The WAY we lead and live our lives need to be rooted in God’s Word and be resembling and mirroring Christ and His way of living. Many try to rewrite the teachings of Christ and the Bible to mirror their lives as humans on this earth in this world. This is wrong and any believer and any leader in a Church who feels this is an ok way to live is leading believer on a way of falsehood. Our way and lives as Christians is to be one where we are GUARDING within our hearts the life and way of Christ and we need to be striving to mirror Christ with our lives.

                Are we walking in His way if we continue in iniquity? Yes, we as Christians will continue to sin and we all do, none can claim they don’t but what of those habitual sins? What of those things in our lives that we know are against Christ’s way of living that we continue to allow in our lives? What of those things we do that once committed we feel the Holy Spirit inside of us convicting us and letting us feel guilt in our heart? When we willfully continue on in those things and do not bring them to eh Lord and cast them out in our lives we are falling out of His way and that blessedness, happiness and joy will begin to fade until we repent, turn back to God and get back into His way, His laws and once again begin to life a life that mirrors Christ.

Today:

                                Christian, are you stuck in the way of the Lord or are you stuck in the way of the world? Are you simply ritualistically following along believing the falsehood that you are truly becoming a Christian? Whose way are you following? Is your belief in Christ one that you keep in your heart and allow Him through His word to change the very ways in which you go about living or do you try and cater His word and laws to your own lifestyle?

                               

                                Are you saved but concerned about why you are not feeling the joy of salvation or happiness in your salvation through Christ? Perhaps you have some areas of your life, some ways of living that do not abide in the Christ that you are clinging to in selfishness.

                               

                                Do you desire to be free of the ways of the world and false teachings of this world and truly wish to follow the way of the Lord?

                                In prayer and meditation before the Lord today give yourself up to Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse you and fill you. Ask for guidance, for conviction and for instruction in your heart. Cling to the Word of God, the Bible, keep it on your heart and may that be the very tool that you use to straighten and guide you in the way of the Lord. Begin today to mirror Christ as His testimony is displayed in the Gospels. That happiness in salvation is only found in the true way of the Lord. 

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