Get Truth Get Life

For we walk by faith, not by sight,
The best walking style is to walk in the light,
For we are saved by Grace, not by right,
Walking with Jesus will shine the light even at night.

To walk uprightly is to have faith and to be humble,
The best walking style is to be grateful, not to grumble,
Following God’s direction, we will not fear nor stumble,
Walking with Jesus will make you stand tall and not crumble.

Shun the broadway and embrace the narrow way,
The best walking style is being in the potter’s hand like clay,
Comfort and security we will get when on Jesus we lay,
Walking uprightly is walking surely, Proverbs 10 verse 9 says.

When you walk with God, God walks with you,
The best walking style is to do what God tells you to,
Walk with God, align your life with what’s true,
Resist Satan, Submit to Christ, and He will make you brand new.

Proverbs 10:9 (KJV) – “He that walketh uprightly walketh surely.”

The future is always a mystery. No one is one hundred percent certain of what will happen the next second, leave alone the next day. Many things in life usually catch us unaware. Breakthroughs catch us unaware. Accidents also come uninformed.

The Bible says that when Jesus comes the second time, He will unexpectedly come like a thief in the night. Nobody knows when He will come, whether it is day or night. Nobody knows which month or year He will come. The Bible also says in Proverbs 6:10-11 that poverty will catch the person who loves sleep unaware.

Now that we have seen how uncertain the future is let us go back to Proverbs 10:9. The Bible tells us in this verse that whoever walks uprightly walks surely. The outcome of whatever happens to us can be classified as either positive or negative. Each result falls within these two aspects. There is either life or death. There is no in-between.

We have light or darkness, day or night, blessings or curses, and we do not have a third party in all these things. Therefore, whatever happens to you is either positive or negative. When positive things or blessings catch us by surprise, we feel excited. If we were facing a sad moment, the gloom suddenly disappears and is forgotten because of the joy that has come. Therefore, blessings, though uncertain, are always welcomed.

On the other hand, no one wishes for negative things to come to them. No one knowingly invites curses. Many people, if they knew what would befall them when they committed certain sins, wouldn’t have done them.

Sometimes one may be walking on the streets, and then they hit a rock they had not seen and end up falling. One may be driving a car going to work, and someone hits them unexpectedly, or another unforeseeable adverse event happens to them that ends up ruining their day.

When the Bible says that he who walks uprightly walks surely it doesn’t mean you will be able to accurately predict the future. It means that you will avoid many problems that might happen to you. Most of the problems we face come as a result of the sins we have committed as individuals.

Sickness may come as a result of unhealthy eating habits. Poverty may result from laziness, wasting time, or lack of being excellent in what we do. I’m not saying these are the only causes of illness and poverty. However, if you put away sin ultimately, you will be surprised how your life will rise significantly.

If you put away covetousness and live within your mean as God desires, you will reduce the debt you are likely to get into. Many people have gotten into debt as a result of covetousness. Many have gotten into loans because of wanting to compete with their neighbors, peers, or fellow church members. They eat their seeds because they are competing with people eating their fruits.

Proverbs 14:34 (KJV) says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation.” A nation is formed of individuals. Therefore, if righteousness exalts a nation, it also exalts an individual. It starts with an individual, for a nation to get exalted. An excellent example is Abraham, who God used to bless the whole world (Genesis 12:1-3).

When you live righteously, you will be able to do away with about 90-95 percent of the problems you are facing or are likely to face. There is a particular false narrative that implies that a Christian life is boring and full of misery. This deceptive narrative denotes that if you are a good person in this evil world, bad things will always happen to you.

Therefore, because of this belief, many are unenthusiastic about living a righteous life. Some have decided to put one foot in the church and the other in the world to be ‘safe.’ Therefore, they go to church to feel spiritual but engage in corrupt deals at their various workplaces so that they may win in this world.

The Christian life is not always full of challenges as the Devil and some preachers depicts it to be. In the story of Job, God tells the Devil about Job and how righteous he was. Satan answered God by telling Him in Job 1:9 (NASB) – “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (According to Satan, Job feared God for something, he feared God for a reason). He goes ahead and tells God in Job 1:10 (KJV) – “Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.”

In other words, Satan was telling God that Job loves Him because he faces no problems since God has provided a covering around him, his family, and his possessions. This Job who was not facing problems, what kind of man was he? The Bible tells us in Job 1:1 that he was perfect and upright.

To prove the Devil wrong, God allowed him to take away everything from Job including his health. Therefore, Job ended up facing some of the worst problems. However, because he endured successfully, God blessed him with more incredible blessings than he previously had. Therefore, he ended up victorious. With this example, we can see that righteousness can reduce almost all the problems we face.

Deuteronomy 28 lists the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. It does not list the curses of obedience and the blessings of disobedience. However, a few times, we may face challenges because we live in a sinful and imperfect world. Since we are in the world and interact with sinful people daily, they may harm us directly or indirectly.

However, we can reduce these problems significantly by responding with love instead of hate. For example, not returning a harsh word with a harsh word but a soft answer to a harsh word will turn away wrath. It may not always reduce the other person’s anger, but it will do it most of the time.

Secondly, as Christians, when we face problems, they don’t hit us as hard as unbelievers because we have hope. If Job had no hope when the problems hit him, he would not have endured the suffering without cursing God, as his wife advised.

Walking uprightly assures us of blessings. We may not know how God will bless us and when He will bless us, but we are assured that The Almighty God will bless us. Let us not have false beliefs of how troublesome a Christian life is and fear giving our lives wholly to God.

The Bible says in Psalm 34:8 (KJV) – “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” Don’t listen to what people say. Experience salvation for yourself and see how good God is. God is so good that even with our problems, He turns them into blessings.

We may be afflicted now with a particular problem only to realize a few moments later that a blessing was covered in that problem. Don’t read those books or listen to talks about how righteous people are always prone to problems.

Practice righteousness in your life, from your actions to your words and motives, and experience the blessings that come with it. God rewards every little good act. Because of His infinite love, He may bless people who are unrighteous since He sends rain to the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). However, as a genuine child of God, there are blessings that you will experience that others will not experience.

Various people in the time of Job had material possessions, but Job had more than they all had. In the time of Isaac, various people in the foreign land of the Philistines were alive and healthy by God’s power since all life depends on God. Still, it was only Isaac who was alive, healthy, and highly prosperous at the same time. He prospered as a foreigner in their land, and the people feared him.

In Exodus 19:5, God promises the Israelites that if they obey Him, they shall be a peculiar treasure unto Him. If the Bible used the word peculiar only, it would be enough. If it used the word treasure only, it would still be enough. However, it used the words peculiar and treasure in the same sentence to tell us how God places a special lofty price on people who are more obedient to Him than those who are not. He made the Israelites pass through the red sea while the Egyptians drowned (Hebrews 11:29).

“The very first step in the path of life is to keep the mind stayed on God, to have His fear continually before the eyes. A single departure from moral integrity blunts the conscience, and opens the door to the next temptation. “He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his way shall be known.” We are commanded to love God supremely, and our neighbor as ourselves; but the daily experience of life shows that this law is disregarded. Uprightness in deal and moral integrity will secure the favor of God, and make a man a blessing to himself and to society; but amid the varied temptations that assail one whichever way he may turn, it is impossible to keep a clear conscience and the approval of Heaven without divine aid and a principle to love honesty for the sake of the right.” – Sons and Daughters of God, Page 111, Ellen G. White.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) – “⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

When our minds are fixed on God, God will always direct us. We are often misdirected because of our inability to discern God’s voice. We cannot discern God’s voice because we do not spend time with Him. When we receive a phone call from an unknown number, most of us can know who the other person is on the other end of the call if it is a person we talk with frequently.

If your spouse, parent, or child calls you with a different phone number, you can know it is them just by hearing the voice. However, if it is someone who you don’t know or who you know but don’t talk to frequently, there is a high chance that you won’t be able to recognize the voice. The same applies to God. God knows all of us since He is the one who created us and is always with us, sometimes knocking on the doors of hearts of people who have not yet allowed Him to enter.

The fact that God has created us and is always with us shows that He knows us even better than we know ourselves. Unfortunately, we do not know Him because we rarely spend time with Him. Some of us only spend time with Him on Saturday or Sunday during church service and have no time for Him during the week. Most of us barely create time for personal Bible study. As a result, God becomes so unfamiliar to us which causes us to develop false theories and interpretations of Him.

Matthew 7:28-29 (KJV) – “²⁸ And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine: ²⁹ For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Most sermons or teachings in church lack authority because many preachers and teachers only preach and teach what other men have taught them.

The scribes lacked authority in their teachings because most of them were taught by the prophets as they helped them write the Bible, while the prophets were taught directly by God. Like most of us, most scribes relied on secondhand information while the prophets depended on firsthand information.

If you go to many churches, the teachings from the junior pastors or top church officials are almost the same as those from the senior pastors. Nothing different, nothing new. The infinite God who reigns from everlasting to everlasting has designed His Word to have infinite revelations aligning with the same truth. In each person, He has given us different revelations (that is why it is essential to fellowship and discuss the Bible with others). However, most of us fail to get these revelations because we do not spend enough time on God’s Word.

Acts 19:13-16 (NKJV) – “¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” ¹⁴ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. ¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

The demons beat up the men and won them because the men attempted to cast them out based on somebody else’s (Paul’s) experience of Jesus and not their own. God wants you to base your beliefs and understanding of Him on your experience. You might have the best pastor in the world in your church but don’t be over-dependent on him. Don’t enjoy being spoon-fed.

Many people summon pastors or other members of the clergy to pray for them because they don’t believe their individual prayers can be answered. Some people even go to the extent of traveling to faraway lands in order to meet a certain Bishop or pastor or prophet who they believe has great power. Some false prophets have accumulated a great deal of wealth because of the high dependency people have on them.

It is not wrong to fellowship with a clergy member or to tell them to pray for you. What is bad is overdependence on them because they are mortals, they can die anytime, and you may have no one else to depend on. It is okay to ask them questions you don’t understand, but before you ask them, make sure you have thoroughly studied that question guided by the Holy Spirit. Even if you fail to get the answer immediately, you will have increased spiritual knowledge, vitality, and growth.

We walk by faith

2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV) – “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

“All creation that took place between days one to six appeal in some form or fashion to one or more other senses which God has given to us, but what God did on day seven does not appeal directly to the senses. What He did appeals to a higher sense that is the sense of faith. On that day God blessed, He sanctified, He set apart, He hallowed. That’s what He did for the seventh when He made the Sabbath. Therefore, the Sabbath requires faith. I need no faith to feel the heat of the sun. I need no faith to see a fish swimming. I need no faith to see a lion walk but I need faith to accept that this day which has as many hours as Monday or Tuesday or Thursday, this day is somehow special. It is special not because of anything I see or I hear or touch or taste or feel. It is special because God said so and I have to believe the Word of God. Sabbath observance is an act of faith in the Creator. God gave us the senses so we can hear, touch and feel and enjoy our creation and enjoy each other but the Sabbath day, what God did on that day is appreciated only through faith. Or perhaps I should say, most effectively through the exercise of faith and faith is a sense that is higher than any of the five senses. Believe God, trust God. We are to live by faith not by what our senses tell us. We don’t discard what our senses tell us but we rise to a higher level by living by faith. And by faith we accept the seventh day Sabbath is holy, it is blessed, it is set apart by God and He brings with it blessings the other six days do not have.” – Pastor Randy Skeete.

The best walking style is to walk by faith in God. Through trusting in God, we can obey Him because we believe He cannot do anything to harm us. We cannot live a victorious Christian life if we depend on our senses alone. I have heard some Christians saying that they cannot return tithe because the money that they have is too little, it can barely suit their needs. True faith is usually tested when you are facing the darkest times.

The God who made manna to rain from Heaven for the Israelites when they were in the wilderness will supply all your needs if you trust Him. All resources are His, and He knows exactly what you need. You may return tithe with your scarce resources then He immediately gives you a better-paying job. Sometimes He may give you more money miraculously after you have returned the tithe. He may even send someone (a friend, relative, or stranger) to buy your monthly groceries, which may be more than what you would have bought with your own money.

My friend James gave me a testimony of how tithing has been powerful in his life ever since he was in high school. He told me that when he used to return tithe from his pocket money in high school, he would receive the same amount or higher through various miraculous ways. Sometimes, he would get money during prize-giving day that was the same amount as his pocket money or even more than that.

One of God’s promises in Malachi 3:11 is that He will hold the devourer for the people who return tithes and offerings so that the enemy will not spoil their produce. The majority of the Christians who do not return tithe or who do not give usually earn money. Some earn a lot of money but cannot account for its use. Some, immediately after they earn that money, so many problems kick in that they end up spending everything on those problems.

Some despise tithing and giving and accumulate a lot of money to do their projects. Once they have accumulated that money, they end up getting conned or lose their money in various other ways. Their lack of giving opened the door of the devourer. Some cannot keep the Sabbath day holy because of jobs that require them to work on the Sabbath. We should walk by faith, not by sight. We need to put faith above everything, including our circumstances.

“It is not necessary for us to know the results of our course of action before we surrender wholly to God. We do not need to see the way, or to know what the future will be. One thing we do know, because God has said it—the man that fears God and works righteousness will be accepted by Him. This is enough for us to know. Day by day walk before the Lord in humility and contrition. Your future destiny depends on your own course of action. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15). “If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). Be one thing or the other. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). Your present happiness and your future well-being depend on your own choice. If you choose to follow Jesus, you must obey the Word, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).” – The Upward Look, Page 73, Ellen G. White.

Whatever will result from our righteous actions is none of our business. God keeps it as a mystery to test our faith. To test if we genuinely place His Word above everything else in the world. If God would tell each of us what blessing He will do to us when we do something righteous, most of us will stop sinning and live righteously.

If God shows each of us a vision of how glorious Heaven is, we will hate this world and do everything we can to go to Heaven. However, He does not easily do that because He wants us to live by faith, not sight. Deuteronomy 28:1-13 lists various marvelous blessings of obedience. It does not say the commandment we must obey to acquire a specific blessing. Instead, it says that we should obey all commandments (Deuteronomy 28:1). All commandments are relevant to all the blessings we want. Therefore, we need to walk uprightly because if we do so we are guaranteed to receive them.

The Bible tells us that another way to walk surely is to walk in love. Ephesians 5:2 (KJV) – “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”

The best walking style is to walk in love. True love that we should impart to one another is the love that Christ has showered us with. John 15:12 (KJV) – “This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” We are to love one another as Christ has loved us, not as our siblings or parents have loved us. This is impossible with our deceitful and desperately wicked hearts, but with God, it is possible. We need to ask God to give us the grace to do that.

When we have love and show it to others, we walk surely. Jesus had (he still has) an infinite love for us all. Therefore, He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). He had the power to escape from the cross and kill all those who tortured Him, but He did not do that because of love. True love does not abuse power. True love seeks to benefit others more than oneself. A snake bit Paul, but he continued preaching (Acts 28:3-6). When you walk in love, you walk surely because you love unconditionally, not expecting anything in return. When you love people like that, God will surely reward you even if they do not reward you.

John 14:15 (KJV) – “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” The law of God is a law of love. Obeying God’s commandments in our thoughts, words, and actions portrays our love for God and our neighbors. If you genuinely love someone, you will not have evil thoughts in your mind about them. You will not give them fake exaggerated compliments in an attempt to deceive them if you truly love them. If you genuinely love people, you will be happy when they succeed instead of feeling jealous.

If you genuinely love God, you will always keep His commandments at the top of your mind as a governing tool to guide you in everything you do. Psalm 1:1-2 (KJV) – “¹ 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.”

“If you wish to be truly happy, do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Practically, that comes straight home to every boy and girl. With whom do you take counsel? To whom do you confide your plans and troubles? Whose plans and ways are you following? Are you influenced by chums and companions? If so, you are not blessed or happy.”- General Conference Bulletin, April 4, 1901, Page 64.11, Ellen G. White.

“Do not stand in the way of sinners. Do not spend your evenings on the street or your time in rude company. Do not go where sinful people love to go,—to the theater, to the card party, to the dance. Do not go where God is not honored. If you do these things, you cannot be truly happy.” – General Conference Bulletin, April 4, 1901, Page 64.12, Ellen G. White.

“Do not sit in the seat of the scornful. That is frequently the back seat of a church. Boys and girls who attend sacred services, and spend the time whispering, giggling, trading, writing notes, or in any other way slighting God’s Word, are scorning the service of God, and insulting Him. To sit with such is to be reckoned with them. No one can do so, and be blessed or happy. It is a good thing for boys and girls to sit with their parents in church.” – General Conference Bulletin, April 4, 1901, Page 64.13, Ellen G. White.

“Our associations generally determine our character. If one takes counsel with ungodly companions, stands or goes with sinful persons, or sits with those who do not reverence God, he is sure to become a godless, sinful scorner.” – General Conference Bulletin, April 4, 1901, Page 64.14, Ellen G. White.

Long and close associations with sinners bring confusion, especially if you are not well-versed in God’s Word. They bring confusion because much of the advice they are giving you may sound sensible but is contrary to God’s Word. For example, revenging someone who has afflicted you seems sensible but goes against God’s will. Sometimes they may even make you question your beliefs, and if you hang out with them for long, you may end up backsliding.

A piece of advice that compels you to sin, no matter how sensible it sounds, leads you on the path of darkness. Walking in sin is walking in darkness. Psalm 82:5 (NKJV) – “They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable.” Those who walk in darkness will always stumble because no light will illuminate their way.

1 John 1:6-7 (KJV) – “⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Others profess to be Christians but walk in darkness. Some are baptized church members bearing the Christian tag but have not fully surrendered themselves to God. They want to give their lives to Christ but are unwilling to let go of the things of this world.

The pleasures of sin are usually so alluring, but they last only for a season before one begins facing dire consequences. God wants our path to be clear, with nothing on the way that is blocking us. He desires that the light placed on that path shines brighter and brighter without the interference of darkness.

How can we walk in the light?

Deuteronomy 8:6 (KJV) – “Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him.”

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (KJV) – “¹² And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, ¹³ To keep the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?”

The commandments are given to us for our good. We walk in the light by fearing God and obeying all His commandments. We are not given the option to select which commandments to obey and which ones not to, we ought to obey all of them.

God’s grace is not to make up for our disobedience. It is to enable us to obey God more. Grace enables us to be more excellent in our walk with Christ. Whatever we can’t accomplish by ourselves, grace will give us the power to accomplish.

Which way should we walk in?

John 14:6 (KJV) – ^“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”

“There are not many ways to Heaven. Each one may not choose his own way. Christ says, “I am the way: … no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” Since the first gospel sermon was preached, when in Eden it was declared that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head, Christ had been uplifted as the way, the truth, and the life. He was the way when Adam lived, when Abel presented to God the blood of the slain lamb, representing the blood of the Redeemer. Christ was the way by which patriarchs and prophets were saved. He is the way by which alone we can have access to God.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 663.3, Ellen G. White.

Numerous theories say that the way to Heaven is more than one. There is only one way to Heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ. Currently, He is our high priest, always interceding for us. Secondly, He showed us how a genuine, devoted Christian should live, and we ought to follow His divine example. He never preached against commandments. Instead, He fulfilled them (Matthew 5:17).

Jesus kept all the commandments of God, including the Sabbath commandment, so He performed more miracles on the Sabbath than on any other day because the Sabbath is a day of rest. His will was for the afflicted to find rest through the healing He provided them. He was never selective about who to interact with. He interacted with everyone. He made Himself poor so that we can be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

This means that if Jesus was a businessman, He would endeavor to make His employees and customers happy and satisfied. He would esteem His employees and clients more than the profits He would look forward to in His business.

Jesus endured the toughest and the roughest temptations and trials. There is no single time that He gave in to selfish desires. He never sought to glorify Himself. Christ always sought to glorify the Father. Numerous times after performing a miracle, He would tell people to keep it a secret to avoid the praise going to Him. If we want to go to Heaven, as challenging as it may seem, we should follow this example. Jesus should be the ultimate role model of every Christian.

To walk surely is to walk humbly

A Christian walk is a walk of humility, and those who walk humbly walk surely. Pride closes doors, but humility opens doors. Pride stains the path, while humility cleanses it. When we have pride, we block ourselves from receiving new valuable information because we are unwilling to learn.

Without new knowledge, we cannot access new heights because what brought us here is not what will take us there. Therefore we keep stagnating. Micah 6:8 (NKJV) – “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”

Treating people fairly is humility because you value everybody equally as children of God. If you are a judge, you will preside equally over a poor person’s case as you will over a rich man’s case. As a legislator, you will propose and implement laws that favor everybody. Showing mercy to and forgiving others is humility because you are willing to sacrifice the ‘good’ feeling that comes from revenge so the other party can be happy.

If you want to walk surely, who should you walk with?

Amos 3:3 (KJV) – “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven.” But how strange the sight! While one of those so closely united is engaged in devotion, the other is indifferent and careless; while one is seeking the way to everlasting life, the other is in the broad road to death.” – Counsels for the Church, Page 122.2, Ellen G. White.

It would be best to walk with people with whom you agree on the same beliefs. This will give you peace of mind because arguments will be few as you will have a common ground to agree on various things. Strife usually comes as a result of having different grounds. You may want to attend church on Sabbath, but the teacher wants you to do exams, so there is strife.

Sometimes arguments with unbelievers can be so convincing that you may question your beliefs. We need to spend more time with people who are of the same faith. This principle applies in our various partnerships, for example, marriage. Ellen White says that marrying a non-believer is treading on Satan’s ground. Many people marry unbelievers with the hope of converting them. Most times this is usually very difficult, especially if it is a lady trying to convert a man.

Many unbelieving men may not convert because they fear that if they convert, they will look less manly and feel like they are under the lady’s control. It is the same logic that most adults cannot take advice from children or people younger than them, even if they are right. This type of thinking usually blocks people from accessing various blessings. Some partners, especially ladies, may agree to convert so that they get married. The conversion is not true because it is not always a conviction from the Holy Spirit.

Those who have converted to false religions may suffer in their marriages because of putting their men above God. God is not obligated to bless that union when He is not honored. Some may convert to the true church but will not appreciate it because they did not do it for the glory of God. They did it to get married. After they get married, most of them will always be in opposition to the teachings of Christ through their words and actions.

There is a threat that the children born from such unions may grow up confused. I have met people who have told me they are half Muslim and half Christian because one of their parents is Muslim and the other is Christian. God is not a god of halves. He tells us to choose one; either we are on His side or the other side, but there is no in-between. He tells us to love and trust Him with all our hearts, not half of our hearts.

Elizabeth and Zacharias the parents to John the Baptist stood firm against the wish of the relatives and friends and called their child John as God had commanded and not Zacharias as their friends and relatives had suggested. They did that because they both believed in God. That is a blessed union.

There are homes where the father or mother tells the children to accompany them to church, but their spouses oppose because even though they are ‘converted,’ they do not fully believe in those teachings. Therefore, it becomes a struggle and strife becomes constant in that relationship. The child may come up with an idea of going for a school trip on Saturday, one parent refuses, but the other accepts because their hearts are not fully consecrated in Christ. They don’t understand the essence and significance of the Sabbath.

After one parent has refused, the other is compelled to agree to end the argument. Two cannot walk together if they disagree. Those who have not entered such marriages can avoid them. Ellen White writes it is better to break off an engagement than a marriage. However, those who have already entered should pray for their partners because divorce is prohibited in the Bible.

This does not mean we despise unbelievers because Christ Himself never despised them. We should love them and pray for them. If we find ourselves in situations where we can’t avoid them, we should be more intentional in our conversations. Before they invite you to parties, invite them to church.

“It is a dangerous thing to form a worldly alliance. Satan well knows that the hour that witnesses the marriage of many young men and women closes the history of their religious experience and usefulness. They are lost to Christ. They may for a time make an effort to live a Christian life, but all their strivings are made against a steady influence in the opposite direction. Once it was a privilege and joy to them to speak of their faith and hope; but they become unwilling to mention the subject, knowing that the one with whom they have linked their destiny takes no interest in it. As the result, faith in the precious truth dies out of the heart, and Satan insidiously weaves about them a web of skepticism.” – Counsels for the Church, Page 122.1, Ellen G. White.

A worldly alliance is not just in marriage, it is also in business. Avoid forming business partnerships with people who are not of the same beliefs. This may also cause contention. For instance, some people who believe in worshipping idols may want to keep them on business premises. This would not allow the only living true God to have His full glory, and God cannot share His glory with anyone.

Therefore, the business may end up lacking blessings because of such. When King Josiah made reforms, he ensured he destroyed all the false gods and their altars. He did not leave any idol remaining, even though people have the free will to worship whoever they want.

When you walk with God, you will not stumble or fear

Proverbs 4:12 (NKJV) – “When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble.”

The Bible says in Romans 8:31 that nobody can be against us when God is by our side. No one can hinder your steps when you walk with God. They may attempt, but they won’t succeed. Satan tried to hinder the ministry of Jesus by testing Him in the wilderness, but he did not succeed (Matthew 4).

The disciples tried to hinder the children from accessing Jesus but failed (Matthew 19:13-15). The people who killed Jesus tried to halt the work of Jesus, but they failed since Jesus rose again on the third day after they murdered Him.

When someone is running, it is easier to stumble than when walking since they are moving at high speed and have no time to check what is on the ground that they are running on. There may be rocks on the way, which they may end up hitting, or even thorns.

However, when someone is running with God, they cannot stumble no matter how fast they are moving. They would not stumble because they are running in the right way. Jesus is the way. Not only is He the way but He is the only uncontaminated way.

Walking with God brings security and comfort

Psalm 23:4 (KJV) – “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

“We often hear the life of Christians described as being filled with trials, sadness, and sorrow, with but little to cheer and comfort; and the impression is too often given that if they should give up their faith and their efforts for eternal life, the scene would be changed to pleasure and happiness. But I have been led to compare the life of the sinner with the life of the righteous. Sinners do not have a desire to please God, therefore can have no pleasing sense of His approval. They do not enjoy their state of sin and worldly pleasure without trouble. They feel deeply the ills of this mortal life. Oh yes, at times they are fearfully troubled. They fear God but do not love Him.”- From the Heart, Page 133.2, Ellen G. White.

“Are sinners free from disappointment, perplexity, earthly losses, poverty, and distress? Oh, no! In this respect they are no more secure than the righteous. They often suffer lingering sicknesses, yet have no strong and mighty arm to lean upon, no strengthening grace from a higher power to support them. In their weakness they must lean upon their own strength. They cannot look forward with any pleasure to the resurrection morn, for they have no cheering hope that they will then have part with the blest. They obtain no consolation by looking forward to the future. A fearful uncertainty torments them, and thus they close their eyes in death. This is the end of poor sinners’ lives of vain pleasures.” – From the Heart, Page 133.3, Ellen G. White.

“Christians are subject to sickness, disappointment, poverty, reproach, and distress. Yet amid all this they love God, and love to do His will, and prize nothing so highly as His approval. In the conflicts, trials, and changing scenes of this life, they know that there is One who understands it all; One who will bend His ear low to the cries of the sorrowful and distressed; One who can sympathize with every sorrow and soothe the keenest anguish of every heart. He has invited the sorrowing ones to come to Him and find rest. Amid all their affliction Christians have strong consolation, and if they suffer a lingering, distressing sickness, before they close their eyes in death, they can with cheerfulness bear it all, for they hold communion with their Redeemer.”—The Review and Herald, April 28, 1859, Ellen G. White.

When you walk with God, God walks with you

Leviticus 26:12 (KJV) – “And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people.”

One of God’s attributes is that He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, meaning He is all-powerful, He is everywhere, and all-knowing. When you walk with an earthly teacher or any person who is older than you, most of the time, they will be imparting their knowledge to you as you walk. They will teach you things that you did not know. They may give you profound advice that you never heard.

When you walk with God, who is all-knowing, He imparts to you His infinite knowledge, and you keep learning. As you keep learning, you keep growing. The knowledge God gives you is excellent and profitable, so your life keeps getting elevated. Nothing can withstand you when you have an all-powerful God by your side. When God is with you everywhere you go, you will never encounter a problem and fail to come up with a solution because God is the Solution.

Walking with God makes you fruitful in every good work

Colossians 1:10 (KJV) – “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

When you walk with God, you will be fruitful in every good work. Some people have great talents but haven’t been able to use them to bear good fruits since they are not walking with God. They sing songs that may sound good but have messages that lead to destruction. However, when someone is walking with God, they will always bear good fruit.

John 15:4-5 (KJV) – “⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.” He who abides in God produces fruit that is higher in quantity and quality than He who does not.

Matthew 4:18-19 (KJV) – “¹⁸ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. ¹⁹ And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Walking with God brings excellent opportunities. Walking with God brings you into contact with the right people aligned with your purpose, who will make the road to your destiny less treacherous. When Jesus began His ministry, He did not have people to assist Him with the work of the gospel. He chose various people from various places working various occupations as He walked.

As Jesus passed by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two fishermen, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew and told them to follow Him. Jesus did not call everybody to help Him. He called certain people. He did not call people considered the best by society but called the right people.

Jesus never did anything contrary to God’s will. His selection of His disciples was guided by the Holy Spirit and was approved by God the Father. When you walk with God, the Holy Spirit will guide you in various ways. The Holy Spirit may guide you through a scripture you read in the morning or through one verse you have memorized in your mind.

The Holy Spirit may also guide you through dreams, visions, and thoughts. To ensure that the voice of God is evident in your mind, you need to do away with anything that does not glorify Him, like certain movies and music.

Walking with God will make you do things that are impossible with men

Matthew 14:25-26 (KJV) – “²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.”

When we compare the church now to the early church when the disciples were ministering, it is beyond doubt that it has lost its power. During the time of Jesus, there were astonishing miracles. After the death of Jesus, when the disciples ministered, there were astonishing miracles as well. Some could bring the dead back to life as Jesus did.

A miracle-performing church is not proof that God approves a church. A church that God approves preaches God’s Word without adding to it or subtracting from it. However, many people are pulled by witnessing wonders than by hearing words. A mighty church not only has words of power but also actions of power.

In the early church, people used to give so much that the church officials would stop them from giving. In the time of Moses, the people gave so much that they were commanded not to give anymore because the supply was overflowing. In the early church, whoever was rich would minister to whoever was poor and did their best to ensure that none lacked. In these present times, such kind of giving is never experienced.

Various studies have been done and have shown that only 10-25% of people in a congregation tithe. According to Non-Profit Source (2023), studies show that in families making more than 75,000 U.S. Dollars, only 1% gave at least 10% in tithing. The gospel would go far and wide if at least 50% of the church members faithfully returned tithes and offerings.

Because of a misunderstanding of God’s grace, many have misinterpreted it to mean that they are free to do anything they want. Romans 6:1-2 (KJV) – “¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ² God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Such has led to moral degeneracy in the church. As Christians, we have left little to be admired because we are adding more darkness to the world instead of being the light of the world.

“The church is not now the separate and peculiar people she was when the fires of persecution were kindled against her. How is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed! I saw that if the church had always retained her peculiar, holy character, the power of the Holy Spirit which was imparted to the disciples would still be with her. The sick would be healed, devils would be rebuked and cast out, and she would be mighty and a terror to her enemies.” – Early Writings, Page 227.1, Ellen G. White.

“I saw a very large company professing the name of Christ, but God did not recognize them as His. He had no pleasure in them. Satan seemed to assume a religious character and was very willing that the people should think they were Christians. He was even anxious that they should believe in Jesus, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. Satan and his angels fully believe all this themselves, and tremble. But if this faith does not provoke to good works, and lead those who profess it to imitate the self-denying life of Christ, Satan is not disturbed; for they merely assume the Christian name, while their hearts are still carnal, and he can use them in his service even better than if they made no profession. Hiding their deformity under the name of Christian, they pass along with their unsanctified natures, and their evil passions unsubdued. This gives occasion for the unbeliever to reproach Christ with their imperfections, and causes those who do possess pure and undefiled religion to be brought into disrepute.”- Early Writings, Page 227.2, Ellen G. White.

“The ministers preach smooth things to suit carnal professors. They dare not preach Jesus and the cutting truths of the Bible; for if they should, these carnal professors would not remain in the church. But as many of them are wealthy, they must be retained, although they are no more fit to be there than Satan and his angels. This is just as Satan would have it. The religion of Jesus is made to appear popular and honorable in the eyes of the world. The people are told that those who profess religion will be more honored by the world. Such teachings differ very widely from the teachings of Christ. His doctrine and the world could not be at peace. Those who followed Him had to renounce the world. These smooth things originated with Satan and his angels. They formed the plan, and nominal professors carried it out. Pleasing fables were taught and readily received, and hypocrites and open sinners united with the church. If the truth had been preached in its purity, it would soon have shut out this class. But there was no difference between the professed followers of Christ and the world. I saw that if the false covering had been torn off from the members of the churches, there would have been revealed such iniquity, vileness, and corruption that the most diffident child of God would have had no hesitancy in calling these professed Christians by their right name, children of their father, the Devil; for his works they did.” – Early Writings, Page 228.1, Ellen G. White.

God will do for you beyond what you imagine when you walk with Him

Genesis 5:22-24 (KJV) – “²² And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: ²³ And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: ²⁴ And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

Hebrews 11:5 (KJV) – “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

When Enoch was walking with God, He did not imagine that God would directly translate him to Heaven without tasting death. He was living a righteous life. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you walk with Him, the God who translated Enoch straight to Heaven can do the same now. However, God blesses people differently.

Not all righteous people in the Bible and even now are taken to Heaven directly. Solomon was blessed with great wisdom and wealth such that there was no one like him before, and there has been none like him till now. Rahab was blessed by being the only one in the city who was spared with her family.

Mary’s walk with God was blessed by being given the privilege of being the mother of Jesus. She is the only woman in the world to receive such a blessing. There would never be a rebirth of Jesus again. Therefore, that occurrence makes her highly privileged.

Deuteronomy 5:33 (NKJV) – “You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.”

Walking with God is the best walking style.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before You in humble surrender, needing Your guidance. As we reflect on Proverbs 10:9, help us to walk uprightly in Your ways. Grant us the wisdom to navigate the uncertainties of life with faith and obedience. May our steps be aligned with Your Word, and may we find assurance in Proverbs 10:9. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Activity

Take a moment to meditate on Proverbs 10:9, focusing on the concept of walking uprightly. Consider one specific area in your life where you can align your actions with God’s principles. It could be in your relationships, work, or personal habits. Write a simple action plan to walk more uprightly in that specific area. Commit it to prayer. During the day, reflect on your commitment and seek God’s strength to help you walk in His ways.

Author: Mark Alex   

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