Walk With God!

He has shown you, O Mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

On our wedding day some forty nine years ago last month, Randy and I chose an old song and tweeked the title just a bit to fit the occasion. Actually my Mama and my aunt, Joanne, (the resident musical authorities) chose it for us! The song is usually entitled, I’ll Walk With God, but we decided it should be, We’ll Walk With God since we were entering into a brand new career for which we had no roadmap and God was a big part of that career!

I know neither one of us in our wildest aspirations for our lives ever dreamed we would be taking on the ministry. The years we spent at UGA knowing each other as friends, never hinted at that particular avenue. Actually, I was doubtful that Randy would make it in this calling, not because he wasn’t capable, but because I wasn’t sure what this calling entailed. Early on, however, I realized that if he failed at ministry, he would make an excellent lawyer!! That man can argue a case!!

We were certainly ill prepared for many things as are so many young couples, but parsonages, below minimum wage salary, and no air conditioning were not on my wish list!

During the forty four years since he actually did make a pretty good minister, fulfilled that calling, and helped God build five churches along the way, there are many things we have learned. As many of us face uncertain times in the many things which are important to us such as our country, our church, our jobs, and our personal lives in general, it might be a good time to share some lessons I think we learned.

First, when God calls you into a profession, we need to know that sometimes we might have to walk alone. When God uses you, people often assume you are filled with God’s strength and you don’t need anything. They often don’t realize that you are just a regular person who’s scared to death a lot of the time and more amazed if you succeed at something than they are!

We have been so fortunate to have friends, church members and others who have stood with us during the years on a pretty wide variety of issues, but when friends or others don’t stand with you or minister to you it becomes discouraging. Nobody wants all people to be of the same opinion, but friends should be there to support each other in good times and bad. The good news is that with God, usually the people who stand with you and minister to you are more than those who don’t!

Secondly, we can rest assured that we will need God’s help pretty constantly. If you don’t think you will, you’re in trouble. Sometimes we get so busy and caught up in things and doing them our way, that we, like Samson, do not know that the Lord has left us. (Judges 16:21) We have to live with that sense of dependence on God because He can slip away if we don’t speak with Him daily.

Next, it’s God’s power not our own that makes the difference in all we do. If your ministry is truly a calling, then you know if you wait for God to give you supernatural powers before deciding to get in the fight for good, then you never will experience any victories. It’s His power and His alone that is with us!

Finally, God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. When we can’t understand God’s ways or feel His presence in our trials or weaknesses, we can still trust in His unchanging and loving character.

There’s been so many rewards as well as trials through these years, but it’s always a certainty that God cannot break His promises, abandon His children, or fail to love and bless us. When you are called of God and adhere to that call, you’ll never walk without Him!

The lyrics to the following song are more true to me today than they have ever been.

I’ll walk with God, from this day on; His helping hand I’ll lean upon. This is my prayer, my humble plea; May the Lord be ever with me. There is no death though eyes grow dim; There is no fear when I’m near to Him. I’ll lean on Him forever, And He’ll forsake me never. He will not fail me as long as my faith is strong. Whatever road I may walk upon. I’ll walk with God, I’ll take His hand; I’ll talk with God, He’ll understand. I’ll pray to Him each day to Him, and He’ll hear the words that I say. His hand will guide my throne and rod; And I’ll never walk alone while I walk with God. Lyrics by Nikolaus Brodszky and Paul Francis Webster