Walking with God

Cry Out To The Lord

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“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:1 NIV

When you don’t what to do next or how to respond to something…cry out to the Lord.  When you feel content and you can sense His presence in your life…praise the Lord.  No matter if things are good or difficult, for every season and for every reason turn towards the Lord.

Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher

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“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.”

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at the High Falls in Tettegouche State Park in northern Minnesota)

The Holy Spirit

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“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 5:15-20 NIV

Pay attention today and everyday…to your attitude, your thoughts, actions and your interactions with others.  Let the Holy Spirit be your guide…He is God as much as the Father and the Son are God.  Give thanks for the all that God is and what He has done and is doing in your life.  May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding be with you.  Amen.

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“If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you.”

John 14:15-17 NIV

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at a lake in central Minnesota)

An Encounter With God

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“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:14 NIV

Where and when do you encounter God?  How do you respond?  God promises His presence…He is with you and He is for you.  What happens next is up to you…

I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe

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“When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father,[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”

Exodus 3:4-6 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in Colorado)

Patience And Persistence

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“I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14 NIV

“Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
    keep your foot from evil.”

Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV

Keep going…learn from what has happened…know that God is working for good things in all situations…He is with you…it is His plan that is best…there will be plenty of opportunities to go your own way…stay on the path…walk with God.  Amen.

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“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:8-9 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)

Walking In The Light

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“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.”

1 John 1:5-7 NIV

Walking with God is action…we have several examples in the bible of actions that indicate people are walking with God.  The Good Samaritan story in Luke 10 is the great example that faith is more than reading and learning about God.  While that is a critical step for building a foundation of faith, eventually our living it out in who we are and what we do is the next step.  Read, learn and be transformed…then begin to walk in the Light in what you do.  Amen.

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“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Do What It Says

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“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35 NIV

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

Galatians 5:13-15 NIV

It is one thing to read or listen to the Word of God…it is the next step in your faith journey to do what it says.  We can go our whole lives reading the bible and listening to God’s word in church and if we never put it into practice in our lives…what have we accomplished?  The bible is filled with Action words and many of them came directly out of the mouth of Jesus Christ.  We are to go and do what He commands us to do.  May His peace go with you.  Amen.

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“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

James 1:22-25 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

The Goodness Of God

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“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

James 1:17 NIV

No matter where you are…no matter what has happened or been done…God’s goodness will conquer all things.  We know this because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice.  From all that is broken we will see the Goodness of God.  Trust in Him…trust in His Goodness.  Peace to you. Amen.

Goodness Of God by Jenn Johnson | Victory

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 in Tettegouche State Park in northern Minnesota)

Prayer

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“When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful.”

Romans 12:12 NIRV

“Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray, and give thanks to him.”

Philippians 4:6 NIRV

It is not about saying certain words or performing for others…prayer is about having an honest and sincere communication with God.  It is walking with God for every aspect of your life, the big things and the little things.  It is about being open and vulnerable with our Creator and trusting in Him and His way.  Come near to God and He will come near to you.  May God’s peace be with you.  Amen.

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“Never stop praying.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIRV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Jesus Christ

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14 NIV

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me.”

John 14:1 NIV

Believe in Him…learn about His life, His teachings…give thanks to Him for what He endured so that you can be reconciled with God.  He is the reason why your faith should be greater than your fear.  Amen.

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“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”

1 Timothy 6:11-16 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Holy Spirit

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“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

John 14:26 NIV

Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli

Our Guide…our Advocate…our Counselor…the very presence of God.  Amen.

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“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power, love, and self-discipline.[a]”

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at a lake in central Minnesota)