Man of God Top 10 – #2 Walks With God

When I think of an example of a man of God the best examples I can think of, besides Jesus, were the disciples.  They literally walked with God.  I know that we can’t physically walk with God, but we can walk with Him in other ways.  Walk with me now (ok, a little cheesy I know…).

If we want to walk with God it means actively engaging in some of the things that we have already talked about in this top 10 list.  First, we can’t walk with God if we are pursuing the things of the world.  It is hard enough to follow God without the distractions that are out there trying to pull us away from Him.  If you want to really walk with God then you have to make Him your priority.  This may mean giving up some of the things that you have been pursuing.  Don’t divide your attention, this is too important to only do part way.

If you are going to walk with God it will probably be useful to know what direction to walk in!  You are probably saying to yourself, “How am I supposed to know that, I haven’t seen any sign posts lately.”  To answer that I am going to ask you to do something that none of us guys are very good at (me included)… ask for directions!  It’s as simple as that!  If you want to know which direction God wants you to go pray for guidance and direction.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”  Isaiah 30:21

Trust me, God will give you a sign.  Sometimes you may have to ask for the directions that come with the 2×4 (because let’s face it, we can be pretty slow some days!).

The road that God puts you on is not always going to be smooth.  Spend time in His word so that you will be equipped for those bumps and potholes along the way.  The word of God is an amazing tool, use it!

Finally, if you are truly going to walk with God then you have to trust Him.  You have to trust where he is taking you.  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”   Romans 8:28  God has a good plan for you, trust Him and walk with him.

 

 

Man of God Top 10 – #3 Keeps the Word

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

I love this verse because it says so much with so few words.  The Word of God, a phrase that we hear all the time but that I think sometimes we take for granted.  The word of God is usually refering to the Bible, a book, but it is so much more!  John 1:1 refers to Jesus as the Word.  Everything God had taught his people, everything he would tell us in the Bible, was wrapped into Jesus.  Jesus was the ultimate man of God and if we want to be men of God we need to be like him.

The Bible is so much more than a book.  Yes, it has a cover and pages and words.  There are paragraphs, themes, stories and puncuation.  But, where the Bible is different from any other book is that it is the word or the living God!  Think about it for a minute.  God speaks to us through the Bible.  He can give you an answer to any question you might have through the Bible.  Everyone always asks for the answers to life’s questions…well here they are!

Being a man of God means keeping His word.  This is another multi-part commandment.  In order to keep the word, you have to know the word.  To know the word you have to spend time reading the word, memorizing the word, meditating on the word.  The great thing about God’s word is that you can read one passage this week, then read the same passage next week and God will reveal something completely new!

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

That is a lot of stuff that one book can do!  Pay attention to verse 17, “…so that the man of God cay be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  God gave us the scripture, His word, to equip men of God.  But you can’t be equipped if you don’t spend time in the word!

But there is more… “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.” James 1:22  So we can’t just read the word and study the word we have to live the word!  It is like the Jewish holy men in Jesus’ time.  They would  pride themselves in having the entire old testament memorized – WOW!  But when Jesus came he said that the did not know these men.  It is not enough to memorize bible verses so that you can regurgitate them at cocktail parties (interesting thought!), you have to truly live the word that God has given you.

So make reading the Bible part of your daily routine.  Read with a purpose, to come closer to God, to be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  Read with your wife, read with your children.  Show them that you are keeping the word of God and that it isn’t just words, that it is God speaking to us everyday.