Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. – 2 John 1:3
Learning to walk is a tough job for a baby. He or she starts off moving from squatting to standing holding onto something, generally a low table, toys, or furniture. Crawling helps infants get control of their movements, while strengthening the muscles essential for walking. Somewhere generally between 10 and 18 months of age, the child begins those teetering first steps, cautiously at first, often taking a “sit down” or even falling in the process. Soon their desire to hold onto something or someone gives way to the independence of walking. A healthy child receives encouragement from loving and attentive adults as he learns.
There are essentials in the footsteps of learning to walk the Christian life. You receive many admonitions and encouragements from God’s Word along the way. “Walk by faith, not by sight“ (2 Corinthians 5:7), walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8), walk worthy (Ephesians 4:1), walk in love (Ephesians 5:2), walk in the light (1 John 1:7), and many more. Each footstep is ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23), and these basics are outlined by the Apostle John in today’s verse: grace, mercy, peace, truth, and love. These five steps are foundational to a healthy walk, in relationship with the Father and with Jesus, and in relationship with one another.
The way you walk as you follow Jesus is a response to and result of your understanding of the grace, mercy, truth, peace, and love of God. The more you grasp these concepts as presented in the Bible, the more of God you reflect to a confused and dying world. Just as the toddler is encouraged by parents and those who love him, receive your encouragement in prayer conversations with a loving Father. When you do, you are able to encourage others in their walk also.
Then go on your way singing, “O Master, let me walk with Thee, in closer dearer company.” Pray today for new members of the president’s administration. Pray that they would desire to know the path the Lord has prepared for them, and to enthusiastically walk in it.
Today’s Verse: 2 John 1:3
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
Recommended for further reading: Galatians 5:16-25
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
