There were two times in my life that these words were very obvious to me. The first that comes to mind was the time I was facing one of the most difficult times of my life, and a friend pulled up to my house and hugged me. He told me that he didn’t know what to say, but that he had to come over to be with me. His “walk” said everything that needed to be said. The second time this phrase hit me was on the opposite side of this first example. I had a person stab me in the back in a crucial point of my life. This person did not know it, but someone told me about the damaging words they had said about me. Later when I met the person face-to-face, they told me that they loved me. I smiled, but remembered the backstabbing words that hurt badly.
My parents often instructed me to be careful about my actions. They raised my sister and I to be cautious about our character. I am not here to tell you that I always listened, or that I have always maintained the testimony I wanted to have throughout my life. Of course, we all fail, but we all ought to make it our life goal to live in such a way that would bring glory to our Heavenly Father.
Today I read, “I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living” (Psalm 116:9). This is a simple verse, but it is loaded with important truth. I noticed that there are two parts to this verse that heavily affect the way I will go about my day today. First, the psalmist noted that his Heavenly Father was watching how he went about his day. I know in my mind that God sees everything I do in my life, but sometimes I can put that off to the side, and walk motivated by my sinful desires, ignoring God’s plan. This verse serves as a good reminder today that God is watching everything I do.
The second part of the verse states that the writer desired to walk, not only before the Lord, but also before those around them in this world. It is important for us to remember that the only Bible some people will read, is the Bible they see lived out in our testimony. I want to be true to the Word of God so that the world that will watch me today will be able to see clearly what a living relationship with a holy God looks like. I want to walk wisely today, realizing that people are watching what I do, far more than they are listening to what I say.
Walk with the Lord today before the world that is dying to know Him. You could be the person that God will use to change the life of someone who needs Christ today. Let your “walk,” “talk” clearly today!