It’s easy to take that verb, “walk”, for granted. The New Testament uses this word to describe our covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are to walkin the Spirit and not in the flesh (Gal. 5.16ff). We walk in the light, as He is in the light (Eph. 5.8). We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5.7). We walk the same path Jesus walked (1 Jn. 2.1-6).

Clearly we need to pay careful attention to our “walk” (Eph. 5.15).

Walking is a very normal human activity, one engaged to get us from one place to the next. In the days of ancient Israel, and even in the New Testament, walking was the normal means of conveyance. To walk, in a Biblical frame of reference, entailed direction, exertion, continuity, progress, and, very often, companionship.

As we think about practicing the Law of God in our lives, these are very useful ideas, all summed up in the word, “walk.”

We should make plansfor our lives, both long-term and day-by-day. Those plans should be shape and guided by the Law of God.

We will exercise our strengtheach day toward the realization of our plans. All our strength – whether in our words or deeds – should be directed toward fulfilling our plans and doing so according to the guidelines of God’s Law.

We persist in our plans and daily efforts so that continuity and progressbecome evident. The progress we seek is the progress in realizing the promises of God which His Law makes possible.

And if we engage with othersin our plans and activities, then let all such engagements and relationships be governed by the good and perfect Law of God.

It’s not just in the moment-by-moment “doing” that God calls His people to obey Him, but in all our “walking” as well – our planning and all our activities toward realizing those plans throughout our lives, for all the days of our lives (Ps. 90.12, 16, 17).

T. M. Moore

The book of Ecclesiastes is a crucial resource for understanding the Biblical worldview against the backdrop of our secular age. Follow T. M.’s studies in Ecclesiastes by downloading the free, weekly studies available in our Scriptorium Resources page at The Fellowship of Ailbe. Click hereto see the weekly studies available thus far.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.