Daily Christianity

Our Daily Walk with Jesus

 

Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:9-13

 

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25-34

 

In the Scriptures above, and in what follows, note the emphasis on “day(s),“ daily,” “always,” “time” and “opportunity.”

 

We participate (commune) in the sacrifice of Jesus every first day of the week when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16; but in fact Jesus commands us to participate in his sacrifice every day as we die to self and live for Him!!

 

In Luke 9:22-23, Jesus essentially says that because He is going to die for us, then we should die to self and live for Him on a daily basis.

 

In Matthew 6, Jesus urges us to pray to God asking that he provide our needs daily, every day, as we do His will and seek His reign in our lives.

 

Later in the same chapter, Jesus says that because each day brings its own troubles, instead of being anxious about how we will survive, we should seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and all our worries about the physical necessities of life will be taken care of on a daily basis.

 

In the very last verse of Matthew 28, Jesus comforts us with the promise that though He is about to ascend to heaven (note Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11), He will in fact still be with us always until he returns. “Always” in this verse is literally “all the days”!!

 

So, Jesus commands us to follow Him every day as we take one day at a time, and that He will be with us every one of those days!

 

Acts 2:46; 5:42 and Hebrews 3:13 reveal some examples of how Christians follow Jesus daily. Please read these Scriptures now.

 

Many times during His ministry on earth, Jesus told us there will be a “last day” when he will return to raise the dead and judge the world. John 6:39,54; 11:23-24; 12:48.

 

That is why feeding on His spiritual bread of life is more important than anything physical. John 6:27-38.

 

When Jesus says he will be with us to the end of the age, it’s easy to wrongly assume that His  return is “ages” away, and so we doze off … get a bit sleepy and careless about our daily walk with Jesus, let our guard down, and indulge in some sinful things.

 

This is why we read:

 

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:11-14

 

When we assemble each Lord’s day, let us not simply be “Sunday Christians,” but, rather, encourage

one another to be involved daily in God’s work, Titus 2:11-14; 3:8,14; Hebrews 10:23-25.

 

always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:15

 

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:9-10

 

but in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behaviour in Christ may be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:15-16

 

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

 

at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:8-17

 

--David Carr