Project Description

2017/01

Walk Wisely

“See then that ye walk circumspectly.” Ephesians 5:6

The righteous have a new name, ‘one that is written among the living in Jerusalem’ (Isaiah 4:3). The Lord knows them and has put a difference between them and others. They are ‘the apple of his eye’ (Zechariah 2:8), even His ‘jewels’ (Malachi 3:17).Though precious in His eyes they are undervalued and despised by the world. Yet their privilege and duty is to walk wisely and to witness effectively for Christ in a polluting and defiling worldly age.

At all times, therefore, they must ‘with purpose of heart….cleave unto the Lord’ (Acts 11:23) in order to keep God’s ways – whatever comes and whatever the cost. Assured that ‘He will keep the feet of his saints’ (1 Samuel 2:9), they must often choose the pathway of affliction for Christ’s sake rather than shun the way of the cross. Compromise with truth is not an option. There is to be no selling of any part of divine truth even if life itself will be forfeited! Guarding against all sin and especially the prevailing sins of the age means diligence and watchfulness. Opposition to them and testimony against them are hallmarks of the children of light. Their character is like that of the three Hebrews (Daniel 3) who chose to ‘burn’ instead of ‘turn’. It is comparable with Moses when he ‘forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king’ (Hebrews 11:27), ‘choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward’ (Hebrews 11:25,26). Moses, like all true saints, viewed Christ as exceedingly precious and did ‘count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus [his] Lord’ (Philippians 3:8).

Christ is the way into which we enter, by faith. Being united to Him we must, still by faith, make daily use of Him. Paul expressed this when he said ‘the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20). It is faith in His promise that ‘the way of the Lord is strength to the upright’ (Proverbs 10:2), and faith too, in the testimony of the Psalmist’s words ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved’ (Psalm 16:8). To have Him in constant remembrance in every place, in every condition and in every company throughout the year is to walk wisely with heavenly enlightenment.

When the Lord is in view through the eye of faith, heart desires go out to Him and a constant prayer is offered ‘hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not’ (Psalm17:5). Our steps in His steps, bring obedience to His command ‘thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand or to the left’ (Deuteronomy 28:14).

Rev Leslie Curran.