Is It Possible to "Walk with God"?

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Micah 6:8 – “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”To walk humbly with your God. What does it mean to walk with God? In the Old Testament, the phrase is normally worded as “walking before God” (Genesis 17:1, 1Kings 2:4, 2 Kings 20:3, Psalm 56:13, 116:9). It was first used in Genesis 17 with God telling Abraham that he was to walk before him and to be blameless. Each time it is used, it seems to be emphasizing our need to live in such a way that we are continually aware of God’s presence with a desire to please Him.The Apostle John spoke of this concept as “walking in the light,” and it is the Greek New Testament equivalent of walking with or before God. In John’s word picture, the sense of a willing and open exposure before God is conveyed, much like the phrase, “walking before God” in the Old Testament, that there is nothing secret or hidden in our lives, but all on display before the Lord.Micah’s reference is related, but adds the word, “humbly” as a qualifier. Walking with God is maintaining a focus on him, enjoying his grace and presence, without any air of self-righteousness. While the phrase implies an ongoing awareness of his presence and living accordingly, we can’t miss the important component of discourse inherent with the two walking together. People walk together to enjoy each other’s company, to talk, and to listen.If you are walking with God, not only are you living (to walk is a euphemism for lifestyle) with an awareness of his presence, you are also conversing with him, talking with him, and listening. That’s why it’s best to read our Bibles daily, it’s how we listen to him. That’s also why we pray. It’s how we talk to him.So are you walking with God? Do you live with an ongoing awareness of his presence (even when you are doing wrong)? Are you talking to him? Are you listening to him? Are you enjoying his presence? Is he enjoying yours?After all, that’s the reason he made you in the first place!