The Recipe for Walking With God

“Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.” (Ho 12:6 AV)

Not that I am trying to avoid a deeper meaning here, but context is not overly illuminating here.  The instruction is plain no matter who it was written to or why.  Obviously, the LORD is speaking to backslidden Ephraim here.  The ten northern tribes had left the LORD immediately after the split from Judah and Benjamin.  Then immediately went after the gods of their neighbors.  In the above verse, we see three areas the child of God is told to live out in the life God has given.  Have mercy, apply judgement, and serve God.  Putting it another way, we are to show compassion on our fellow man, apply wisdom in our course of life, and worship God in service and praise.  This kind of wraps life’s purpose all in one verse.  If we do not exhibit all three commandments, then we cannot say we walk with God.  We must return.

Mercy is shown in many ways.  The most important is to share the love of Christ with our fellow man.  No matter the circumstances, we are obligated to share the love of Christ which He has so graciously shown upon our hearts.  The fact Christ saved us needs to come upon all who so desire it.  This love of Christ is continued by showing mercy in other ways.  Lending a helping hand when it is in our power to do so.  Forgoing justice; forgiveness; encouragement; compassionate instruction; charity; offering congratulations or recognition; all are ways which we can show mercy.  If we do not exercise mercy on our fellow man, then we are not walking with God.

Judgement is surrendering to absolute moral, civil, and natural laws of God’s creation by applying them to the choices we make.  Showing good judgment is nothing more than submission to the word of God.  If we pick and choose what we will or will not obey, then we are not walking with God nor showing good judgment.  If we argue with the plain teaching of the word of God and subjecting it to our own values or desires, then we are not walking with God.  We cannot say we love the LORD and disobey His commandments.

Thirdly, waiting on God is service to God.  The word most often used for waiting means waiting as in a wait staff of a restaurant.  It has the idea of anticipating the desires of the client and meeting those desires.  Waiting is not merely sitting with nothing to do, anticipating God’s hand.  Like Nehemiah who waiting on the king, it is to know the king well enough that we can determine His wishes and desires, going everything in our power to meet them.  This is also a form of worship.

In conclusion, if we are not actively pursuing all three; mercy, judgment, and waiting on God; then we are not walking with Him.  We are to return to God and recommit to all three.  We need to recommit to mercy for our fellow human beings.  We need to recommit to obedience to the word of God and applying wisdom to our choices.  We need to recommit to serving God faithfully in all areas of opportunity.  Then we can say there is no need to return.