"And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?" (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)
Every directive God has given us is for our own good. He doesn't make up rules so He can exercise His power, or so He can feel important. Every command He makes is with our best interest in mind, even if we cannot sense it or understand it.
The admonition to "walk in all His ways" summarizes all the commandments in one short phrase. It implies a deeper level of obedience than forced compliance. It conveys the idea that there is a real relationship of love between God and His people, and our obedience flows naturally from that relationship.
When we walk in all His ways, we will love, serve, and obey Him with all our heart and soul.
Looks Like ...
Think of two people in an intimate relationship. They walk side by side, matching each other’s steps almost subconsciously because being close is what they do.
Or picture a little boy with his parents. The parents hold tightly to the boy’s hand so he won’t run off into the street. Sometime the parents will shorten their steps to match the child’s. But if they're in a hurry, one of the parents will just swoop the little boy up and carry him through crowds, around obstacles and over cracks in the pavement that might have caused him to fall.
Now imagine a man walking his dog on a leash. He gives the dog some freedom, but the dog is well trained and obedient. He knows that staying close to his master is the right thing to do. If the master tugs on the leash, the dog obeys, changes direction and goes where the master tells him to go.
It isn't easy for a dog to stay on track when there are other animals around to distract him, and it's the same for us. Sometimes we get off course when we "walk" with the wrong people.
Ask Yourself ...
Do any of the examples above look like your walk with God? Or are you always pulling away, wanting to go in a different direction?