Keep Up with Him
Almost a year ago, I got a prophetic word about the season I was in. As I am now on the other side of it, I have learned a lesson or two about The Lord and His timing. One thing that has hit home for me is the danger of not moving in step with God.
Galatians 5:25 (ESV) “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
The term “keep in step” is the Greek word stoicheó, which means to follow, conform, or to live according to. It can also mean to walk in a strict pace or line, similar to a militant march. It is synchronized movements where everyone involved moves in unison without skipping a beat.
We are not just called to walk with the Holy Spirit; we are called to keep up our tempo with Him. A fellow believer likened our relationship with The Lord to an orchestra performance. The Lord is our conductor, and as the orchestra, we must follow His lead, not missing a single note. There is no room for speeding up or dragging your feet, as it is He who sets the speed and duration, not you.
Isaiah 30:21 (AMP) “Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”
It is The Lord who will be the voice in your ear, guiding you where you should go.
Psalm 32:8-9 (AMPC) “ I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Be not like the horse or the mule, which lack understanding, which must have their mouths held firm with bit and bridle, or else they will not come with you.”
We are warned not to be like a horse or mule that must be bridled and bit to follow the Lord. The bridle and bit secure the horse’s mouth in place and give the human full control, restricting the horse from doing what it wants to do. I believe The Lord includes this warning to encourage us to be willing participants in His guidance and moving in His Plan. The moment our lives become about us, we begin to lose our step, ultimately leading to a never-ending cycle of disappointment.
2 John 9 (AMP) “Anyone who runs on ahead and does not remain in the doctrine of Christ [that is, one who is not content with what He taught], does not have God; but the one who continues to remain in the teaching [of Christ does have God], he has both the Father and the Son.”
Proverbs 14:12 (AMP) “There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, But its end is the way of death.” Romans 6:20-21 (AMP) “When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness [you had no desire to conform to God’s will]. So what benefit did you get at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None!] For the outcome of those things is death!”
I think these three Scriptures paint a perfect picture of how mankind fails to walk in accordance with the plans the Lord has for them. When you believe something no longer suits you, you are not content, thus you try to move in your own beat. This new beat you are rocking to is right in your own eyes, but it leads to death, thus making you a slave to sin. Now, as a slave to sin, you had no desire to conform to God’s will, thus leading to more shame because there is still no benefit in doing things your own way. You see how that works?
I’ll leave you with this concept. I know we have heard the saying, “Keeping up with the Joneses”, which describes the act of comparing yourself or striving to be like “the Joneses”. How about we strive to keep up with the Lord’s will for our lives and submit to His guidance and timing because ultimately He knows what is best and not us.
Ecclesiates 3:11 (AMP) “He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.”