ESOCS Devotional 1 January 2026 – Walk Before Me
MEMORY VERSE: “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.” Genesis 17:1 KJV
TEXT: LUKE 5:1-14
o it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they [a]forsook all and followed Him.
12 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and [b]implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
13 Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.”
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To “walk before God” means to live in conscious fellowship with Him, to recognize His sovereignty in every area of life. It is a call to constant alignment with His will. The Hebrew expression implies both intimacy and accountability. When God says, “walk before Me,” He is inviting us to live our lives transparently, under His gaze, motivated by reverence and love. In the Old Testament, walking with or before God was a mark of righteousness and devotion. For example:
- Enoch: “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5:24). His life pleased God so much that he was taken into heaven without experiencing death.
- Noah: “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 6:9). Even in a corrupt generation, Noah’s Walk set him apart for divine favor and purpose.
God’s instruction to Abraham was twofold: to be faithful and blameless:
Faithfulness entails loyalty, trust, and unwavering devotion. It means not turning aside to idols or relying on our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Blamelessness does not imply perfection, but rather integrity and sincerity of heart. David prayed in Psalm 26:1: “Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.” Being blameless means living honestly and repentantly before God.
Notice that God called Abraham to this walk when he was ninety-nine years old. It’s a powerful reminder that no one ever “retires” from walking with God. Spiritual growth is lifelong. Whether young or old, God continually calls us to deeper faith, greater obedience, and fuller trust. Paul echoes this in Philippians 3:12-14: “Not that I have already obtained all this… but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me… I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Micah 6:8 summarizes it beautifully: “He has shown you, O mortal, 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.”
Reflections
- What does walking before God look like in your daily routine?
- Are there areas in your life that need more integrity or faithfulness?
- How can you grow in awareness of God’s presence this year?
Prayer
- Lord, teach me to walk before you with reverence and joy. Help me to live faithfully and blamelessly, not by my strength but by your grace. May my life reflect your presence and bring glory to your name. Amen.
Further Reading: Isaiah 2, 10-End; Luke 2:21-40; 1 Thessalonians 5:1- End
ESOCS Devotional 1 January 2026
