Prevailing Strategies: Choose to Walk in Knowledge

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

In all things, it’s important to know God’s will and be sure you’re serving Him the way He wants, and not according to your own opinions or the ideas of men. He wants us to serve and worship Him according to His plans and purposes in His Word. Recall the story of Cain and Abel. Abel brought to God the sacrifice that God demanded, while Cain brought the sacrifice he chose to give to God (Genesis 4:3-7); these are two different things.

In walking with God, you must follow His prescribed order. He said to Moses, “…make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle…” (Exodus 25:8-9). It always has to be according to His plan. Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

It’s clear how you’re to worship God: it’s by the Spirit and in accordance with His Word. To do it any other way would be to deviate from His plan. It’s like what happened when David needed to move the ark of God into the city of David. He got a new cart, and two men, Uzzah and Ahio rode in the cart together with the ark (2 Samuel 6:3).

As they journeyed, suddenly, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled and the cart shook. Uzzah tried to stop the ark from tipping over and when he did, he died instantly. David was terrified by what happened and in his quest for answers, he found out in the Scriptures that only the priests were qualified to carry or touch the ark of God in the Old Testament (1 Chronicles 15:2). David realized the error and enlightened the people, saying to the priests, “For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order” (1 Chronicles 15:13).

God’s things are to be done God’s way; follow His plans and you’ll experience His grace and blessings in your life and ministry.

And Samuel said, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).

The Lord Jesus, in John 4:23, outlines true worship as that which is done in spirit and in truth. There’s no other way. Serving the Lord has to be from your spirit and according to His Word. His Word provides the guidance, the prescribed order of service and worship in the Kingdom. You don’t give God what you choose or just what you like; you give Him what He has asked for, in the way that He asked for it. You serve Him according to His demands, not according to your feelings or emotions. There’re people who say, “Everyone can serve God in His own way!” That’s not true. When you study the Bible, you’d find that those who tried to serve God in their own way got killed or rebuked by God.

Genesis 4 tells us the story of Cain and Abel: two brothers who brought their offerings to the Lord. Cain brought an offering of his choice, while Abel brought what God asked to be offered. Abel’s offering was accepted, but Cain’s sacrifice was rejected. In Genesis 4:7, seeing that Cain was angry, the Lord rebuked him saying, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted….”

How about Moses, who, instead of talking to the rock, struck the rock? Water came out, and the people drank to their fill, but God was displeased and rebuked Moses (Numbers 20:1-12, Deuteronomy 4:21-22). Uzzah was killed when he tried to render service to God by stabilizing the stumbling Ark of God at Nachon’s threshing floor (2 Samuel 6:6-7).

If you want to serve God right, give more attention to studying the Scriptures. He’ll grant you the wisdom and insight of the Spirit on how to serve Him truly, with a pure heart and a willing mind.

“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.”

Applying accurate knowledge of God’s Word is indispensable if you must live a successful and victorious life in Christ. God said my people are destroyed, not because satan is powerful, or because they don’t pray much, but because of their lack of revelation knowledge, for not applying accurate knowledge of the Word. Don’t assume the Bible says something that you haven’t verified. Give yourself to diligent study of the Word and apply yourself to doing what the Lord wants as shown in His Word.

The account of Cain and Abel in Genesis chapter 4 is very enlightening in this regard. The Bible says Abel’s offerings were accepted, while Cain’s offerings were rejected, not because God preferred meat to vegetables, but because Cain didn’t offer his sacrifice according to knowledge; he gave God what he chose to give without considering what he was supposed to give. Abel gave God the “first fruits” (the first and the best) as required, and the Lord honored his offering.

This is just like some Christians today; there’re things we like to do, but there’re things we’re instructed by the Word of God to do. What God wants, first and foremost, is that which He asked you to do. Do what His Word instructs and not what you like to do. Learn to function by revelation knowledge always.

The Church of the living God is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). It has systems, structures and principles. Except we understand them, many could live amiss and think they’re doing right just because they feel good about their actions. That you feel good or are at peace about something doesn’t make it acceptable to God.

The Word of God remains the ultimate guide. What should matter the most to you is what God says about anything. The Spirit of God inside you will always bear witness with His Word as He guides you from within. He said in Isaiah 30:21, “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, this is the way, walk ye in it….

God’s Word helps you know what God wants. Remember something that happened in the book of Genesis: Cain chose to bring to God an offering that he decided by himself. But Abel, on the other hand, brought to God an offering in accordance with God’s will. He followed God’s instructions.

Cain’s offering was rejected, while Abel’s offering was accepted. This shows how much God cares about how things are done for Him and towards Him. Don’t find out late in life that you were living the wrong way or that all you were doing was rejected by God. How can you know that you’re pleasing Him or that what you’re doing is right? It’s through Scriptures.

The Word of God is clear as to how we must live; it’s your perfect guide. The Psalmist said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Recall the words of the Master in John 8:12: “…l am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.”

How do you follow Him? Christian books

It’s through the Word, by the Word, and in the Word. Follow the Word and you’ll not make errors, for those who err, according to the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:29 do so because they don’t know the Scriptures: “…Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures…”

-GSW-