How to Live and Move With God in 2021
Are you ready to live and move with God?
2020 was a rough year as we endured hardships and loss. But as God’s people, we trust Him with the new year. And this means we live and move with Him.
So whatever comes our way in 2021, I pray we remember:
In him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28b (ESV, emphasis added)
(1.) Live in God.
In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul visits Athens. Teaching in the synagogue, he describes the city as full of idol worship. He “found an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’” (Verse 23, ESV)
Next, Paul proclaims the known God in verses 24-25.
- God made the world, heavens, and everything in it.
- He does not dwell in temples made by man.
- The Lord is not served by human hands as needing what we have to offer Him.
- God gives life, breath, and everything.
Live means to reside in, have one’s home in, set up residence, be settled in; be housed in, lodge in; inhabit, occupy.
Reflections on Living:
- Are we letting those in the community where we live see our faith in a known God? How our life resides in the living God who gives us everything?
- Do we show others how we inhabit a spiritual life in the promise of heaven? Do we live in such a way others see the known God in us, see us as His temple and God’s altar?
(2.) Move with God.
Here’s what Paul says about all mankind in verses 26-27.
- God determines our allotted periods/times in history, boundaries, and dwelling places.
- The Lord chose appointed times for us to seek Him, make our way toward Him, and find Him. Because God is not far off, but near.
Move means to go in a specified direction or manner; change position; proceed, progress, advance. And change or cause to change from one state, opinion, sphere, or activity to another; shift one’s ground, change one’s tune, change one’s mind.
Reflections on Moving:
- Do we change addresses, jobs, churches, and so on, only after seeking God?
- Do we move forward in progress in our spiritual life? Are we advancing the gospel, helping move God’s Kingdom to this earth and our life?
- What about moving toward God to really know Him?
- Are we “shifting ground” from this world’s opinions and philosophies to holy ground? The holy ground where the altar has an inscription, “To the known God of heaven.”
(3.) Being in God.
Paul closes the chapter with verses 29-34.
- We are God’s offspring.
- The Lord is a divine being and not like idols of gold or silver or stone by the imagination of man.
- God overlooked times of ignorance to idols, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.
- He set a day to judge righteousness by the appointed man He raised from the dead—Jesus. When Paul mentions the resurrection, some mocked, others said, “we will hear you about this again” (verse 32). Still, others believed and joined Paul as a follower of Christ.
Being is the present participle of be. It means existence; the nature or essence of a person; soul, spirit, inner being, inner self.
Reflections on Being.
- Are we aware and remind ourselves how our mere existence is because of God? How He created each of us, body, soul and spirit; and we are wonderfully made?
- Do we really understand our complete essence, who we are, lies in God alone? How our inner self is defined by our Creator?
Since we discussed 21 Areas of Focus for Christians in 2021 last week, what better way for God’s people to focus in the new year than this:
In God we live and move and have our being.
What ways can you live and move and have your being in God this year?
All Scripture references in the ESV. And definitions of live, move, being are summaries found online from Google, Merriam-Webster, and the Oxford Dictionary.
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Tell His Story/Purposeful Faith/Recharge Wednesday/Worth Beyond Rubies/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected/Candidly Christian, Faith On Fire and Faith and Worship Christian Weekend.
© 2021 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
Karen, I truly appreciate you. Your love for the Lord shines through in every message. I pray I will “Live in God”, “Move with God”, and “Be with God”. I pray my words and actions will help lead others closer to Him.
Thank you, Melissa. And love your prayer! I pray we live and move and have our being in the Lord in 2021; and every year, month, week and day!
What a simple, but essential shift to think about MOVING in God. Yes, we can be with Him, but we also need to be willing to MOVE in Him! Good truth today, girl!
Rebecca, I liked how you expressed that. Lord, help us move toward You to really and intimately know You like never before!
Great job Karen. I do think we need to be more diligent about moving with God especially in this troubling times. And , someday, by the Grace of God, I want to move in with Him. Thanks for sharing
That’s good, Yvonne. Because Jesus promised He was preparing a room for us in His Father’s house, and our Father too, we will all move in with Him! Hallelujah!
I was a teenager when I first heard this verse. You have broken it down in such a simple and wonderful manner. The questions were most thought provoking and today I want to be thinking about how I can be moving toward God to know Him better and with God so that I join Him in what He is doing around me. Blessings to you in 2021!
Isn’t it a powerful verse, Joanne?! I didn’t come to Christ until 16, so not sure when I first heard it, much later I’m thinking. But I’ve always loved it. And the entirety of Acts 17 leading up to verse 28 and coming after it, paints a clear picture of what Paul wanted his hearers to know then and us to know now. I hope and pray we help move God’s Kingdom to this earth and our life!
Indeed, Karen, it is in God alone where we live, move and have our being. Anything else is a falsehood and a sham. May we stay close to our Lord all throughout 2021.
Blessings!
“Anything else is a falsehood and sham.” Well said, Martha! Let’s live and move and have our being in God!
Well written truth! To live with God more for me is to consult Him before pushing ahead on my own plans. I have way too many projects going causing confusion, and He is not a God of confusion, but of peace.
Lynn, I like how you expressed that. It seems to be a theme for many of the comments on this post. Pushing ahead or running on ahead of God instead of consulting with Him. Even the Bible says wisdom comes from above. And He is the Prince of Peace!
Thank you for the reminder that we should consult God BEFORE we move, not afterward! I need to work on this because all too often I jump in feet first without taking time to reflect and seek guidance.
Anita, I’ve learned that lesson the hard way more times than I care to admit. Brainstorming, planning, and jumping in, THEN asking God to bless it. Oh, the look on my heavenly Father’s face when I am an antsy and impatient and do-it-myself child! 🙂
Love how clearly you unpacked this verse AND provided questions for introspection!
Hey Ava, I enjoy studying and unpacking verses or passages…along with asking the Holy Spirit to reveal truth. And the Lord has been showing me how not to just unpack, but intentionally use the truths in practical ways. Or else, they may be packed back up and put away for long periods of time.
As a runner, this verse about “moving” with God is especially meaningful to me. I have actually seen it on signs at races. Thank you for this good reminder to do a check-in before we take action. Is this something that will help to build God’s Kingdom here on Earth?
Laurie, what a great analogy of moving to running! And I love the verse has been displayed at races! So this is good insight to not run ahead of God, but to move with Him and in Him.
I love this verse and you have done an excellent word study on it. Be sure to linkup with us this month
Thank you, Mandy. I will watch for the linkup next week, I believe. I pray we move forward in spiritual progress, move toward God to really know Him intimately and passionately!
A great post, Karen. The passage you shared from Acts is one I’ve written into my own blog a few weeks down the road. Of course, we’ve each approached it in our own unique way. I smiled when I saw your passage in this post though, knowing what I had worked on for hours today. God has something to say here. These realities about God coming to reach those of us who didn’t know him, Gentiles, Greeks at the Areopagus who listened to Paul. The fact that the Lord would pursue us at all, non-Jews, is another of the great and precious gifts that reveal the incredible love of God our Father for the Lord. For God so loved the world, us, that he sent his One and Only Son.
Oh, great, Melinda! I always look forward to your insight on scriptures, so I can’t wait to read it! Amen and Amen, friend! So thankful for these gold nuggets that reveal how the Lord appointed a time for Gentiles, Greeks, Jews, all mankind to “seek Him, make our way toward Him, and find Him. Because God is not far off, but near.” Hallelujah!
This is one of my favorite verses and I LOVE the way you broke it down into rich morsels to savor. Thank you for this post, Karen.
I remember we share the love for this verse from another blog post, Cathy. It was both of our focus verse for the year several years ago. I think in 2019. And I came back around to it the other day thinking how perfect it is for us right now in this time. Beautiful gems to be mined and dug up for our walk in Christ! God bless, dear friend!
Amen. I long to be fully IN CHRIST. Thanks for this post, Karen! I love how you unpacked this for us!
Oh, to be fully in Christ, Jessica. Isn’t that what this Christian journey and the abundant life is all about?! Help us, Lord!
Oh My… well done young lady. Great examples of what it means to be “In Christ.” Enjoyed every word. Thank you!
Thanks so much, J.D. Your encouragement is such a blessing to me. Yes, in Christ:
We live.
We move.
We have our being.
Our very essence and who we are lies with Jesus Christ alone!
Thank you, Karen. I, too, love the way you break down those verses. YOu have given me many things to reflect on.
Glad this encouraged you, Stephanie. While 2020 was a rough year for all of us, it’s my hope and prayer we learn to put Acts 17:28 into action as we live and move and have our being in God alone this year and always!
I’m glad you reminded us of that verse; it’s always been one of my favorites. So grateful that we can live and move and have our being in God!
Hey Lisa, it’s one of my favorites also! I pray we let those in the community where we live see our faith in a known God: how our life resides in the living God who gives us everything!
Thanks for the challenge to live, move, and breathe in Christ Jesus in the New Year, Karen!
Beckie, I hope to focus on really understanding how our complete essence, who we are, lies in God alone. And how our inner self is defined by our Creator…who we are in Christ!
Amen Sister in Jesus Karen!!
In God we live and move and have our being. God bless, Kristi Ann!
That’s one of those verses that we skim over too quickly most of the time. Thank you for unpacking it for us. We so often want to move when we shouldn’t or don’t want to move when we should. Dependence on God’s leading is the only way to understand our path and His timing for it. Great post!
Nancy, like how you said, “Dependence on God’s leading is the only way to understand our path and His timing for it.” That’s good! New years, new seasons, every new day requires this kind of dependence on God to move with Him!
The mission statement of my church says something like “we are a church that moves people closer to God, each other and the disconnected.” Of course, all of this is undergirded by and leads to the gospel. After all, Christ is our only hope for the chaos in this world–for the chaos in our hearts. So, I’m resonating with your words and message here, Karen! It’s something we all need to focus on and pursue!
I hope your new year is moving in the right direction, my friend! Hugs to you!
What a great mission statement, Beth. That’s a great way to express the mission of the church. And this is gold: “Christ is our only hope for the chaos in this world–for the chaos in our hearts.” So true. I’m being intentional to keep moving closer to God, pray this is the case for you as well. Love and hugs!
Karen, I love how you fleshed out each piece of this verse. It came to life for me. I think your reflections for “Being” really resonated with me. This:
“Do we really understand our complete essence, who we are, lies in God alone? How our inner self is defined by our Creator?”
I loved it. Understanding my complete essence only happens when I’m seeking deeper relationship with God. And better understanding how my inner self is defined by my Creator comes as I walk with Him (live and move).
Thank you for sharing your insights here!
Hi Jeanne, I need these reminders often. Especially my complete essence coming from God. Anytime I feel the least bit insecure in my identity or struggle with my purpose, I remember, I take my cue about who I am from the great I AM.
Keep living and moving in Him!
Thank you for this reflection – the moving in God is always a challenge, especially among those who have no regard for Him. A fresh prayer for 2021!
I agree, Sharon. Moving in and with God is challenging for believers, much less non-believers. Appreciate your comment!
God is so beautiful in all He is and says. I am grateful for your words and definitions, adding a more intimate perspective for me.
Hey Linda, glad this encouraged you. I pray we live and move in God.
“In God we live and move and have our being.” Simply beautiful, and so true. Thank you for such an encouraging post and reminders. Blessings.
Visiting from #TellingHisStory
Paula, I appreciate you visiting and leaving a comment. I pray we are intentional to live and move with God.
I love this verse. Great job breaking it down. And thanks for pinking up at Legacy Linkup
You’re welcome, Mandy. Enjoy linking up. In God we live and move and have our being!
These points are timeless, Karen! How we need each element to live fully in who we were made to be in Christ. For me, I sometimes need to pause and remember in Him alone, I live and move and have my being. He is my wholeness, my beginning and end. Praying I move in closer day by day until He comes again.
Yes, Melissa, “in Him alone” we live and move and have our being! Amen and Amen!
I’m glad God made Himself known to us. He sent Jesus and we know God through Him. How amazing it is to rely on Him to live, move, and be who He made us to be. May we live more fully in service to Him. Thank you for this encouragement and challenge.
So am I, Stephen. Grateful He chose appointed times for us to seek Him, make our way toward Him, and find Him. And thankful God is not far off, but near.