21 Days with Jesus: Knowing God through the Footsteps of Paul Images - 19

DAY 19: WALK IT OUT

by Pastor Heiden Ratner
Jan. 23rd, 2026

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” —Ephesians 5:1–2

DEVOTION

One of my favorite words in the Bible is the four-letter word walk. I love how Scripture often depicts our relationship with God as a journey of next steps—not a massive leap, not a sprint to the finish, but a steady, faithful pace: one step at a time.

 

Jesus walked. The disciples walked. Paul walked. Even God “walked” in the garden in Genesis 3:8. And I love the promise God gave Israel in Leviticus 26:12: “I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.”

 

In fact, I love this concept so much that we named the church we planted in Vegas WALK Church, based on Colossians 2:6: “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”

 

In Ephesians 5, Paul uses the word walk in three distinct ways—each one calling us higher in our relationship with God and showing how that relationship should shape our next steps.

 

First, Paul calls us to imitate God and “walk in love.” (Ephesians 5:1–2)
The more we know God, the more loving we should become. First John 4:8 tells us “God is love.” Love isn’t just something God does—it’s who He is. As we seek Him, the Holy Spirit transforms us into His image. We begin to walk, talk, and love more like Him—more patient, more kind, less arrogant, selfish and  rude—because these are the qualities of love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). We don’t just talk about love; we walk it out.

 

Second, Paul calls us to “walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8)
There should be a glow to our walk—a brightness that stands out in darkness. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), and as we walk with Him, His light shines through us too. We love like Jesus, and we shine like Jesus (Matthew 5:14).

 

Notice Paul’s phrase: “children of light.” As a parent of five sons, I’m constantly reminding them that as Ratners, we represent our family name wherever we go. There are things we do, and things we don’t do—because we carry identity with us. In the same way, as believers adopted into God’s family, we walk like we belong to Him.

 

Third, Paul calls us to walk in wisdom.
He writes: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15–16)
As we grow closer to God, we grow in wisdom. His Word reshapes our thinking and changes the way we live. Wisdom isn’t just gaining knowledge—it’s knowing what to do with what you know. And instead of wasting the time we’ve been given, we learn to maximize it.

 

Today, take a look at your walk:

 

If you feel lacking in any of these areas, bring it to the Lord. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep doing His transforming work in you—step by step—so your walk looks more and more like Jesus.

PRAYER

Lord, thank you for saving me and inviting me into a new walk. Teach me to love the way You love, to shine Your light in a dark world, and to live with wisdom and purpose. Holy Spirit, keep transforming my heart, my steps, and my desires. I pray my walk would reflect my identity as Your child. In Jesus’ name, amen!

NEXT STEP

Pick one of the three areas—love, light, or wisdom—and ask God for a specific “walk it out” step today. Then do it intentionally (a text, an apology, generosity, saying no to compromise, repenting of a specific sin, maximizing your time better, etc.).

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