In the book of Deuteronomy 13:4, the recipe for the right relationship is stated: "You shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave to Him." Walking is keeping in step with God. We cannot walk with someone if we are far apart. Pacing ourselves close to God is crucial to this relationship. God is near, but it is us that always drift apart from Him. To stay close to God, we must fear Him, which means living with the conscience to please God out of reverence and love for Him. Keeping God's commandments is to abide by the rules God stated in His written word. We have to be clear that there are rules set for the people of Israel and there are rules set for Christians. All relationships only work if rules are kept. Obedience is needed when an immediate instruction is given. They are usually random and instantaneous in nature. While commandments provide a platform like a compass, the voice of God calls for immediate action for one to take. From the Old to the New Testament, the voice of God has always been operating alongside the written without conflict. Service and worship have always been intertwined in scriptures. Avoda, or Avodah (Hebrew: עֲבוֹדָה), is a Hebrew word, literally meaning "work, worship, and service." Hence, God's people should serve Him in the capacity they can. Cleaving means to cling on to, like a child carried in the arms of the parents. It is a special bond given to the children of God. At times, simply resting in God's presence is the best thing to do. May we learn to relate to God in these simple ways. May we grow in all these areas daily, growing closer to our Lord each day.