Can we walk with God?

 

           Enoch: the Man who Walked with God

Have you ever traveled alone?

      I’d respond to that in both the positive and negative. A passerby wouldn’t have seen anyone, but I wasn’t alone because the Lord Jesus was with me, guarding my steps and protecting me from danger. Whether I was driving along a highway or striding through a foreign airport, I’d talk to him.

    I don’t remember my conversion. My parents explained the gospel to me from the moment I could understand it, but through our daily Bible readings and prayers, I gradually realized Jesus was my Savior and he has been my closest friend for over sixty years, blessing me when I walked with him, and lifting me up when I stumbled. His promises, faithfulness, and  compassion inspire faith, which is how we please our Creator. See Hebrews 11:6.

 Let's look at one of the ancient patriarchs.

 Enoch lived in ancient times. He was the great grandfather of Noah, the famous builder of the Ark. When Enoch turned sixty-five, Methuselah was born, and as he embraced his firstborn son for the first time, his heart overflowed with love and wonder. God had given him an heir, and he would have to raise him to be a good man. Enoch knew he needed God’s help, and so he began his faith journey in earnest. Every day, he walked with God. The friendship and his reverence for his Creator deepened until God’s support and communion overflowed into every area of his life, and his faith became obvious to everyone.

 Enoch lived another three hundred years. One day, God promised him something special, and since Enoch had grown close to God, he believed him and waited with great expectation.

 And this was God’s gift: “One day, I’ll take you to heaven before you die.”

  God was so pleased with him, he spared him the agonies of death. Did Methuselah search for his dad? He was gone, having walked out of this life with God right into God’s forever home.

  Throughout his long life, Enoch’s faith didn’t waver, despite living in a God forsaken society. His conversations with God kept going forward in faith. God gave him more sons and some daughters, and Enoch relied on his heavenly friend for strength, wisdom, and encouragement.

   What do we learn from this hero of the faith? As he pleased God, he walked with humility and faith.

 “What does the Lord require of you? To act with justice and to walk with humility before your God.” Micah 6:8.

“Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.

 Even before these scriptures were written, Enoch had learned these principles from God, his closest friend.

  Does your faith waver after waiting years for an answer to a prayer?

 Or a catastrophic event makes you question whether faith is worthwhile and if God is listening.

   Can you imagine God moving among millions, blending lives together on one gigantic historic highway? Where does your life belong in his eternal plan? Our society believes each individual is the master of his or her destiny, but this ideology enthrones us and dethrones God, arrogance which destroys both our humility and our reverence toward our Creator. It is he who has given us the gift of life. 

  If we created a gift for a friend and they tossed it in the trash before our eyes, they would offend us. Why do we despise or doubt God’s gracious timing and purposes? Is it because we're looking for evidence? While we may not see direct signs of God’s immediate intervention, God has shown himself in the universe’s beauty and given us intelligence to appreciate it. But while we can see the master designer's evidence, we trash his creation, including ourselves. Yet he hasn’t discarded us or let our offensiveness rule his heart or cloud his judgement. In grace, mercy and justice, he sent his Son to live and die among us, to bring us back to himself and show us how to walk with God.

  Further evidence exists in Jesus' life. As he ministered, Jesus walked among his disciples in a hostile Jewish society, teaching them they would see his Father when they saw him. He stayed the course. After his resurrection, Jesus walked the Emmaus road with Cleopas and his companion, explaining the prophecies concerning himself. They gained sight and evidence, which Luke has preserved and which we can read for ourselves. Luke 24. Walk with Jesus, listen intently to him and you will walk with God. 

 Doubt is real, but faith in Jesus lays a firmer foundation. Jesus understands our doubts. When Thomas, his disciple, doubted the resurrection, Jesus showed him his pierced hands and wounded side, saying,

 “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” When Thomas saw and praised Jesus as his Lord and God, Jesus affirmed faith without sight.

        “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:27-29.

   Do we walk alone through hardship, sickness or with the Lord Jesus Christ? If you have never walked with him, I encourage you to seek him with all your heart. He’ll enter your life the moment you ask for forgiveness for your sins. Let him guide your days, this perfect friend who sticks closer than a brother.

 Since God he never gives up on us, don't doubt him. Let’s discover his voice and company in quiet prayer and regular Bible study. He will grow precious to us as we submit to him in humility, love, and sincere worship.