Walking With God

As you awake this morning and start another busy day with the beginning of a new school year and a work week, how will you live this day? How will you cope with the challenges of the day? Where will you lean to get wisdom to make decisions? Where will you summon strength to make it through the day?

While reading in Genesis this morning I came across a little verse that stopped me in my tracks. Enoch walked with God and he was not there, because God took him. [Gen 5:24]

What really stood out to me is the fact that Enoch walked with God. While that word "walk" has a variety of meanings I want to focus on three of them. The word "walk" means to converse, follow, and pursue.

Enoch conversed with God. Let that sink in. That does not mean that Enoch did all the talking. Day in and day out Enoch and God conversed. Enoch talked and God listened but much more importantly is the fact that God talked and Enoch listened. What God has to say to us is much more important than what we have to say to him.

For years one of my constant prayers is that would let me hear from him. Mainly this comes from reading his word but from time to time I sense the Lord speaking in other ways. Hearing from God is a high priority in my life. Is hearing from God a regular part of your daily routine. Walking with God conversing with him and listening means slowing down. It means putting all else on the back burner and giving him your undivided attention. It means so much more than reading a short devotion passage for the day and hurrying off.

Months ago I was afforded the time to go to New Mexico for a prayer retreat due to the generosity of some friends from Seminole who have a mountain home. During my week in the mountains I spent hour upon hour conversing with God. Much of that time I spent prostrate of the ground asking God to speak to me. I sat on a rock perch on top of a mountain one evening watching the sun set asking God to speak. I read his word in the mornings asking God to speak. I gave my whole days there to conversation with God and asking him to speak.

It was not until I was on my way back home while spending the night with some friends that I clearly and undeniably heard God speak through [Jn 5:17] But Jesus reminded them, "My Father is still working and I am working also. I blogged about that encounter with God on a back porch that lasted for several hours. I consider that encounter to be one of the defining moments of my life.

Walking with God means conversing with him. In our hurried pace few make the time to linger in lengthy conversations with God. Fewer take the time to sit still and listen. Enoch did both. He cultivated a close walk with God. Closer than you and I. Day in and day out Enoch got up and conversed with God drawing nearer and nearer.

Part of walking with God means to follow him. It means to surrender the rights to call all the shots. Following means we give the leadership role to God. If you converse with God long enough he is going to reveal things you are supposed to do, places you are supposed to go, gifts you are supposed to offer, and new paths you are supposed to journey.

While I would never say following God is easy, I will say it is adventurous. If you find yourself stale, stuck in the dry rut of religion, I would ask are you truly following God. When you follow him he leads on a grand adventure for his kingdom purposes. Following God means three things. You must hear God give you clear directions. You must be obedient. You also must have faith to trust God as you step out. This is the exact point where most people shrink back. They hear clearly enough. Yet when it comes to obedience, faith shrivels and logic takes over. In the aftermath, people rationalize not following and live in disobedience.

What is God calling you to do today? Where is he leading you to follow? By all means be obedient. If you do not your walk with God will come to a halt at this very point. You will never be able to cultivate a closer walk if you will not obey his promptings. At some point you have to be willing to follow as you step out in faith. You have to throw caution to the wind as you obey him. You give the gift he leads you to give. You relocate your life and family to the place he shows you. You give a word of witness. You go on the mission trip. You give God your "yes" and then you follow through.

That first step of obedience can be frightening. If you have conversed with God, if you have heard him clearly telling you a direction to follow, then just take the first step in that direction. Take the next step. Keep taking steps in the direction God revealed to you. You will find yourself on a grand adventure of kingdom purpose.

Remember in the beginning I wrote that the word "walk" had three different meanings. We have looked at two of them. The final meaning is to pursue. Enoch walked with God. He conversed with God. He followed God. He also pursued God. Is God the object of your relentless pursuit? Do you hunger and thirst for more of him? [Ps 42:1-2] [Ps 63:1-2]

Everyday for the remainder of your life you will exchange your days in pursuit of something. For some it may be making more money and attaining more stuff. For others it will be in the pursuit of some relationship. Still others will pursue career advancement. While those things may have there place there is no more worthy pursuit than that of knowing and walking with God.

I challenge you to give large portions of your day to relentlessly pursue knowing God. You will notice that I did not say give large portions of your day to learning more about God. We have churches filled with people who know facts about God but do not have a first hand knowledge because they do not walk with God. They give themselves to the pursuit of other trivial things.

O brothers and sisters, give your entire life to the pursuit of God. Walk with him. Linger long in his presence day in and day out. Listen attentively and follow obediently.

I have a friend who loves God. He often tells me that he can imagine God telling him as they walk together, "Son, we are closer to my house than yours. Why don't you come on home with me." With that my friend expects to step out of this world into eternity. That is what I imagine happening to Enoch except Enoch did not die. God just took him. The word "took" means God fetched him or seized him.

Walking with God is a great privilege afforded to every child of God. How sad some refuse to take advantage of this. Will you give your remaining days to walking with God? Will you converse, follow, and pursue.