I was reading my dad’s blog this morning and he shared a wonderful story of my great-grandfather and some important lessons for us on walking with God. I asked my dad if I could share his post with you and he graciously said I could. I hope this blesses you like it blessed me. Take it away Dad:
I remember when I was a pre-teen and my grandfather used to visit us that he would love for me to join him as he went on his morning walks. Normally it was mid morning, and he was always dressed in a suit jacket (open collar), and his hat and a walking cane! This was the stylish thing to do, to carry a walking cane, and swing it with a special style!
I also liked to walk with him, because his pockets always contained candy which he would give to the neighbor kids, who would always come and talk to him. I don’t remember any of the conversations I had with him, but I was just happy that he asked me to go with him on his walks.
I was reminded of this because as we read of Enoch in the Bible not much is said of Enoch, but what is said of him says much that we could heed for a relationship with God!
Enoch we find is in the lineage drawn between “Joseph the Carpenter” (remember him?) and Adam the first man, that God created! He lived a total of 365 years which was “chicken feed” compared to his father Jared who lived 962 years, and Methuselah his son, recorded to be the oldest living person at 969 years!
But it says that “Enoch walked with God” (Genesis 5:22) and that “he pleased God” (Hebrews 11: 5)! This is what drew me to Enoch! We all desire to walk with God and to please God, especially if the end result is the same as of Enoch, because we find that it says, when Enoch walked with God and he was not, because God took him (5:24)
We see from the beginning that God liked to walk with his people. It seems from Genesis 3, that everyday God would come and walk in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. And here he walks with Enoch! Oh how I would love to take a walk with God in the cool of the evening, or the morning! But, maybe it is possible!
[tweetthis]We see from the beginning that God liked to walk with his people.[/tweetthis]
I see them have some animated conversations about all the beauty that surrounded them, the things which God said “was good” when he created them, including the people! I see Enoch walking on Cloud 9 for this privilege, because Hebrews 11:5 says, ‘he pleased God’. Why does the term, “Lord of the Dance” keep popping in my head? Is it because I see children break out into impromptu moments of dance, when they are happy? Was Enoch like this when he was walking with God?
There was another thought about Enoch from Hebrews 11: 5 and 6, which I had not seen before. Verse 6 always stood apart to me, but here I see that as it follows verse 5 and it connects to the mention that Enoch pleased God. How did he do it?
Hebrews 11: 5-6 gives us the answer. By faith. Faith in what?
1. That He exists
2. That He cares enough to respond to those who seek him.
So what was Enoch doing? He believed God, and I guess he had a personal relationship with God and walked with God.
And finally I was seeing Enoch in Jude 1: 14-16 coming back with Jesus and a thousand angels in the last days… just like he was taken away! Two people had this experience of been taken away by God, without seeing death, Elijah (2 Kings Chapter 1) and Enoch in (Genesis 5). (Side note: It helps to have your name start with the letter “E” if you want to experience “translation”!!!! Just kidding.)
Yes, we can walk with God because he wants to walk with us, and yes we can please God, because all we need to know and believe is that God exists and that He cares to respond to me if I seek Him?
