“Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” —Genesis 5:24
“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.” —Hebrews 11:5
Wow. Selah (pause and think about that). That blows my mind. Here was a man that lived a different kind of life than most of us can fathom. He so pleased God on this earth that God spared him from death, the Lord translated Enoch to heaven. The next verse in Hebrews, verse 6, says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” So we know that Enoch was a man who walked in faith. The Genesis verse says he “walked with God,” so we also know he had a very personal relationship with God.
The Bible doesn’t list any of Enoch’s exploits. As far as we know God didn’t use him to build an ark or father many nations or slay Philistines. He is only mentioned for one thing, that he pleased God by walking with Him in this life. And that was important enough for a notation in His eternal Word.
When we walk with God we put ourselves in a place (hint: a secret place) to hear His voice, to receive instruction, correction, and promise…oh, and just to hang out. In this intimate place of His presence His Word becomes alive to our souls, it changes from head knowledge to revelation. We exercise our faith, even mustard seed faith, with this “revealed” Word to bring the unseen into the seen, to see fulfillment of His promises and be transformed in our person.
There are a collection of letters and conversations written by a monk named Brother Lawrence some 400 years ago called “The Practice of the Presence of God.” Brother Lawrence, after years of frustration in wanting to be closer to God but unable to attain it, discovered that just the act of being aware of God’s presence throughout your daily life brought that peace and intimacy.
Two quotes from Brother Lawrence:
“It is not necessary for being with God to be always at church. We may make an oratory of our heart wherein to retire from time to time to converse with Him in meekness, humility, and love. Every one is capable of such familiar conversation with God, some more, some less. He knows what we can do.”
“I must, in a little time, go to God. What comforts me in this life is that I now see Him by faith; and I see Him in such a manner as might make me say sometimes, I believe no more, but I see. I feel what faith teaches us, and in that assurance and that practice of faith I will live and die with Him.”
Abraham had this kind of relationship with God:
“and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.” —James 2:23
I want to be called God’s friend. I want to converse with Him when I’m shopping or driving to pickup my kids or cooking dinner. I know that I know that I know that this is what He desires, craves from each one of us. He isn’t the great Clock Maker that set everything in motion in some cold and distant fashion to watch and see how things turned out. He wants to be intimately involved with His creation, with us who He made in His image.
I want to be an Enoch, not so I can escape death, but that I might know Him and be transformed into the person He made me to be. I hope you do to. It starts with us wanting it, then telling Him we want it, then making time to be alone with Him. He knows how to get us there, we just need to take the first steps.
Be blessed!
(originally published 3/14/13)