“The man who walks with God always gets to his destination,” observed Christian educator Henrietta Mears.
Mears’s quote brings to mind the Old Testament character Enoch. Genesis 5:24 says, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”
When you walk with someone you trust, you don’t have to know every turn in the road. You keep pace, listen when your companion speaks, and stay beside him. Step by step, you travel together.
Such was the walk of Enoch, who serves as an example of faith for 21st-century Christians. Consider three important aspects of his walk that we can emulate today.
1. Walking with God changes our direction.
The text says that “Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters” (Gen. 5:21–22).
We’re not told when Enoch began walking with God or whether a particular event changed his course. Was it the birth of a child? Or something else? The Bible doesn’t say. We do know that he continued walking with God for 300 years.
And one thing is sure: walking with God changes the direction of our lives.
It is a walk different from the world (Eph. 2:2). A different way of living. Acting. Behaving. It means giving up worldly lusts, fleshly desires, and sinful cravings. We’ve set our sights on a different course.
It is a walk of moral purity (Eph. 4:17–32). The Christian walk is based upon a knowledge of God, motivated by righteousness, and results in holiness, honesty, honor, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.
It is a walk in Christ’s light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12). Jesus dispels the world’s darkness. Illuminates our path. And lights the way on our journey.
2. Walking with God shapes our daily life.
Genesis says Enoch walked with God for 300 years while he had sons and daughters (Gen. 5:22). This was a sustained walk amid ordinary responsibilities. Family. Work. Daily decisions. Whatever the day brought, Enoch kept walking with God.
It is a walk of divine love (Eph. 5:2). Love is where our walk begins and ends. Love of God. Love of family. Love of brethren. Love of the lost. Love is the stepping stone of our values and all other virtues. The Christian walk is characterized by divine love.
It is a walk in God-ordained good works. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us how much God values us. He created us in Christ. He saved us to serve. He called us for good works. God’s work. This walk shapes what we do each day.
It is a walk of spiritual wisdom (Eph. 5:15–17). Walking carefully. Cautiously. Circumspectly. Our walk is not haphazard, chaotic, or careless. It is purposeful. Precise. And focused.
Walking with God, therefore, involves a personal connection with Him. It is divine companionship. It is listening to and obeying His commandments. And it is allowing His character to shape our lives.
3. Walking with God leads us home.
Hebrews 11:5 says that Enoch “pleased God.” His long walk was a life of faith that brought him ever closer to the One he loved.
I’m reminded of a story told about a mother who asked her eight-year-old son, Jason, what he studied in Bible class that day.
“A man named Enoch,” replied Jason.
“What did you learn about Enoch?” his mom asked.
“He walked with God,” Jason answered. Then he added, “And the teacher said he didn’t ever die.”
“What do you think that means?” his mother probed.
“Well,” Jason thoughtfully responded, “he took a really long walk with God. And he walked a long, long way. Finally, God said, ‘Enoch, you’re closer to My house than yours. Just come home and stay with Me.’ And that’s what he did.”
Is your daily walk bringing you closer to God? To His home? To heaven?
If we want to go to heaven when we die, then we must walk with God. Daily. Continually. Faithfully.
—Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
