Verse of the
day: Genesis 5:24 And Enoch
walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
It amazes me
how often we look to be known by others for something great that we have done
in the world, or desire to be known for some accomplishment that makes us
famous and gives us status. However, there is no greater fame that we can
acquire than to be known as someone who walks with God; and the truth is that
it does not matter if a lot of people know, as long as God is the One who
proclaims it. In God’s Word, this is the case with Enoch. There is not much written
about Enoch other than that he walked with God, he pleased God (Heb 11:5), and
he prophesied about the coming judgment that would befall false teachers (Jude
14-15). Although there is not much written about him, there is much we can
learn from his life here on earth. As I contemplated this man’s life, it struck
me that he was taken (or translated) at what would have been considered an
early age for that time period. So often we mourn the death of a born again
Christian who is young in age, and seemed to be so dedicated to living for the
Lord. Then it dawned on me that although we mourn the loss of someone we feel
was taken from us too soon, it very well could be that God has called them home
because He was so well-pleased with their intimate walk with Him that He chose
to have him/her go home to be with Him. It also brought to mind the fact that
because they walked so close and intimately with God, that they accomplished
that which the Lord had for them to accomplish in His plan for their life. What
a wonderful testimony that would be for any one of us, and greater than
anything we could accomplish that the world considers great! We see from Enoch’s
life that he “walked with God”. In other words, in everything he did, he talked
with God, he did that which he knew was pleasing to God in his attitude, his
deeds, and his actions. However, before we turn this into a works based
relationship, let us look at Hebrews 11:5, which reads, ‘By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not
see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was
taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.’ Enoch pleased God,
not so much because of what he did, although the Scripture indicates that he
did walk with God, but what earned Enoch such great intimacy with God was that
his faith was great. The very next verse, Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “But 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 diligently seek Him.” Lastly, we see that Enoch not only
had great faith, and not only did he have the right attitude, deeds, and
actions, but he was not idle in his faith. He served God by prophesying for
Him. Jude 14-15 reads, Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten
thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are
ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an
ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken
against Him.” May God’s children, those of us who are truly born again,
be known for our dedication and intimacy with God. May the greatest accolade we
seek be that of God being able to say of us, “He/she walked with Me every step
of the way, and every day of their life, in Christ, and by faith.” Jesus put it
this way in Matthew 25:21, His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few
things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your
lord.’
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