Fresh Eyes

Luke 24:16 – But their eyes were held that they should not know Him.

    This incident takes place shortly after the resurrection of Jesus. Two of His followers encountered Jesus as they were on the road to another town, but they did not recognize Him. They walked together and talked of the events of the previous few days and all the while they still did not realize that it was Jesus who was speaking with them.

    This phrase, ‘their eyes were held’, is a figure of speech which is very instructive. Did God hold their eyes from seeing Jesus? It certainly is possible for he has done it before. I remember reading an account of people who were smuggling Bibles into a country where Christianity was outlawed. The border guards opened their luggage and even looked directly into the compartment where the Bibles were hidden; they looked right at the Bibles but did not see them; apparently, God held their eyes.

    Another way of looking at this is to consider that we are the ones who close our own eyes. The original writings tell us that their eyes were held, that is they were fixed or seized. Something had previously captured their attention. They had just recently watched as Jesus was brutally tortured and crucified. They watched Him die, they saw Him buried, and now their eyes were fixated on that and unable to see anything else.

    How many times has this happened to us? Something terrible happens to us and it makes a deep impression on our minds and from that point on we are not able to see anything but that incident. We might have lost a loved-one; can we see ourselves being happy again? We might have experienced a financial crisis; can we see ourselves recovering from it? We might have been betrayed by our spouse; can we see ourselves being able to trust again? We might have failed in ministry; can we see ourselves being used of God again? These things are real and all of us deal with it; we must deal with loss and sorrow for we are the ones who are in charge of our own minds. Can we open up and see again?

    Closed eyes can also imply a hardened heart; a decision to not be open or vulnerable again; a choice to close off the possibility of new and exciting things. If we remain in a seized state, fixated on the past, we can never really know Him; we thus close ourselves off from intimacy with God and others. Closed eyes mean a closed mind; a closed mind means a closed heart; a closed heart means a closed life. Consequently, we shut ourselves away from hope; we lock ourselves behind closed doors in a room with no light, sentencing ourselves to solitary confinement.

    Take courage, friends, we are in this together and our Father God is in the door-opening business. It matters not where we have locked ourselves away, or for how long; He will keep seeking us out and drawing us back until we give Him the key to the door of our life. Hear Him whisper His word to you today, and even though the room may be dark, and your eyes cannot see, we believe it shall be as the Book of Psalms says, ‘Your word is a door that lets in light.’

Follow Him

Matthew 16:24 – Then said Jesus to His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

    Jesus had just spoken to His disciples about the Cross, foretelling them that He would be killed and rise again the third day. Peter, in fine form, took Jesus aside and rebuked Him because he was convinced that suffering could never be the will of God. Jesus spoke some of His strongest words as He corrected Peter and set him straight. He then issued some tough words to the rest of us.

    If any man will come after me. This phrase answers a lot for me. Is Jesus ahead of me in the direction of my life? If I look at where I am headed, do I see the Lord in front of me? He is Lord. He is in charge. He is supposed to be in front, I am to come after Him. He must always be first, I am always to be after. One day all the universe will clearly see Him for who He is; indeed, every knee shall bow. Wise people practice that now.

    If any man will. Anyone can choose to come and to follow after Him. It is a decision. It is a choice. It is a God-given freedom, and it is mine alone to make. I can choose to put Him first. It is not dictated by my life and circumstances. I can not blame my situation, my work, my family or any other thing. No! Whatever place I am in right now, good or bad, I have the choice to put Him first. Where there is a will there is a way.

    Let him deny himself. To deny is to choose to abstain. I might be denying myself that piece of pie, or denying a purchase, or denying myself the free time that I had set aside for my interests. It can be very hard to deny certain things, but Jesus never said to deny things; He said to deny yourself. My self-life must be denied. I must disown and disavow my self-centered life. Do not misunderstand me. We must take care of ourselves and live a balanced life, but selfishness is never okay. Self-care is good; self-focus is not.

    Take up his cross. There is a popular song that is sung in many churches today, and one phrase of it says gratefully to the Lord, ‘That You would bear my cross’. It is a beautiful song and I enjoy the artist, but that phrase contradicts what Jesus said here. We are to take up our cross. There is a Cross that we could never take up and that is the Cross of Christ. He is the only one who could do that, but there is a personal cross-bearing that must happen in the life of the believer. Now we mustn’t get confused about what it means to take up our cross, because there are many non-scriptural ideas about it. The context would indicate that the cross-bearing we are to experience has to do with putting Him first and self-denial. Luke’s account says we are to do this daily, strongly suggesting that this is a big part of our Christian life.

    Follow me. The good news about all of this is that Jesus is with us; He is right here. He has, by virtue of His Cross, experienced every imaginable hardship and test and come out of it victoriously. He knows. He understands our humanity. He has already provided for every possible contingency. There is nothing coming in our lives that He has not already foreseen and prepared an answer for. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He is for us, He is with us, He is in us. Our part is simply to follow Him.

Beware of Hypocrisy

Luke 12:1, 2 – Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, neither hid, that shall not be known.

    Jesus gives His disciples a sharp warning to be very cautious and alert regarding the leaven of the Pharisees. Leaven is yeast. It is hidden undetected in the loaf; it penetrates and permeates the dough, thereby thoroughly influencing it. It is hidden, it is unseen, yet it is constantly working. Leaven is like gravity; a silent, unremitting and powerful influence.

    The Pharisees were those who separated themselves from common people and things. They were considered by others to be very spiritual and they were highly regarded. Because of this high regard and the sense of being separate and uncommon, the Pharisees developed a sense of superiority and entitlement. They felt that they had special privileges and they were exempt from the laws that governed common people. They were above the law if you will.

    Hypocrisy is the inevitable posture of spiritual pride. Pride, like leaven, is insidious. Arrogant pride is a terrible thing just simply from a natural standpoint; nobody likes arrogance in others. But religious, or spiritual pride is the highest form of arrogance because it is hidden in actions that appear to be godly and sincere.

    Hypocrisy is a word that comes from the theatre. It refers to the actors, who when wanting to portray a certain character or emotion, would put on a mask. One mask might portray joy, and another might depict sorrow. One mask might represent surprise, and another might illustrate anger. So, hypocrisy is wearing a mask and it has come to stand for ultimate phoniness. If we consistently wear a mask, we have become actors on the stage of life, playing the role of that which we are not. We hide behind the façade of spirituality and godly sincerity.

    With the insight that could only be divine, Jesus has wonderfully warned all of us. He has told us that there is nothing covered, or hidden behind a mask, or otherwise, that shall not be revealed and known. Is it possible that this leaven of hypocrisy has penetrated our Christianity and influenced our lives today? I believe it has and the threat is ongoing and real. Having simply an outward form of religion forces us to wear a mask; we are not able to be ourselves under that system, or way of thinking. Our current culture many times promotes the wearing of a mask because we really might not want people to truly be themselves. The hardship and the hurts of life can also be a factor in the continued use of masks; I’ve been betrayed, who can I trust?

    What masks are we hiding behind? What are we portraying to the world? Are we wearing a mask of a hard-working, tax-paying citizen, all the while murmuring about the boss and the government? Are we wearing a mask of the committed church member and at the same time very upset with the leadership and people of the church? Are we wearing a mask of the happy-go-lucky person while deeply struggling with fear and sadness? I dare say that all of us wear masks to some degree because part of it is a natural reflex and built-in defense system. One writer once wrote that the self that we send out to meet God is almost always a false self. Sometimes we may not even be aware that we are doing these things because we have done it for so long it has become second nature. Some of us might hide behind our books or hard work, or we might throw ourselves into activities that keep us busy; too busy to slow down and get quiet and hear our Father’s voice calling us to Himself.

    Be encouraged, friends, the first step is to be aware of our tendencies and patterns. Then we must gather to ourselves a couple close friends or trusted counselors. Be open, be honest, be free and over time the masks will come off then you, and the rest of the world, will be re-introduced to your true self; the one created in the image of God; a person of great value and unique talents and one who has a beautiful and bright future.

Start at the Beginning

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

    The fear of the Lord is where we are to begin in the learning process; it is foundational to our growth in knowledge. Knowledge is a good thing but, the same knowledge of the atom gives us nuclear energy and nuclear bombs, so our knowledge must be coupled with the fear of the Lord and used appropriately. The book of Hebrews tells us that our God is a consuming fire. Like the sun, which absorbs all that comes close, God consumes all. We should not be afraid of the sun but, be aware of its power and have a deep respect for it. We are not to live in cringing fear that causes us to draw back from God, but we are to live in godly carefulness and reverence. True knowledge begins where the fear of the Lord is known. We must acquaint ourselves first with reverence and deep respect. When we have respect for others it causes us to be cautious about how we speak and deal with people.

The fear of the Lord is where we are to begin in the learning process; it is foundational to our growth in knowledge.

    Fools are those who have a flippant attitude and constantly mock the cautious ones. To despise something is to treat it lightly and without appreciation for its sacredness and true value. A fool is one who is not sharp or aware, but just the opposite; one who is dull and unaware. The fool bumps into everything as he goes and does not make any proactive decisions but only reacts to the circumstances at hand; therefore, his life is in a continual state of chaos. The fool does not value wisdom or instruction, mostly because it would take humility to admit that he needs it. Wisdom is something that is given to us from another; we are not the source of wisdom. Fools are those who are too prideful to realize that they need another’s wisdom and perspective. And no matter how skillfully it is given, fools will always reject correction; they feel they are in no need of it. The fear of the Lord is the answer to all our foolish tendencies.

Wisdom is something that is given to us from another; we are not the source of wisdom.

    The basic condition of all humanity is one of foolishness, for the fool says that there is no need to listen to God. We are born into foolishness, it is bound in the heart of a child and must be removed by correction. Just like an athlete submits to rigorous training so that he can develop and become a champion; we too must submit to the corrective training of God and be schooled into wisdom. It will take time, discipline and consistency, but as we keep walking in the fear and wise reverence of the Lord, the tests of life will start to appear as just that, tests; and tests are made to prove that we have learned and to pass with flying colours.

Strengthen Your Brothers

Luke 22:32 – “…strengthen your brothers…”

    

The commands of God are not complicated, they are simple, and, in their simplicity, they are deeply profound. Peter is not given a long and convoluted set of instructions, but he is merely given three words from Jesus that He followed for the rest of his life. We also are to follow these words and make them a life-long practice; we are to strengthen our brothers.

    We are not called to criticize, or complain about our brothers, nor to demean them; we are called to strengthen them. Strength answers many problems and challenges in life. If we are strong, we can go through difficult seasons courageously and not be overcome by them. A trial of sickness can be endured if we have strength. Financial difficulty and pressures can be bravely faced if we have strength. Relationship trouble, betrayal, divorce and even the loss of a loved one cannot defeat us if we have strength. Paul confirms this fact when he said that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him.

    For Peter, the brothers may have represented three categories. First, they were his Hebrew brothers; he was called to strengthen their faith in the One True God. Secondly, they were his brothers in Christ; he was called to strengthen their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His plan for their lives. Thirdly, they were his brothers of humanity; he was called to strengthen their faith as good citizens and builders of a healthy home and family life.

        They are my brothers and I have an innate responsibility to add strength to their life. As members of a family we understand first-hand that the brothers will inevitably have conflict. The very first family reveals the tendency for sibling rivalry and relationship trouble; indeed, Cain did not fulfill his role as his brother’s keeper.

    Notice in this instance that Peter is not told to go evangelize and bring in new people; he is told to strengthen the existing people. We do indeed have a Great Commission to reach the world with the Gospel message, but what are we bringing people into? If we do not strengthen our home base there is nothing for others to re-build their lives upon.

    Each of us has daily opportunities to strengthen others. We mustn’t take anything away from people but always give something to them. Find something in their life that you can support and strengthen. Leave them better off after you have spoken to them. Help, assist, contribute, build and reinforce. What would our homes be like if we constantly strengthened all those within it? How about our workplace, or our church? Let’s be those who are known for their positive contribution; let’s be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Let's begin to strengthen those around us, encourage those around us, and always look for a way to be constructive; strengthen the brothers!

A Closer Look at Scripture

Mark 12:24 – Do you not therefore err, because you know not the Scriptures neither the power of God?

    The Sadducees were very well-versed in the Old Testament writings and yet Jesus said that they did not know the Scriptures. Apparently, it is possible to read, memorize and recite verses and yet still not know them. This thought should alarm us and cause us to take a little closer look at our own Bible knowledge, and by so doing, this thought will also arm us.

    The condition of mankind is such that we think we know something when we may actually know so very little and even the small part that we do know, we may not know very well. There are two kinds of knowledge. There is one that says, ‘I know that because I have read it, or heard it’, and the other that says, ‘I know that because I practice it’. In our modern Western culture, we are immersed in so-called knowledge, we are saturated in it, and yet, we do not seem to be any better off. These Sadducees were saturated in the Scriptures, they had memorized it and could quote large sections, but Jesus informs them that they did not know the Scriptures. The ancient Eastern view of knowledge is described by the words, ‘Adam knew his wife and she conceived’. This kind of knowledge is relational knowledge; it is knowledge within the context of a relationship. We do not know someone because we simply know a lot of facts about them, we only truly know someone by regular communication, interaction and conversation. This is a living and active knowledge; not head-knowledge, but heart knowledge; not book-knowledge but biological knowledge; not organized but organic. If we do not come into this vital knowledge, we will err.

    To err is to be deceived; it means to wander or roam from a place of safety, truth or virtue. This is the human problem; we stray, we wander, we are easily seduced. Deception is the enemy’s greatest weapon and sadly, we have unleashed it upon ourselves. As a society, we have been infected with deception and the poison of it is spreading rapidly. There is now almost nothing that is not believable or acceptable to us. We have, indeed, roamed far from home.

    Unfortunately, the same is true for many churches and Christians. We have neglected the Scripture and pursued our own ideas of truth and how our lives should be lived. Jesus said that the cause of our deception and roaming was our lack of truly knowing the Scriptures, and because of that, we have not accessed the power of God. If we do not come back to Scriptural education and Biblical preaching, the kind that accesses power and produces a living relationship with God, we will continue to gain speed in our slide down the slope of error.

    I once read a powerful little story by Jack London called, ‘To Build a Fire’. It was about a man that had gone out into the wilderness in extremely cold weather and ended up being overcome by it and dying. In this short story London makes a statement about the man; ‘He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, not in their significance.’ The man understood the facts about the extreme cold, but he didn’t catch its’ real significance and meaning. It didn’t lead him to consider what that meant for him as a frail human. That phrase seems to fit here, and we could be like that man. We could be quick and alert regarding the facts of Scripture; understand the context and quote verses verbatim but miss the true meaning and how it applies to our life. The power of Scripture is released only when we understand the meaning of it, its real significance.

    I want to encourage you, friends, to take time to slow down and smell the roses of Scripture. Ask the Lord to lead you into an intimate knowledge of His Word. Meditate slowly on the words and think deeply about what is written. Stay with it daily, and over time you will quiet the noises inside and outside and begin to hear the Voice of God afresh. And when that Voice comes, so comes the power. Your eyes will be opened, and your understanding quickened, and chains will fall away. New hope and fresh possibilities await us as we come into this intimacy with Him. All are invited, all are welcome!

He is the God of all Comfort

2Corinthians 1:3 – Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

    To bless God is to speak well of Him, just as to curse God would be to speak poorly. What we say about another is likely to be one of the best indicators of our relationship. If I speak well of God, then things must be well between us. We are exhorted throughout the Scripture to bless God; to exalt Him and to lift Him up. When we bless someone that means that we take the limits off them; we empower them to exceed boundaries and go way beyond the status quo. Obviously, God does not need us to take any limits off Him, but we need to have the limits taken off our view of Him. When we bless God and praise Him our hearts are enlarged, and we can receive more of who He is.

    Who is this God that we are to bless? He is first and foremost, a Father. A father is one who begets life thereby giving a future and a destiny to another. A father commences the life but is also, committed to that life. He produces the life and then provides for that life. He protects, He corrects, and he directs that life. God is the Faithful Father.

   Not only is He a Father but, more specifically, he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This, of course, refers to the humanity of Jesus. As God, eternally existing, Jesus never had a beginning, but as a man, He did have a beginning and it was the Father who initiated it. When Jesus became a man by submitting to the restrictions of the womb and identifying with the natural process, He elevated our humanity; indeed, we have a noble existence and purpose. Jesus, the man, became Christ, the Lord, who brought salvation and made it available to all mankind.

    God is also the Father of mercies. The world would not know mercy if it were not for Him; He initiated mercy; it had its beginnings in the Father. He begat mercy and He planned the future and destiny of mercy. What would this world be like without mercy? We see some places in the world where the Word of God is banned and forbidden, and people are not given freedom to choose and these places have become places without mercy; consequently, human life is considered worthless. Harsh and inhumane treatment is the norm and people are completely de-valued. Of course, this happens also in our side of the world in many hearts wherever the Word of God is rejected, and freedoms are restricted. If there is no mercy in the heart, there will be none in the life. If there is no influence of the Father, then there is a merciless life.

    Mercy is what we all need but do not always give, no doubt, we have failed as dispensers and channels of mercy. The failure itself is reason for our continued need. Just as we are not able to breathe in air for the next hour, we can only inhale and exhale the current mercy. God says that His mercy is new every morning; most likely because we need it every morning. Even the fact that God created a twenty-four-hour day is a reminder of mercy. We may have failed today, or sinned in some way, or not measured up, but just as the sun will come up over the horizon in the morning so His mercy will be freshly prepared and waiting for us the next day. Fresh morning; fresh mercy; fresh start.

    He is also called the God of all comfort. He is not the God of discouragement or despair, He is not the God of hopelessness or gloom. He is the God of all comfort; that is, He comes to us in our discouragement and despair; He is with us through it all. The word comfort itself expresses His action, it means to strengthen by being with. How striking and suggestive this word is for all of us who have opportunities daily to bring comfort to those around us.

    God is the God of all comfort; He is the God of strength by presence. Just to know that He is present brings us comfort; it brings strength. He comes to us no matter what situation we might find ourselves in, or for what reason. He doesn’t come to judge or condemn, He comes to comfort, He comes to bring strength by His presence. He is the God of all comfort. He has comfort for every condition or circumstance and there is no comfort outside His reach.

    Today, in whatever place you are; no matter your choices, or your failures, or your losses, He is with you right now. Thank Him for His presence and breath in His strength and comfort.

We are the Channel, not the Source

Act 3:4  And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.     

    

Act 3:12  And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, You men of Israel, why marvel at this? or why look so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk.

    

Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray when they came across this lame man who had been brought there daily by others for many years. He was placed there at the gate to the temple in hope that some kind person would have mercy on him and give him enough money to squeak by and survive another day.

    This account reminds us that there are always those suffering souls around us that cry out to be seen. I once asked my son, Wesley, who was in his mid-twenties at the time, what the greatest need of his generation was. His answer was profound and given unhesitatingly; they need to be noticed. Isn’t that what we all need? How piercing these words are to those of us who march quickly through our daily activities and tasks, but do not have eyes to see the people who are placed in our path. Peter, however, not only saw the man, but took a deep interest in him and his plight; indeed, we are told that he fastened his eyes on him. The lame man was unaware of who he was encountering, nor what he was about to receive. He thought he was going to get some loose change, and, in fact, he had his chains loosed. But let’s look closer at Peter’s instruction to the man.

    Look on us. Notice that it is not, ‘Look on me’. Peter does not elevate himself above John and John does not grasp for attention; they are content to work together. This is a powerful thought when we realize that Peter and John had some previous relationship struggle and conflict. They had different personalities and views, but God did a deep work in their hearts that caused them to be united from then on. We are brothers and sisters in the Lord; we are members of the same body of Christ; we have the same mission and that mission is about people. It is encouraging to see these men of God cooperate, both with God and each other. Harry Truman once said that it is amazing what can be accomplished if we do not care who gets the credit.

    This dear man was born lame and would never have known a normal care-free childhood. He would not have had the blessing of productive work or having a mate in life. He was unable to go anywhere without assistance; he was what we might call today, the marginalized of society; sidelined and disregarded. He could not stand up and walk as God created him to, and maybe one of the most tragic things was he couldn’t look people in the eyes as their peer. He was lowered by the harsh realities of his life, indeed, everyone looked down on him. But one day he heard someone tell him to look up, look out and to look at who it was that was speaking to him. Our answers lie not in lifeless money but, in a living person.

    Look on us. We are here to help. We are sent by God. We do not have all the answers, but we know the One who does. We are not the Source of your answer, but we may very well be the channel. We are the conduit for the Power to flow through. Look on us, for you may not be able to see God, but you can see us. You may not be hearing His voice, but you can hear ours.

    After the man was healed there was quite a commotion among the people because they all knew the man and had observed him begging daily at the gate of the temple. No doubt, many people began to credit the amazing miracle to Peter and John and point toward them as Healers and Miracle-Workers. Many men, whom God has used, have gone astray just here. Had these men not walked closely with Jesus and saw His humility and how He credited the Father for all the great things that took place through His ministry, they might have been tempted to receive some of that praise, but these godly and sensible men wanted nothing to do with that.

    Why are you looking on us? We are men just like you. We are no different, and certainly not better. We do not have any power of our own and we are not any more holy than others. We wanted the lame man to look on us because he needed the answer but now that he has his answer we want you to look to God as the Source of this great miracle. I fastened my eyes on him when he was in need, but you must not fasten your eyes on us now that the need is met. Jesus must get all the credit. He is the reason that this man is healed. He is the one to be praised.

    Our lives are made up of many different seasons and circumstances. One day we might be in Peter and John’s position, being used by God as a channel of blessing. Another day we might be in the lame man’s position, being in need of God’s blessing. More accurately, I suppose, we are simultaneously in both positions. We are the needy being used of God to meet needs. We are the helpless being used of God to bring help. We are the weak being used of God to bring strength. We are the sick, being used of God to bring healing. We are the sorrowful being used of God to bring joy. We are the momentary being used of God to bring the eternal. It is wonderful to be a channel through whom God can flow, but one thing we know for sure; we are merely the channel and not the Source. All of the credit, all of the praise and all of the honour must go to whom it is due; our precious Saviour and Lord, Jesus the Christ!

These Boots Were Made for Walking

Genesis 5:24 - And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

    What a privilege to be invited to walk with God. Walking is natural and normal to life, so we are being encouraged to take our natural, normal life and use it to walk with God. Take your life and align it with His; Enoch with God; the natural with the spiritual; the common with the uncommon; the human with the divine. When there was no mention of any of his peers walking with God, Enoch chose a path and a direction in life by choosing to walk with God.

    We are not born with the ability to walk; the potential for it is there, but we must develop and grow into that skill. Our muscles must develop, and our balance must improve before we can begin. To walk implies that we have started on a path of growth. It is a great day in the home, when the little child takes its first steps; everyone gets excited. We can only imagine how God must also get excited when His little ones develop to the point where they are not being carried but are choosing to walk and carry their own weight.

    Man is created to walk upright; we do not crawl forever. In fact, if your child does not start walking by a certain age, there is great reason to be concerned; something is wrong. Walking brings with it new-found freedom for the child, and, simultaneously, it brings a lot less freedom for the parents. The child has become much more active, mobile and able to choose directions and locations. Even though it is more difficult for us as parents, we want our children to mature and begin making some of their own decisions; it is our will for them. They are designed to stand up and to stand tall and to make choices.

    Enoch chose to walk, but he didn’t walk alone; he wanted to accompany someone, and he wanted the company of another; he decided to walk with God. To be with someone implies relationship, friendship and partnership. Being with someone also necessitates a proximity; we cannot walk with another if there is distance between us. Unlike many today, Enoch did not desire to be a loner; he did not isolate himself; he chose companionship; he chose someone to walk through life with. Who you choose to walk with is vitally important and Enoch revealed his inner character by choosing God.

    The fact that we can walk with God says a lot about God’s heart. If I have a young child and the child wants to walk with me, I will have to adjust for that to happen. I will have to lower myself, come to the child’s level and slow down my pace. No good father will think it is a burden to have to do this; it is a joy to walk with your child.

    The book of Amos asks us, ‘How can two walk together unless they are in agreement?’ There must be agreement about the time and place to meet for a walk. There must be agreement about the direction and the speed with which you will walk. There must be agreement about the purpose of the walk. Quite often, my wife will suggest that we go for a walk, but most always, we have two different things in mind. I’m thinking about going for a leisurely stroll and she is thinking about a vigorous exercise. I’m thinking of flat ground and she has a hill in mind; indeed, there must be agreement. In our walk with God there will also be times that may require a different pace or a different purpose.

    To walk with God implies that we have taken some time with Him and have gone a fair distance, not just a few steps. Enoch walked with God through all the seasons of life; he enjoyed the good times and he endured the bad times; he continued to walk through the triumphs and through the trials; through the joys and the sorrows. He kept pace with God and no matter which way life was pulling him, he walked in God’s direction. He spent his life walking with God, not noticing that he was changing as they walked.

    There is a phrase spoken by John the Baptist that seems to resemble what happened to Enoch; ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’. He must become more prominent and I must become less prominent. He must become more visible and I must become less visible. His wisdom must be forefront and my wisdom must be secondary. Things were becoming less about Enoch and more about God and it seemed to happen almost effortlessly. It took place over time as he kept walking with God. Many times, we might struggle to overcome certain habits or resist certain temptations; indeed, we all have character flaws and we all have much room for growth. However, if we focus only on those things that we need to change it can sometimes make it harder. Enoch walked with God and his personal problems took care of themselves; he walked with God and was not.

    Someone has once said that Enoch and God had walked together for so long that they got closer to God’s house than they were to Enoch’s, so God just took him to His home. Be encouraged friends, God desires to walk with us; it is His idea; and He has made us able to walk with Him. We might stumble here and there on the journey, but we must keep walking and keep in step with God and soon, very soon, we will see that we have arrived at the door to His house. The peace, joy and pleasures which await us there are far beyond anything that any of us could even begin to imagine! Thank you, Jesus!