Tag: fellowship with God

“Just Live It!”

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

There are lives you read about or discover through other means that just make you wonder a little about how they did what they did.  Heroic tales of one coming through horrible circumstances with a story of deliverance for all ages.  Another’s strength and fortitude to carry on despite physical or challenging circumstances and more.  And still many others, in varied scenarios, whose biographies you read and stories you study, and you wonder what I can glean from that life, if anything, to steer me in my life’s journey.

But then, you have stories such as Enoch where you are not given many details to go by.  You know his story is special.  You know it’s significant.  And you are even given the reason why his story stands out.  But you are not given the how – how, what are the details?

There are just a few verses dedicated to this life without much information beyond the basic information of life and lineage being supplied.  But the most significant thing we do know about him is, “Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him,” Genesis 5:24.

Hebrews 11:5 gives us another window to peer through, but with the same ending we found in Genesis: “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”  And other than a recorded prophecy in Jude, this is all that we know about him – but may I submit, it’s enough.

Humanity wants to know the details.   The human way of thinking wants to know how exactly he “walked with God” to experience such a miracle.  How exactly did he please God for God to just translate him from this life?

There is no checklist given.  There is no list of do’s and do not’s according to Enoch to follow to replicate his experience.

I, personally, am glad for the silence of the missing particulars.  For what they tell us is to just live it!  Live this life in faith and stop looking for a formula to follow.  Live this life in constant communion with God.  Live that the steps we take and the decisions we make may be pleasing in the eyes of our heavenly Father as well.

We don’t need to know the specifics of what Enoch did to try to gain our own “translation” moment.  All we need to know is what God has called each of us to.  What obedience and heart of devotion laid out in Scripture He asks us to live by.

If we had needed additional information on the hows and whys of Enoch’s moment in history, I believe that God would have made sure it was written in these holy pages.  Rather, I believe we are called to just live it – have a made-up mind to live for God for ourselves.  Watch our walk.  Ask, are my steps pleasing to the Father, and if not, how do I realign them?

The life of the faithful has numerous rewards promised to us in the Bible, such as:

“So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.” – Psalm 58:11

“A faithful man shall abound with blessings…” – Proverbs 28:20

“I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” – Jeremiah 17:10

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much…” – Luke 16:10

“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” – Matthew 25:21

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” – Colossians 3:23, 24

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” – Revelation 22:12

But may our love focus our hearts on the God who has redeemed us, and let that flame of devotion burn deeply within.  Let it guide us to desire nothing short of, “I want to put a smile on the face of my heavenly Father.”

We may not experience a translation moment due to it, but a life of faithfulness will bring us into fellowship with God and in His presence forevermore (Psalm 16:11). 

My friend set not your heart on the details.  Set your heart on just living it.  That is what we glean from the life of Enoch, and leave the results and rewards to God.  What we don’t know about his life doesn’t matter as much as what we do know.  And what we do know is all of us, regarding our walk with God, are called to walk it out by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).

“Order my steps in thy word…” Psalm 119:133

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

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Rebuilding Ruins

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Image by Robert Alvarado from Pixabay 

“And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.

Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.” Ezekiel 36:35-36

Archaic and ancient, yet there is beauty within.  Rubbled and ruined, but potential peeks through with the willingness to start again, to be reborn with purpose once more.

I must say, I am drawn to history and design in this manner.  I love to learn about places of old.  I am drawn to those shows and documentaries that feature taking these older places and structures, revitalizing them, restoring their ancient beauty, and making them livable and valuable once more.

If you are inclined to watch such programming, you will see that meticulous care is taken in the restoration process.  And the older a place is, with more original features, the chances are the work that needs to be done cannot be done by just any rebuilder. Instead, those who are trained to deal with period pieces and materials are called in to work with their expertise on the structure to remake it to be as close to the original as possible.

God has always been in the rebuilding business.  From the time of the Fall, and the Flood, and many points in between and beyond, though His people went through adversity, it was done with the intent of a new and fresh start from their sins and mistakes.

In ancient captivity, the children of Israel lived in bondage to the Babylonians due to their own sins and wayward ways.  But God, in this chapter, looked forward to a time of restoration; a time of renewal for His people.  A time and a moving that will bring glory to His name and not the dishonor that had been promoted by His people’s unholy living (36:21).

God was going to gather His people from where they had been dispersed and bring them back home (36:24), and the great rebuilding process would begin.  Beginning with Cyrus (Ezra 1), followed by the help of other kings, God’s people would return home physically and spiritually, and the ruins would be rebuilt and lives would be restored in their relationship with God.

To accomplish this, God was going to give them a new heart and a new spirit (36:26-27).  God was not just satisfied with cities becoming occupied again, but He wanted inner transformation.  He wanted hearts that would make Him feel welcomed once more.  A heart that would be in love with the Father and His ways once more.  Those were the ruins God was most interested in rebuilding.  The outward buildings were nice, but the new inner man who was being transformed, this is the real beauty God wants to see.  To Him, this matters the most.

When David sought to be restored, he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).  He wanted to be restored to the Father because his own sins caused a separation.  He wanted to be rebuilt from the inside out.

Today, our heavenly Father is still rebuilding ruins.  Much like David, when a heart turns to Him in true humility and repentance, they can be restored.  Jesus Christ became the way for this to happen: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17); “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).  

When we come to Him and accept Him as Savior (Acts 2:38-39; John 3:5; Romans 6:4), He takes the old us and makes us something new: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17), and we are ruins no more.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3) – this is where the rebuilding begins.

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