(A Biblical Perspective by Al Thomas)

“Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away”
GENESIS 5: 24

Enoch’s day was quite similar to ours. Evil was all around, but he walked
with God. So can we…take note:

1. HE DAILY OBSERVED EVIL ON THE OUTSIDE - Enoch’s generation was so evil; God was poised to destroy them (Gen. 6:7). Likewise this world is looking at judgment. Enoch’s temptation to join in this massive corruption must have been intense. It’s much easier to give in to evil when everyone else is doing it. Yet, Enoch stood out. Even though Enoch observed all this evil on the outside he walked in righteousness and refused to give in. God took notice of this. He always does
(Ps. 1:6; 5:12). Whenever you take a stand for righteousness, God takes notice & stands with you (Prov. 10:30; Eccl. 9:1). If you shrink back & refuse to walk in integrity, God’s Spirit is grieved. It is a very serious thing to grieve the Spirit of God (Ps. 78:40; Eph. 4:30). Many believers do it everyday without thinking twice & then wonder why the church has such a low impact on the world & why they do not have peace. If Enoch could walk with God in the midst of such evil, why can’t you and I? We can. But, ‘Do we want to?’ It’s a daily act of the will (Joshua 24:15). Great peace is available for those who walk with God (Isa. 26:3).

2. HE EXPERIENCED PERSONAL PROBLEMS ON THE INSIDE - How do we know
this? In the same sentence we are told Enoch became a father, we are told that Enoch starts walking with God. The bible says children are a blessing from the Lord (Ps. 127: 3-5), however (and this is not a great revelation) but having a family will bring personal problems. It will produce problems on the inside of you. Turmoil, tensions, heartaches and disappointments, etc. Never experience these things? You’ve never had a family. If you’re smart you will let those problems drive you to God. This was a pivotal point in the life of Enoch. Somehow the birth of his first son (Methuselah) made Enoch want to walk with God (Gen. 5: 22). Maybe he was so thankful for the birth of Methuselah that he wanted to get to know God more. Interesting, isn’t it that the father of the man who lived the longest was taken by God. ‘Hey, Methuselah, what happen to your dad?” All Methuselah could say was, “I don’t know, one day he took a walk and he never came back.” Folks, how did they know God took him? Someone must have seen it happen. Maybe it was Methuselah. Maybe (for Enoch) the revelation of the gift of creativity (Gen. 1:22) given to man so arrested his heart that he desired to seek the face of the ultimate creator? Whatever it was, it drove Enoch to God. Here’s the point: God loves you so much; He will allow
anything to come into your life to drive you to Him. Anything. Good things, troubling things, strange things, anything that will work. Has anything strange (and unexplainable) happened to you lately? When you don’t understand what is happening, go to the One who does know; God. Don’t waste the unexplainable. Let it drive you to your Creator. Better get going…

3. IN SPITE OF PROBLEMS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE HE ‘DECIDED’ TO WALK WITH GOD - God did not force Enoch to walk with Him, and He will not force you to walk with Him. God walks with those who desire to walk with Him. Want a casual walk with God? That’s like saying, “Want a miserable life?” Noah took walks with God (Gen. 6:9). Adam and Eve walked with God and one day God called out, “Where are you…” (Gen. 3:8). God was accustomed to meeting them. Perhaps God was used to meeting with you (and you don’t show up anymore?) I know of people who take walks almost daily…for their health. However, to walk with God is healthy for spirit, soul & body. When you walk with Him there are benefits (See Ps. 1).

4. OFTEN, WE ARE NOT AWARE THAT GOD IS ALREADY WALKING WITH US -
Although He is sometimes incognito (hoping we will see through the disguise) He desires us to recognize His presence through the words He is speaking to us in our heart (Luke 24: 32). On the road to Emmaus Jesus used the scriptures to talk to two bewildered men…He still does. In our meetings I’m amazed at how many people come up for prayer seeking a ‘word from God’ who have not first sought direction from His written word. God sometimes will give a word of knowledge or wisdom to encourage us, but too many want the lazy way out and God will not give it to us. The Holy Scriptures, (Rom.1:2; 2 Tim. 3:5) will often either give us the direction we need or birth within us the faith required to walk successfully through the crisis. Take time to read Ps. 19: 11-16 Know His word, it will give you discernment (Heb. 5:11-14) in the good and the bad times. He is with you…are you with Him?

5. (Why it is important for us remember that) GOD MADE THE CHOICE TO TAKE ENOCH – Because the same principle applies to us today. Why did God take Enoch? Frankly, it was his time. It is vital for you to understand that God decides when it is time to end your test, your trial, or change the circumstance you are facing. Great peace comes when you rest in the truth that all things really do work together for good for them who love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). When you please God (mature where you are) He will take you to the next level. Your job is to walk with God; His job is to take care of you (Ps. 34: 7-10). God took Enoch 57 years after Adam died. He was 365 years old, (or one year of
years). Which means for 308 years of Enoch’s life Adam was still alive. Enoch knew Adam. Surely he spoke with him. If I were Enoch I would have asked Adam: “What it was like to walk with God before the fall?” Oh, the stories that Adam must have told about walking with God. I believe this so enticed Enoch that he began a quest to walk with God himself. You must do likewise. Daily, we must seek Him (Prov. 8:34) until He calls (or comes for us). It must be a quest. Quest means = “Any journey or undertaking in pursuit of a lofty or noble goal”. Ps. 84:11b says, “No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Are you walking with God? Watch out, one of these days, you might not come back…