Walking With God

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Genesis 5:21-24
21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah.
22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters.
23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.
24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

I believe that the best example in the Bible about walking with God is found in Genesis 5. Enoch walked with God for 365 years! And God took him, and Enoch could not be found.

One important thing to note is that while walking with the Lord, Enoch had sons and daughters. He was not living like a hermit, alone in the mountain, continually praying and fasting, meditating and seeking enlightenment in a cave, and distancing himself from his family or people. Enoch was not living in total solitude and adhering to some religious disciplines and acts. He was loving God and the people around him. And he was walking with the Lord! How?

Last week, as I was doing some song recordings, I realized a very fundamental truth! I was trying to imitate the original singer, adhering strictly to his styles, tones and dictations. Then, I found that it was impossible. I am not a mechanical robot. I am a living person! I will do fine if I stay within the music arrangements and instrumentations.

Walking with God does not mean that we march strictly step by step, in rhythm to His marching orders and commands. He allows us to move freely within His safety parameters and guidance! He is our Father in heaven. And His dwelling place is a house or home, not an army camp or a combat zone! His Word is a lamp for our feet, and a light for our paths.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

His Word is not to bind us, and command us to do this and that, and restrict us not to do this and that. His Word is like living in Noah’s Ark. Within the Ark, there is safety and freedom. But many people choose to stay outside the Ark. Worst, some people had entered the Ark, went overboard or exited, and did what were right in their own eyes!

Walking with God is like a tree. Yes, a tree planted by the rivers of water. Living water, full of life and nutrition.

Psalms 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

We will be blessed when we do not listen to the wicked, go where sinners go, and do what bad people do. When we walk with God, we will love His Word, and keep in mind and heart what He says throughout the day and even throughout the night. We will be strong, like a tree planted by a river. It will produce fruit in season. Its leaves do nor perish or die. Everything we do will succeed.

Our Lord Jesus was sitting and eating with the tax collectors and sinners. But He was not approving what they did, and did likewise. He was reaching out to them in love, calling them to repentance and righteousness!

Matthew 9:10-13
10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Healthy people don’t need a doctor. Only the sick need a doctor. God desires faithfulness and love more than animal sacrifices. Jesus did not come for the good people. He came to save sinners from their sins!

In fact, the religious people were the ones that killed Jesus. They, while adhering strictly to their own laws and teachings, seek to destroy those who did not follow them closely. Yes, those who did not obey and follow them exactly would be cast away! Any non-conformance or non-compliance to their strict and religious orders will be a no-no, and like some manufactured products, their people are classified as good subjects or plain rejects.

Someone asked me whether I was okay singing some old pop songs. I am okay as long as I stay within the sight of His eyes. Like a child moving freely within the watchful eyes of his parents! Alive, and living under the shadows of His wings! I know that I was sharing life when I saw the smiles on the faces of some elderly folks, forgotten and forsaken in some hospitals and homes.

Finally, how do we walk with God? I believe “Footprints ~ The Zigzag Edition” may give us some insightful thoughts.

One night a man had a dream.

He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Across the sky flashed scenes of his life in the Lord.

He noticed at the beginning of his walk with the Lord, there were two sets of footprints in the sand - one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord. These two sets of footprints were in pace, step by step and side by side.

But somewhere in the middle of the walk, he noticed that there was only one set of footprints in the sand. And those happened during the lowest and saddest moments in his life.

This really bothered him. And he asked the Lord about it:

"Lord, You said that once I decided to follow you,
You would walk with me all the way.
But this was not so.
I have noticed that during the worst times in my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when I needed you most,
You would leave me."

The Lord replied him lovingly:

"My son, My precious child,
I love you, and I will never leave you.
During your times of trials and tribulations,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

Then the man noticed something astonishing at the end of the walk. There were again two sets of footprints in the sand. But they were not in pace but zigzagging all over. A mess of footprints stamping here and there - sometimes circular, and often twisting and turning. And those happened during the most joyful and blessed moments in his life.

This really puzzled him. And he asked the Lord about it:

"Lord, I thought that You're a God of order and not disorder.
Why is it so when I have the love, joy and peace,
my walk with You seems to be so haphazard and chaotic?"

The Lord replied with a smile in His face:

"My son, My precious child,
don't you understand My love and heart?
Those were the times we danced together."

The man began to cry with tears of joy and gratitude.

And the Lord asked him, "Shall we dance again?"

Written on 8 August 2022