When I think about walking with God, I
get this picture of being with God, almost arm in arm, as I wrestle my way
through the day.
I also get the picture of the first
disciples walking with Jesus for three years while he performed his ministry.
In an article entitled The Secret
of Walking with God, Bob Sorge suggested that God not only wanted to have
an intimate relationship with us, but also have us as a walking partner. This
offers a picture of two people walking together, say around a lake or along the
beach, except one of these is actually God.
(2)
Just
like walking regularly with another person, walking with God would involve
companionship, dialogue, mutual delight, joint decision-making, shared dominion
(or responsibility), a growing closeness or intimacy i.e. a knowledge of one
another and a deepening friendship.
This notion reflects well that we have
been created in God’s image and given earthly responsibility for what God has
created, a responsibility that we best fulfil in response to God’s nearness
(Genesis 1:26-28). Sorge writes, “God longs to walk with you, which is why his
arms of grace have been pulling you into a closer walk with him”. The goal of
our walking is “unbroken communion with our Lord and friend”.
(3)
Walking
with God in the Bible seems to be connected to the notion of ‘blamelessness’.
For example, Noah (Genesis 6:9): Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his
generation; Noah walked with God. This ‘blamelessness’ stood in stark
contrast to the corruption that existed in the world – Now the earth was
corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw
that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth
(Gen.6:11-12). Noah goes on to be completely faithful to the task given to him
by God despite the jeers of the community around him. Another example of the
connection between walking with God and ‘blamelessness’ is in Genesis 17:1
concerning Abraham (or Abram as he originally was): When Abram was
ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God
Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.
(4)
What
does it mean to be blameless???
It can’t mean faultless or perfect,
for who but Jesus can claim this! So, maybe … deemed innocent, forgiven,
repentant (having a new/changed mind); or, pure in motivation, good character.
According to Larry Richards, in the Old Testament, “blameless” means … responding
to God wholeheartedly, and honestly seeking to please God.
There might be a chicken and egg type
argument here … what comes first – walking with God or being blameless?
Certainly we can’t be blameless without first walking with God, for we would
soon lose our ‘blamelessness’. But equally without the desire and commitment to
be blameless, without us pursuing this as a decent priority – we could hardly
claim to walk with God. So, it seems, the two are indivisible!
(5)
Before
either Noah or Abraham, Enoch was the first person in the Bible to walk with
God (Genesis 5:21-24):
When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of
Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years,
and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of
Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. 24 Enoch walked with
God; then he was no more, because God took him.
Now isn’t that an interesting phrase –
“God took him”. Whatever it means in terms of the physical realm, it certainly
suggests a seamless transition from earth to heaven. This is as if Enoch walked
so closely with God on earth that it was the same as if he’d already been in
heaven! Wow! Although this is an ideal worth contemplating, we shouldn’t be
daunted by this (as if we mortals can never really walk with God at all). This
was simply a unique expression to make the point about how much God desires us
to walk with Him, and that indeed it is possible. God actually values highly
such a walking relationship!
(6)
Now
we turn to the other end of the Bible, to Revelation 3:4-5, to see another
Enoch type description:
"And
to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has
the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works; you have
a name of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and
strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your
works perfect in the sight of my God. 3 Remember then what
you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come
like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 Yet you have still a
few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with
me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 If you conquer, you
will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of
the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his
angels. 6 Let
anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The church in Sardis was known for
good works, yet there was still something deeply wrong. This must have been the
quality of their relationship with God and their inner motivations. It is
possible to being doing good works while still struggling to live in the right
way (refer verse 3) – a way that is harmonious with God and the truth about God.
The latter part of verse 3 is what happens when we are not in harmony with God
– we miss what we should have noticed! Yet there was for the church in Sardis
living examples of true walking with God (verse 4). One commentary suggests
that the reference to those in “white robes” represents those who are properly
and faithfully carrying out priestly roles of service. Similarly to Enoch,
there is an easy movement here into the eternal space.
So, God wants to walk with us before
he works through us! So if we want to create a credible public witness
or to serve others with effectiveness, then we need to develop an intimate
private walking partnership with God.
(7)
What
do you think happens as we walk with God???
·
We
receive training regarding what God wants us to be like and what pleases God.
·
We
increase in knowledge and wisdom, such that we are more likely to speak and act
aright.
·
Some
of the mysteries of the Scriptures, or some of the areas in which we have
experienced doubt, or some of the areas in which we have found it difficult to
trust – these all start to find some resolution.
·
We
become able to love the unlovely, live in peace despite the turmoil around us,
and express joy and thanksgiving (as the wonder of God overwhelms all other
problems).
·
The
light of God starts to transfer to us!
(8) Then we begin to be able to say with the psalmist, that despite at times
experiencing the darkest valleys, we will no longer fear:
Even though I walk through the darkest
valley, I fear no evil (Psalm 23:4a). Why can this
be the case?? Because we are walking with God, and God is walking with us –
even, maybe especially, through the dark valleys. For you are with me; your rod and your staff – they comfort me (Ps 23:4b-c).
No comments:
Post a Comment