Sermon 04.10.10

Prayer meeting 04.10.10

Walking with God

In Gen. 3: 8-10 We learn that Adam and Eve heard God walking in the Garden, they even heard him calling to them. Watchman Nee says (in his book “the Latent Power of the Soul” ) that God walked with Adam in the cool part of the day. God wanted to have fellowship with Adam and also with Eve whom He created later.

Indeed we also learn here that they knew His voice and recognised it and that is why they hid. Before eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil they were innocent and could be in God’s presence without fear.

Enoch was another person who walked with God Gen. 5: 22-24. Here we can learn that Enoch walked with God for 300 years. Or it would be more correct to say that God walked with Enoch. For we cannot of our own will and desire make God walk with us. It is God’s own will and desire to have an intimate personal relationship with us that is the driving force. Not just our desire for it.

God wants a close relationship with us but there has to be a burning desire on our part for it too, as God will not force Himself upon us. But He waits until we are ready to show a desire and willingness for closeness with Him.

Can you imagine what a delight it must be to walk everyday with the Lord for 300 years? What wisdom Enoch must have learned from his conversations with God! What love God must have given him for the Lord’s creation.

In both the Old and the New testaments there are other examples of people who had a close relationship with God. Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, not to mention the prophets who must also have been close to God to have been able to hear His words of prophecy for the Nation of Israel. In the New Testament we see that the apostles, and also Paul had a very close relationship with God. Through that relationship they had the knowledge, desire and courage to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus the Saviour.

If our desire is for a closer walk with God, then He is gracious to meet us where we are. All of the people I have mentioned God met them first where they were, on this earth. And He will meet each one of us too, if we truly desire closeness with Him and are willing to seek Him as being first in our lives.

Amen