Walking is one of the best forms of physical exercise. Walking for 30–60 minutes a day, five days a week reduces the chances of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, anxiety and depression. It can increase life expectancy too.
The Bible has a great deal to say about walking with God. It is how we were intended to live.
- God’s desire for you is that you walk humbly in a relationship with him (Micah 6:8).
- Jesus showed us how to walk 1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
- One day you will walk with him ‘dressed in white’ (Revelation 3:4).
From the very beginning, God had a relationship with Adam and Eve that found them "walking in the garden in the cool of the day" (Genesis 3:8). God longs to walk with human beings who are created in His image.
Enoch walked with God for 300 years
21Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. 22After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 23So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. - Gen 5:21-24
A Sunday school story on Enoch goes like this. Enoch went on long walks with God. One day they went so for that God said don’t go back now, I will take you home. He travelled so for and so long with God that he even forgot his identity, his life, his desires, his goals. Everything merged with God's heart. There was nothing for him to come back to.
Can two walk together unless they are agreed – Amos 3:3
God created man for the enjoyment of a walking relationship that involved companionship, dialogue, intimacy, decision-making, mutual delight, and shared dominion.
1. They agree on the destination
Decide where and when they will start - started when we became a child of God by accepting Him as Lord and Master
What road they will take - He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake (Psalm 23:3)
What is the destination - till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4: 13)
2. They have the same goal and vision that sustains them through the journey
Moses had the same goal and vision as God - his life was dedicated to the promise of deliverance. That is why he was able to intercede and stay God's wrath on the rebellious people.
William Carey, often called the father of modern missions, was a shoe cobbler by trade before he went to India. He kept a map of India in his shop, stopping every so often to study and pray over it. Sometimes, because of his preaching ministry, his shoe business suffered. One day a friend admonished him for neglecting his business. “Neglecting my business?” said Carey, looking at him intently. “My business is to extend the kingdom of God. I only cobble shoes to pay expenses.”
He was in agreement with his master on what his goal in life is...
3. They are joined together by friendship and trust
Where there is no Friendship there can be no fellowship. To walk together, the two are united in friendship.
God and Adam walked together because they were friends until sin entered the relationship and brought enmity. Since Christ put to death that enmity, it is possible for us to attain this level of friendship with God again.
The original Friendship Agreement God entered with man did not change. He already fulfilled His side of the agreement.
In Jesus Christ, God will continue to walk with man, guiding, shielding and strengthening until we receive the inheritance promised to us. (Read Ephesians 2:4-6)
- Made us alive together with Christ - Gave us eternal life (John 3:36, Hosea 6:2)
- Raised us up together with Christ - He will raise us up (1 Corinthians 6:14, John 6:40)
- Seated in heavenly place together with Christ - we shall reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12)
• Humility (Micah 6:8) we are called to walk humbly before our God.
Amitabh Bachchan's story of meeting Tata on a plane - a lesson in humility.
This is a very serious matter because God saw what pride did to Lucifer and what it's doing to countless children of God who believe the lie of the devil and become self righteous and arrogant.
No one has any abilities or possessions that were not given to us by God. Stay humble! Like Paul says, if we have anything to be proud of it is in Christ crucified!
This is what we should use to stay humble - 2 Corinthians 10:5: casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Practical humility is obedience like Christ's obedience - followed through even when it cost Him everything. Humility is not my will but Thine!
A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Malachi 1:6
• Faithfulness
Noah, without physical evidence, facing ridicule, remained faithfully committed 50-100 years to build the Ark.
Stay the course. Persevere till the end (Matthew 24:13)
We walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
• Loyalty
Asa's story The eyes of the Lord; (2 Chronicles 16:9)
We call Him Lord - Let us truly make Him Lord over our decisions, aspiration and goals.
We call Him King - Let Him sit on the throne of our life! Do not let sin reign in your mortal body (Romans 6:12)
4. Communication is easy and clear when we align our desires with His heart
Walking is one of those activities that is more enjoyable to do with someone else. Walking and talking is a great way to communicate with family and friends. God said to Abraham will I not tell you what I will do. (Genesis 18:7). God is always willing to share His plans with us. Do we join in and agree with these plans?
Jesus told us that he confides his kingdom purposes to his friends (John 15:15). What do we do when we walk as families, husband and wife, friends? We have companionship. We don't just walk, but communicate, share our thoughts, make decisions.
The point is that we are doing two things at the same time. We are not just doing exercise or travelling. As we walk together we are in communion with one another. Both Enoch and Noah "walked with God" (Genesis 5:24; 6:9). They didn’t just sit, kneel or stand with God, the kind of actions we would often associate with spending time with God, but they were also in communion with God when doing something else. It suggests that while we are doing other things like working, eating, exercising or relaxing, we can be in communion with God.
Our daily quiet time with God is extremely important but the idea here is to go beyond that. Make walking with God a 24/7 activity.
Conclusion:
Enoch was the first man to uncover the true delight of walking with God. He pressed into God until he learned how to commune with God in every facet of life. To find that dimension of relationship certainly required an intense spiritual pursuit.
When we walk with God, we enter the dimension where God unfolds the secrets of his kingdom.These were the paths that the ancients tred before us. Through Christ, you can explore the glorious riches of knowing God like they did.
God wants to walk with us before he works through us. So, he will wait to act until he finds the right man or woman through whom he can work.