The other day when I was making my long drive into work, I
was listening to a radio program called “Thru the Word with Dr. J Vernon McGee”. He was going through Hebrews 11 and came to
the part about Enoch. He then referenced
the story of Enoch as told in Genesis 5:21-24.
Verses 23 and 24 say, “Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close
fellowship with God. Then one day he
disappeared, because God took him.”
Dr. McGee then told a story he had heard a little girl tell
summing up Enoch’s life. This little
girl was explaining to her mother what she had learned about Enoch in her
Sunday school class. She said that a man
named Enoch lived a long time ago. One
day God said to Enoch, “I would like to take a walk with you everyday.” Enoch agreed, and so they walked with each
other each and every day. One day God
came to Enoch and said, “I would like to take you on a very long walk today.” So Enoch grabbed his coat and his lunch and
they set out. They had been walking for
a long time when Enoch noticed that it was getting late out. He told the Lord, “it’s getting quite late;
we had better start heading back.” And
God replied, “You’re a lot closer to my house than you are to yours. You should just come to my house and
stay.” So Enoch went to God’s house to
stay.
I really liked this illustration because it got me to
thinking. How great would it be to walk
so closely with God, and for so long that you are closer to His house than your
own? Then he just says, “How about you
come stay at my house instead of returning to your own?”
You see, too often we set out on a short little trip in our
walk with God and then we return to our house.
We probably walk with him everyday for a few weeks, months, or even
years, but then we miss a day or two.
That reminds me of a story I had written about years
ago. Jesus had come to a man’s house and
said I would like to come in and meet with you every morning, and the man
agreed. They met every morning in the
man’s front room and talked and drank coffee together every morning for several
months. One day the man came in and
said, “Jesus, I’m really sorry but I’ve got a really important project at
work. Is it ok if I take a rain check
for our meeting today?” Jesus says, “Of
course. I will be here tomorrow waiting
to sit and talk with you.” The man then
walks out and goes to work.
The next morning the man comes and says the project is still
on going and that he needed to skip out on their meeting again. He promises that once the project is over, he
will meet with Jesus again. Jesus
graciously agrees and tells him he will meet him whenever he is ready.
The next morning he apologizes to Jesus as he rushes by the front room and out the door. This goes on for several weeks until he starts rushing by without even glancing in the room. This goes on for quite a while, and then one day as he is rushing by he notices someone is sitting in his front room. He goes back in to find Jesus sitting right there. He asks Jesus, “What are you doing in here by yourself?” He replies, “I told you I would meet you here everyday.” The man then asks him how long he has been coming in there and how often. “I am waiting here all day every day. I look forward to the day that you can meet with me. I understand you are busy, but I am still right here and I always will be.”
How many times have we done that? I know I have done that more times than I
would like to admit. What if we walked
with Jesus every single day, and at the end of the day, all we did was stop and
rest for the night before picking right back up the next morning? One day we realize that we have been walking
with Jesus for a long time, and we say to him, “Gosh, Jesus, we have been
walking for a long time and it is getting late.
I should head back to see if I need to take care of anything.” All he says is, “You are so far from home,
and so close to my house. How about you
just come on to my house and stay? I’ll
take care of the rest.” In Luke chapter
9, one person that is going to follow Jesus says he wants to return home to say
goodbye to his family and Jesus said to him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the
plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” If we have come so far with Jesus and then
want to return to our old life, friends, or family for any nostalgic reason, we
have wasted the trip.
We should all strive to get to the point in our walk that
everything else will seem insignificant. That is, certainly, where I want to be. I want to walk for so long and so far with
Jesus that I lose track of all time, and I don’t even recognize where I
am. The only thing I am aware of is the
fact that I am in a new place with Jesus.
I really am tired of these ‘out-and-back’ trips that I find
myself taking. How about you? What kind of walks are you taking with
Jesus? Are you walking around the block
and going back home? Are you walking to
the end of the street and coming home? Or
maybe you are just walking to the end of the driveway and back.
Are you like the guy that has allowed your personal and work
life take up so much time that you are neglecting your daily meeting and chat
with Jesus? Ask God to forgive you for
your spiritual ADD. I know I certainly
suffer from it, do you? Ask God to help
you walk him, and that he will convict you in your spirit when you miss. Maybe one day we can be like Enoch and not
taste death, because we have come so far with God that he just takes us on home
with him.
Have a great day, week, month, and year. Let’s spend some time walking and talking
with Jesus. He’s right there waiting on
us.
