Beautiful Autumn

THE MAN WHO WALKS WITH GOD…

By Helen Jesze, 9th October 2016

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left,”

Isaiah 30,22 ESV

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Micah 6,8

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

Amos 3, 3 KJV

Several years ago we were visiting a friend, and when he showed us round his office, I noticed a paper-weight on his desk. It was a very attractive stone with a small plaque attached, on which were the words:

“The man who walks with God always reaches his destination”

Recently I have often been thinking about those words. Of course, not only the men are meant here; this is also true of the woman who walks with God.

God always has a destination for us, a goal, a purpose. Not only are we going to the ultimate destination of Heaven, but on the way there, God has other destinations for us to reach. He has promised to guide and lead us, and his directions are always supreme, if we understand and obey them.

The man or woman who walks with God must be going in the same direction as he is. If we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then he has every right to tell us which way to go. If we decide to go our own way, then we will end up in a different place, and wonder where God has gone! He has been on the original path all the time, but we have gradually or suddenly taken a different way.

When people walk together, they often talk together. There may be times of quiet, but often they converse, exchange ideas, listen to what the other has to say. The more closely we walk with God or Jesus, the more and easier we will hear his voice. He will share what is on his heart, truths for us and for those we love, and for our world.

When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they walked with God every day, in the cool of the evening. What wonderful times those must have been, until that fateful day when the serpent came and did his terrible work, deceiving the woman. Although Adam was the first of the two who had ever walked with God and the first to receive the command that they should not eat from a certain tree, he just passively looked on. Then following her example, he too, ate of the forbidden fruit and they gained new mental and spiritual insight.

But this new “sight” was now blinding them spiritually, and had already cut off their inner contact with God. Spiritual death was now reigning in their spirits, although they did not realise it.

Adam, where are you?

God came as usual for their evening walk, but could not find Adam and Eve for they were hiding from him, in shame. “Adam, where are you?” The voice of God echoed through the Garden; Adam and Eve crept out from behind the bushes, their eyes downcast. The whole truth came out (although God knew about it anyway!), and this walking, this communion with God was destroyed. At first, Adam and Eve were going in the same direction as God, and were at one in heart and mind. Only when they gave in to sin, did their direction change and the whole of their life was turned upside down.

Since that time, only a few individuals had walked with God, until he sent his Son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin, so that we might be reinstated into that place of fellowship, and be able to walk with him again. This privilege is now open to every one of us, not to walk physically with him, as they did in Eden, but to have a daily spiritual walk with him through Jesus and his Word.

Enoch was a man who people said “walked with God”. His relationship with God was so close and so special, that the day came when perhaps God said: “Enoch, we’re nearer my home now than yours! Why don’t you just come home with me?!” We are told that “God took him”. Nobody saw him die, nobody found a grave – God just took him to be with himself. (Genesis 5, 24 KJV)

So near – yet so far?

The twelve disciples lived with Jesus for three years, when he was on the earth. They must have walked hundreds of miles from village to village, town to town, as they spread the “Good News”. Yet were they going in the same direction and to the same destination? From their actions and their words and questions, we can clearly see that in many ways they had a different goal and destination in view, than their Master. Physically they might have been walking beside him, but their minds were often taken up with other things, and they often interpreted Jesus’ words and teachings differently than he meant them. Even when he was on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified, they were arguing who was to be the greatest in the kingdom which they were sure Jesus was going to set up, and they totally disbelieved him when he spoke of his imminent suffering.

Yet later they learned to ‘walk with God’, learned to know their own hearts better after they had all forsook him and fled. Peter who had denied Jesus three times wept bitterly, as he saw what he had done. This realisation, plus the unconditional forgiveness of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit made a new man of Peter, who would henceforth walk in step with his Lord, and arrive at God’s destination.

When our children were younger, every Summer holiday we would go to England for six weeks (we were living and ministering in Germany at that time), to visit relatives and friends and to minister in churches and conferences. We always travelled by car, going through Belgium and sometimes France, then taking the ferry over The Channel to England.

One time I remember that we ended up in a corn-field, for somebody had turned the signposts round, just for a joke! These were the days before Satnavs and GPS’s, where you followed signs and maps! There was a long line of cars behind us and how difficult it was until we could all turn round, and get on the highway again. During World War II road-signs were deliberately put in the wrong place, or the names of railway stations were painted over, so that if the enemy invaded, they would not know where they were.

In Life, sometimes people try to change the way we are going, so that we will arrive at a different destination. But if we will walk close to Jesus, cherish and develop our relationship with him, obey and believe hid Word, he will see that we will get to the right destination. Even if we have missed it sometimes, his grace and Spirit will guide us back to the path.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to walk day by day with you. Let my thoughts and inclinations be unto you and your ways. I want to grow closer to you Father, not to be distracted off onto another path, or doing my own thing.

In these days when so many ‘signs’ are being turned around, pointing in a completely different direction from what your Word says, so that people will be led astray, help me to discern the right way and to have the courage and determination to walk that path. Thank you that you will lead me to the right destination! In Jesus’ name I ask these things, Amen.