At the beginning of another year it would be well for us to glance at the divine record of a saint of God of a bygone age—Enoch. That antediluvian patriarch lived in and walked through a very wicked world. He lived in that period in which God was leaving sinful man to himself, for as yet God had not set up governments—law and order—to hold in check the outbursts of man's fallen nature. Without restraint, man became lawless, and filled the earth with corruption and violence. But "what saith the Scripture" about Enoch? "Enoch walked with God... three hundred years." Gen. 5:2222And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: (Genesis 5:22). A lovely testimony to a "man subject to like passions" with ourselves!
And what does walking with God entail? For two to walk together they must agree (Amos 3:33Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3)). They must have kindred thoughts; they must be able to converse freely and intimately.
One cannot walk with God and allow in his own life that which God hates, for God cannot walk with evil. Yet evil was everywhere then; therefore, Enoch must have been a separate man (he may have been known by his neighbors as an eccentric, or even as a fool, but what of that?—he walked with God). Happy man!
Nor would such a one's life be only negative; that is, be separate from sinners. A man who walks with God will choose those things in which God delights—they will be his delight also (note how God condemns Israel for not choosing the things in which He delighted -Isa. 65:1212Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. (Isaiah 65:12)). Enoch may have been scorned by all as a man taken up by something visionary, something unreal; but of what worth were their thoughts? He walked with God.
And how long did he walk with God? How long was he misunderstood and maligned? 300 YEARS! That was a long time to bear reproach—to endure. Some saints have borne bright testimonies in a burst of persecution, and have gone to the stake for Christ's sake, or have suffered in any of a thousand ways; but the constant day after day separation from the world and its ways, its schemes and its hopes, its pleasures (and all that at the cost of being misunderstood), is what puts faith and faithfulness to the test. It is the taking up of the "cross daily" that tries the spirit (Luke 9:2323And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23)). Only the consciousness of pleasing God, and the company of His presence, will enable one to endure. Human determination alone will not suffice.
How did Enoch make it all those 300 years? JUST ONE DAY AT A TIME. He did not need courage or strength for a month, or a week, or even two days at once—no, not at all. But just going on quietly in communion with God, in separation from the world, one day at a time, 300 years finally ran their entire course; and that man of faith was rewarded with being taken to heaven. Even before then he had the joy in his own soul of knowing that he pleased God—"He had this testimony, that he pleased God" Heb. 11:55By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. (Hebrews 11:5).
And as we look ahead at 1952 and see the wickedness increasing on every hand, do WE want to "walk with God" in reality?—it will cost us something, but is not His commendation ample recompense for any suffering or loss?
"A little while" -'twill soon be past;
Why should we shun the promised cross?
O let us in His footsteps haste,
Counting for Him all else but loss!
For how will recompense His smile,
The sufferings of this "little while."
We do not look forward 300 years; our Lord may very likely come in 1952. All we have is TODAY to walk with God. And if we will always do that "only today," soon the journey will all be run, and we shall hear His well known voice saying, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant:... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." O for grace to walk with God TODAY!