What Does It Mean to Walk With God?

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

Today’s daily reading takes a look at the story of Enoch and shows us what it means to walk with God.

²¹ Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. ²² After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. ²³ So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. ²⁴ And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Genesis 5:21-24 NKJV

Enoch’s story is a rather short story in the Book of Genesis. Many Bible readers are familiar with the story of Enoch because he didn’t die a physical death. Yet, how many of us know why Enoch didn’t die physically?

You see, Enoch “walked with God”, and as the scripture tells us, “he was not, for God took him”. To walk with God speaks of one being in fellowship with the Lord. To be clear, fellowship speaks of mutual companionship. When I say “mutual”, I want you to understand that fellowship is not a one-sided affair, but is of equal faith and equal love.

Now, something that I don’t think many of us catch in Enoch’s story is that Enoch didn’t always walk with God. Notice that the scripture tells us that Enoch lived 65 years before he had a son. For those who are amazed by the age at which he had his first son, you should understand that Enoch lived during a time when people would live for hundreds and hundreds of years. Enoch’s son, Methusaleh, lived for 969 years (Gen. 5:27)!

Now, for the first 65 years of his life, the implication is that Enoch lived like everyone else during a period that was leading to the days of Noah. However, after Methusaleh was born, that Enoch made a choice to walk with God for the next 300 years of his life. Enoch dedicated himself to walking in harmony with God. In my mind, I imagine that this fellowship began with God inviting Enoch to follow Him, just as Jesus invited the twelve to follow Him, and just as the Lord invites all of us to do.

Enoch, I don’t believe, was perfect when God invited him to walk with him. Yet, Enoch had it in his heart to walk with the Lord. None of us were perfect when we began to walk with God. In fact, the “perfect person” will never walk with God because they don’t think they have to- they’re “perfect”! God desires to walk with you, even in your imperfections, if you will choose it in your heart to walk with Him.

Now, after following God for some time and seeing how wonderful life was, Enoch, I imagine, began to look forward to his daily walks with God. As David sang in Psalm 63:1, I imagine Enoch had the mindset of rising early in the morning, seeking to walk in harmony with God. The more and more Enoch walked in harmony with God, the more a spiritual change was overtaking him. One day, Enoch was walking with God and the Lord brought him to his kingdom, without even tasting death! Enoch is with Him right now!

Walking with God is a mindset; you must choose to walk with God. Walking with God also must be your devotion, meaning that your walk with Him comes first in your life.

There are many who proudly say they believe in God, but there is no devotion to their words. What I mean by this is that there are many with a profession of faith, but their actions show that what’s in their heart is not of God. Those who truly walk with God have works, or actions, that are in harmony with God’s word. When one truly walks with God, a transformation comes over them, and they move differently compared to those who are of a worldly mindset.