Do you find it hard to hear God in the busyness of the day to day? Take today’s lesson “Listening to God” to help refocus your attention.
“After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.” (Genesis 5:22)
One morning during my walk, I came across something that made me shake my head. I heard a noise behind me. It sounded like an engine, but not car-like. Through the darkness, I could only determine a vague outline of a moving object. While I kept my pace, the noise came closer. I glanced over my shoulder again and watched as a golf cart cruised by me.
Carts on the neighborhood streets aren’t unheard of since there is a course nearby. But what was attached to the driver’s wrist made me stare. There on a leash was a golden retriever, trotting along, tongue out and breathing heavy. The dog certainly was getting his exercise. But wait, why wasn’t the owner on foot too?
The cart driver’s actions (or lack thereof) made me think about a time when walking was the main mode of transportation. Moses’ people wandered the desert for 40 years. Can you imagine that many footsteps? Instead of a caffeine pick-me-up at Starbucks, God’s children woke to the sounds of camp teardown, camels complaining under the weight of their load and the bleating of herded sheep. Moses and Enoch made a concerted effort to follow God–a meaningful activity to daily exercise heart and soul.
Genesis 5:22 tells us, “Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years”. Genesis 6:9 reminds us that Noah also walked faithfully with God. I feel certain “walked” in these two instances is both literal and spiritual. Throughout Genesis, faithful followers were God’s companions as he moved about earth.
Fast forward more than 4000 years and what do you see His people doing now? Do we rise when He rises? Do we walk the necessary steps to follow Him? As 1 Corinthians 6:19 reminds us, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and not our own. Is our temple being exercised to His glory each day as we keep Him within view?
I have faith, but walking in faith one day at a time can often be difficult. I know there are days I stumble around on my own, neglecting to focus on Him. There are days I’m too rushed to pause for His plan. May Enoch and Moses remind us to not only exercise our spiritual hearts, but also our physical bodies.
All-knowing Father, keep me walking in the shadow of your steps. Help me to exercise my life, focusing on you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Questions: What spiritual practices do you follow to keep walking with God? Have they changed over the years and seasons of your life?
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