Walking With God

This is the book of the genealogy of Adam … all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died … all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died … all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him … all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died … This is the geneology of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. (Gen 5 – Gen 6:9).

A close reading of the above passage makes it very clear that God has a special definition for what he considers life or living. For the average human, on the most basic level, life means living and breathing. A little beyond that, many might define life according to hedonistic standards – how much carnal pleasure we can extract from our existence before we are no more. If such individuals were placed in Adam’s genealogy, then the Bible would simply state that we “lived … and died,” the implication being that God is not particularly impressed by this all-too-common label in Adam’s family album.

The people who exist on an entirely different plane, though, are those who are described as ones who “walked with God” – like Enoch and Noah. The fact that God made special mention of them and described their earthly existence in entirely different terms, says a whole lot about where they stood in God’s eyes. The description of Noah as a righteous man indicates where God places emphasis when he defines the quality of human life.

Jesus promised abundant life – peace, joy, encouragement, strength, and all good things that come from God. He does not necessarily promise a life of perpetual ease, but he does promise joy in sorrow, the grace to overcome sin and temptation, sweet peace as a companion through life’s dark and lonesome valleys, faith to carry us through the impossible, the wisdom of high spiritual intellect and insight to decode life, worship that waters our souls, a song that dances in our heart in the midnight hours of life, the truth of God’s Word as a road map through life, the delight of knowing God and hearing His voice, and the promise that God’s presence would always be with those who love Him. It does not come free, though. We pay for these benefits with consistent obedience over long trajectories of time. Jesus paid the ultimate price for all mankind with his death.

The extent to which we obey is the extent to which divine delights come to us – like rainbows chasing a shower. Yes, because obedience sometimes means showers of tears. It sometimes means giving up our preferences in favour of God’s preferences, for He truly knows best. Sometimes, in these moments, it can feel as if we are dying inside, but our choice to obey God not only benefits us, but also ultimately honours God. This is why God says: precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of His saints (Psalm 116:15). Our willingness to please God is highly prized on the other side of life.

Jesus used the simple analogy of the seed to express this profound truth. The seed only brings forth more fruit after it ‘dies’ and is planted in the ground. It means being buried in Christ and his suffering and then coming forth with new life, more fruit, more of God’s character living in us. Jesus himself, it is said, learnt obedience by what he suffered; not that the life of a believer is about perpetual pain; on the contrary …

As the wise Solomon once said, "the end of a thing is better than its beginning" (Ecclesiastes 7:8). The ‘funeral’ of the seed seems like a sad affair, but the inevitable sprouting of leaves and the plumping of fruit is a time of rejoicing and festivity. Christmas celebrations apply this principle in reverse. We celebrate the start of the matter (Jesus’ birth) as we carol and sing about the wise men, the angels and the manger. However, Jesus came to earth to face the cross, and that was where ultimate triumph awaited Him and all mankind. Gruesome death on the cross was His rite of passage (which, notably, may not necessarily be yours or mine) - God’s process and pathway to resurrection glory. His death was the culmination of a life of joyful obedience to God, of daily ‘picking up his cross’ and putting God first. He chose to make the ultimate sacrifice and this led to rich reward, and a crown of gloriously joy-bedazzled life in God’s presence forever.

Life and death go hand in hand. Death speaks of obedience, sacrifice and delayed gratification. Joy speaks of desires and promises fulfilled, dreams coming true, and the reward for courageous faith, trusting God and sustained obedience throughout life. This is very different from how most people define joy. Most people live for pleasure – immediate enjoyment and now satisfaction. This however, simply promotes brittle values and creates character weakened by moral cracks. Joy, on the other hand, is a by-product of complex internal processes divinely-designed to build endurance, develop patience, and to ennoble the human spirit.

When I look back on my life, abundant life for me has meant so many things – God housing me when I had no money for accommodation, God sending someone to help when my tyre went flat (and I had no spare or cell phone!), God’s presence comforting me during dark days, God pouring laughter into my heart, good soul food dished up from the Word, exciting job opportunities, memorable travel adventures, the joy of knowing at least part of His plan for my life by being offered a peep-hole into my future, sweet moments of worship that unlock spiritual dimensions of life, and the list would extend into eternity. When Jesus speaks of abundant life it is something good and substantial. I pay the price for the life I have in Christ everyday … sometimes smiling, sometimes in tears … but always in joy.

Just think of the time Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding feast, bearing in mind that in the Word of God wine is a metaphor for joy. The master of the feast, not knowing what had transpired, called the bridegroom and commented in shock: "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” (John 2:10) Note that this clearly testifies of God’s integrity. He does not short-change or swindle in any way. More importantly, though, the implication is that the wine which comes from God is far superior to man-made wine. Joy as mere mortals define it tends to be a watered down version of the true joy that springs from God – rich sunny-gold delight that is glorious beyond belief.

Friendship with God promises joy indescribable. It is wine that leaves you grounded yet soaring in hope, mellowed yet dancing in celebration, sobered yet intoxicated with God’s goodness. Divine vintage is the sweetest bouquet – a timeless classic! Abundant life is the giddy delight of walking with God.