Have you ever pondered the statement in Genesis 5:24 that says, “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” He walked faithfully with God. What does that mean?
Think of Adam. He had direct conversations with God. So did his son Cain. However, neither walked faithfully with God. Even David, the man God said was a man after His heart, fell to temptation. Others talked directly with God; Noah was given very specific instructions on how to build the Ark, Moses talk to God in the “burning bush”, etc.
The phrase “Walking faithfully with God” makes me think of Paul’s admonition in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing”. At first glance both statements seem impossible to do in a normal Christian life. However, I am beginning to believe it is a matter of focus. We know the Holy Spirit resides in every believer.
1 John 4 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”. I believe this verse is a key to walking faithfully with God. We have all seen cartoons with and angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. There is more truth than jest in that picture. The spirit world has two voices always talking to us.
The question is which one are we listening too. To test the spirit, we must know scripture and use it as a filter for deciding which is God’s voice. He will never lead us in a direction that would violate His Word. All that being said, isn’t walking faithfully with God as simple as locking arms with Him and listening to His voice with every decision we make.
Another Biblical phrase I think helps clarify is “bond servant”. The definition is “a person bound in service without wages”. Both Peter and Paul describe themselves as bond servants of Jesus Christ. Aren’t we called to be stewards of what God has given us, time, talent and treasure?
I am coming to believe that walking faithfully with God is simple letting Him guide our use of what He has given us, time, talent and treasure. Do we believe we are called to give Him 10% of what He has given us or are we simply stewards and called to do whatever He wants us to do with 100% of what He has given?
Stu Weber wrote a book I read years ago called “Locking Arms”. He was describing what true friends do to help support each other, but I think the term fits walking faithfully with God. If we are arm in arm with Him, we will not be easy confused by the enemy. We can simply turn to our Guide and ask what we should do as we walk faithfully with Him.
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