Walk Humbly with Your God

Guest Editorial: Missions Evangelist & Planter of the DC Church- Andrew Smellie

“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8
 

God’s desire is that we might “walk humbly with Him”! Very often people think that to be a Christian means that “God walks with me” – in other words, “wherever I go, God goes.” But we are called to align our lives to the life of God, not the other way around! We need to decide to walk with God (Amos 3:3).
As we celebrate daily the life and resurrection of Jesus, let’s consider three examples of godly men that should inspire us to “walk humbly with [our] God” no matter the challenges and “storms” of life: Enoch, Noah and Abraham.

Enoch’s Walk – “Living in Revelation of Judgment”

“When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Gen 5:21-24 – emphasis added)
Something happened to Enoch when Methuselah was born. Up until that time, Enoch had probably believed in God, but had not walked with God. What happened to change all this? As a father of two young children, I can definitely attest to the fact that your kids will inspire you to draw closer to the Lord! But let’s examine God’s plan in further detail…

Methuselah became the oldest man to ever live (969 years) and the year he died God sent the Flood in judgment against a wicked world (The floodwaters came when Noah was 600 years old – Genesis 7:6. Methuselah was 369 when Noah was born – Genesis 5:25-29). It seems that God had revealed to Enoch that his son was the “time-clock” for God’s judgment. In fact, Enoch saw beyond even the Flood to the Second Coming of Christ! Consider the epistle of Jude, verses 14-15, “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
This revelation of judgment launched Enoch into a close walk with God! Enoch’s fellowship with God was so close that God caught him straight up to heaven to be with Him, without Enoch having to taste of death first (Genesis 5:24)! This is a picture of what it will be like for Christians alive when Jesus returns (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)! “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5 – emphasis added).

Noah’s Walk – “A Preacher of Righteousness”

Noah was one of a handful of men that impressed the heart of God (Ezekiel 14:12-20). Like Enoch, he is described as a man who “walked with God”. “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” Genesis 6:9 – emphasis added). In the midst of his corrupt generation, Noah was blameless because of three key areas:
a) Noah had the FAITH to see things unseen
“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.” (Hebrews 11:7). The Bible talks about two “worlds” – the “seen” world and the “unseen” world (2 Corinthians 4:18; Hebrews11:1). Noah’s faith to trust God in things that were not yet seen affected his walk on the earth and inspired him to save his family!
b) Noah’s PREACHING and LIFE condemned his generation
“By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” (Hebrews 11:7). Noah was a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), but it wasn’t his words that condemned the world, but rather his life of righteousness. Through his life, Noah proved that it was possible not to walk a way of violence and depravity, thus leaving his generation with no excuse for their condition (Romans 1:18-20).

c) Noah was SAVED from a corrupt generation
In Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus said that the generation alive at the time of His return would be just like that of Noah’s generation. Noah’s generation was judged because of its violence and corruption, not because they were “eating and drinking.” Their daily lives numbed them to the reality of their evil condition. Our generation is no different. As the apostle Peter preached to those who would become the original members of the 1st century church, “With many other words he warned them; and pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation’” (Acts 2:40). Our salvation does not just mean we are rescued from an eternity in hell (the future). Our salvation extends into the here and now, as we save others from the captivity of sin!

Abraham’s Walk – “Becoming God’s friend”

“…’Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend.” (James 2:23 – emphasis added).
Like Enoch and Noah, Abraham walked humbly with God (Genesis 24:40). But the New Testament describes the walk of Abraham in a way different from Enoch and Noah. Abraham’s fellowship with the Lord was so great that he was called a “friend” of God (2 Chronicles 20:7). This did not just mean that God was Abraham’s friend. Even more than that, Abraham was God’s friend. God felt He could share the depths of His heart with Abraham, just as two friends might do. God is looking for the same kind of deep friendship with you (John 15:13-15)!

Like Enoch, Noah and Abraham, each of us has a choice between two walks – walking with the world or walking with God (1 John 2:15-16), as we focus on the “seen” world or the “unseen” world of God’s promises (2 Corinthians 5:7). The choice we make will determine how we live – our outlook, our values, and our lifestyle (Hebrews 11:32-12:2). It will also determine if we walk humbly with one other, in the spirit he commands. Today allow God’s word to inspire you to have faith in Jesus’ return so you can preach His word and encourage many to become friends of the Lord! Decide to “walk humbly with your God” and become His friend today!
Andrew Smellie
Missions Evangelist