Walking With God

“Enoch walked with God…”
Genesis 5:24a

After the birth of Seth at the end of Genesis 4, Genesis 5 provides the lineage from Seth to Noah.  Essentially, we learn that each man lived, gave birth to a son, and died – the briefest of information about each man’s life.

Have you ever walked through a cemetery, looked at names and dates, and wondered about the people, their lives, what they looked like, how they lived, who they loved, and who loved them?  The dash between the date of birth and the date of death represents a lot of living.

In Genesis 5, most of Seth’s family –including himself – did nothing of noteworthy value other than have a son to carry on the family name.  But we do know that each must have taught the next generation about God.

We know because when we finally get down to Enoch in verse 22, we learn that Enoch walked with God.  In order to walk with God, Enoch had to KNOW God.  He must have learned from the generation before Him.

Though there is no evidence that his father, grandfather, or great grandfather –all the way back to Seth – actually walked with God, each father must have taught his son about God.

As mothers and grandmothers – are we walking with God and teaching our children to do so?  Are we settling for just telling them about God…or even just bringing them to church and trusting that other adults will tell them about Jesus?  It is our JOB to teach our children.  Perhaps we do that best when we don’t just TELL them, but MODEL it for them.

To walk with God requires action.  WALK is a verb – it can encompass an attitude of the heart, but I believe it also means we are found walking through the Word, walking in prayer, walking in loving acts of service to others.  Dr. James Dobson has said values are more “caught” than “taught”.  What are your children – or your friends, family and neighbors – learning from watching your walk?

The woman of God walks with God.