Walking with God in the Real World

When I think about our walk with the Lord, I think about Enoch.

Enoch lived about 400 years before Noah, his great-grandson. The Bible describes the days of Noah as exceptionally violent and wicked, a time when virtually no one paid any attention to God. I have to imagine that was true in the days of Enoch too.

When you call out a character detail in a story, it is usually because that detail is distinct. Most stories, for instance, do not pause to say, “And then Jeff walked in. Now, Jeff was a man with 10 toes.” No, most people have 10 toes. So, we don’t mention it. (Of course, if Jeff had 11 toes, we might!)

The fact that Enoch was set apart because he walked with God indicates just how rare that must have been in those days. Enoch went entirely against the flow, choosing to walk with God when nobody around him was. God calls us to walk with Him. Here are some steps to keep in mind in our walk with God.

1. Choose to Walk with God Daily.

The Bible repeats the defining statement of Enoch’s life twice: “Enoch walked with God” (Genesis 5:22 and 24). Do not miss that phrase.

The Bible does not say: Enoch occasionally visited God; Enoch occasionally thought about God; Enoch occasionally worshiped God. The Bible says: He walked with God.

Walking implies: Relationship; Direction; Consistency. To walk with God means our lives are aligned with God. Our priorities match His priorities. Our values reflect His values. Our direction follows His direction.

2. Live by Faith When the World Walks by Sight.

Hebrews tells us: “By faith Enoch… pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5–6). Faith means trusting God when circumstances are uncertain. Faith means believing God's Word even when culture disagrees. Faith means stepping forward even when we cannot see the entire path.

Proverbs 3:5 reminds us: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Walking with God requires faith.

3. Stand for Truth in a Culture That Rejects It

There is one other mention of Enoch in the Bible. Like the Hebrews passage, it gives us even more insight into the walk of Enoch. It is in the New Testament book of Jude:

“It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him’” (Jude 14–15).

Jude tells us Enoch prophesied. And his message was not soft. He preached about the coming judgment of God. Now imagine preaching that message in a culture filled with wickedness. That would not have been popular. But Enoch did not compromise.

Standing for truth today means: Speaking the gospel to unbelieving friends; Refusing to compromise biblical truth; Living differently than the culture around us.

4. Live Today with Eternity in View

One of the most remarkable statements in Scripture, Genesis 5:24, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Enoch did not die. God translated him directly into His presence.

Living with eternity in mind changes how we live. When eternity is real to us: Faithfulness matters more than fame. Character matters more than comfort. God's approval matters more than public opinion.