Ladomato Living

I was really blessed as I was preparing breakfast this morning by a new insight into the passage about Enoch. “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 and had other sons and daughters” (Gen. 5:21-23).

I was asking myself, “How do I walk with God–especially in the midst of a busy day? What does it mean to walk like Jesus?” And then I realized with a start that Enoch walked with God after he had sons and daughters. That means he was married, he had family responsibilities, and I’m sure he was busy (their families were especially large back then ) … and yet he walked with God! In my mind, I sometimes think that the busyness of daily life disqualifies me from “fully” walking with God–at least to the extent that Enoch did. Especially because 1 Corinthians 7 says that “the married woman’s interests are divided.” So I concluded that this means that marriage, although a blessing from God, is also somewhat of a hindrance of my ability to fully walk with and serve the Lord to the full capacity that I otherwise could in singleness. But this certainly didn’t disqualify Enoch!

I remember even in singleness, the first time that I learned of the life of 19th century circuit preacher, Robert Sheffey, I was thinking: Wow! That would have really been something to live back at that time. The pace of life was so much slower. It seems like it would have been easier to really experience the fellowship and presence of the Lord. Sheffey would probably have chuckled to hear such a perspective. The pace of life may have been “slower” … but it was also “harder”. Everything seemed to take more work and effort. Riding from town to town on the back of a horse took hours. Bad weather also made for very dangerous travel conditions. Life wasn’t easy.

God has placed me in the 21st century, in the year 2008 with freeways, fast cars and electricity. And He has done so with absolute purpose. I have every much of an opportunity to walk with Him as did Enoch, or Abraham, or Sheffey … The only thing which will hinder me from doing so is my own complacency, laziness or lack of obedience and diligent seeking after Him.

“Call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD” (Jer. 29:12-14).

So what does it mean to walk with God?

• It means my will is submitted to God’s; I am not living for myself or pulling in my own direction. “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” (Psalm 32:9)
• It means I am keeping in step with the Spirit–I am not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:24-25)
• It means that I am NOT walking in the counsel of the ungodly, standing in the way of sinners, or sitting in the seat of the scornful (for God does not walk on that path, so neither can I if I am walking with Him). Rather, my delight is in the law of the Lord and in keeping His commandments. (Psalm 1)
• It means that I am walking in the light, just as God is in the light (1 John 1:6-7). I cannot walk in the darkness and shadows of sin and still be “walking with God”, who Himself is light.
• It means I am continuing to grow and move forward to higher ground. One cannot walk and sit down at the same time. If I am walking with God I am not complacent or lazy, but whole-hearted and fervent in spirit.

“Yes, LORD, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts” (Isaiah 26:8).

May all those who consider themselves to be God’s people choose to truly walk with Him in the midst of this wicked and perverted generation! We need God’s grace and strength to stand firm and to walk in the ways He has commanded us. It is only by a genuine faith in the risen savior Jesus Christ, through which the promises of God are made real to us, that we will be able to overcome this world. We have no excuse to fail because of what is around us. We must lay hold on the eternal life to which we have been called and stand on the promises of God so that we may have everything we need to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

We wish you the victory and godly peace that spring from full surrender to God. A place that comes from seeing our deep need for God and choosing to truly “walk with God” no matter what the circumstances. Nothing is too hard for God.