Tandem Walking

It was a unique time in human history. Before God’s judgment of the earth by water, people were very wicked—so wicked, in fact, that God was sorry He made them.

Here’s how the Bible describes this time: “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil” (Genesis 6:5 NLT).

Yet in the midst of this dark environment was an individual who walked with God. His name was Enoch, and he showed that it is possible to live a godly life in an ungodly world.

Enoch also was a prototype of a generation of people who will not see death but will be caught up to meet the Lord in what the Bible calls the Rapture. And we could be that generation.

The Bible says, “Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him” (Genesis 5:23–24 NLT).

When you’re walking somewhere, it means you’re making progress. You’re moving toward a destination, going from one place to another.

In the original language, the word the Bible uses for “walking” carries a lot of meaning. We also find a helpful verse in Amos 3, which says, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (verse 3 NLT).

Together, these passages give us a good picture of what it means to walk with God.

“Walk together” means walking in tandem or harmony. Think of a bicycle for two, a tandem cycle. If the rider in front is pedaling away while the rider in back is hitting the brakes, that is going to slow things down.

The same is true of two people in a canoe. They both have to work together in perfect rhythm. If one person digs in the paddle like a brake, it will hinder both of them from going where they want to go.

The idea is that both need to get into harmony. Both need to move together. And that is what it means to walk with God.

As followers of Christ, we need to get into harmony with God. It doesn’t mean that God needs to get into harmony with us. But often we think that is the case. We want God to bless the plans that we’ve made apart from Him.

Jesus said, “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” (John 15:7 NLT).

We like the second half of the verse about asking for anything we want. But let’s not forget the first half: “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you . . .” If we’re doing that, then we’ll start asking for what is aligned with God’s will. And that’s what prayer is all about.

In the same way, to walk with God means to get into harmony with Him. Are you walking with God today?

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