Hero
We tend to label someone a hero who does something specific to help another in a world-changing way. But even these acts are only temporal. The heroism makes someone’s life better today, but not eternally.
The greatest heroes are people whom God uses to changes lives forever—people He uses as instruments to bring others into His kingdom. And we also know that God specializes in using unlikely heroes—people we wouldn’t ordinarily select.
I think of 11 disciples, ordinary men who were used in extraordinary ways to usher in the church and to spread the gospel throughout the known world.
And I think of a man we don’t have a lot of information on. His name is Enoch. We find him listed in the “Hall of Faith Heroes” in Hebrews 11:5-6:
“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (ESV).
The only other time we read about Enoch is in Genesis chapter 5. In Genesis 5:21, we discover that he was the father of Methuselah (the man who lived longer than anyone else—969 years). And though we don’t have much history on Enoch, we know that Scripture describes him as a man “who walked with God.”
What a description!
Wouldn’t you love for people to think of you that way?
How wonderful it would be if above all your accomplishments, your family, your career, your personality, the thing that stands out most is that you walk with God!
“Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5:24 NIV).
Enoch never died. He walked so closely with God, that he simply walked right into heaven!
Enoch was definitely God’s friend. Wherever Enoch walked, God was there. If we desire it, plan for it and ask for it, God will be constantly in our company as well.
Ask God to deepen your walk with Him in 2016. Tell Him that you want Him to do more IN you and THROUGH you this year than ever before. Determine to walk so closely with God that you see Him in your actions, thoughts, dreams, plans, hobbies and activities.
Make this the year that you live in His presence 24/7 . . . 365.
Dear Susie, It is pretty hard to get it all done and my desire to walk closer to God should be first. Please pray for all of us who are too busy that we’ll get a grip on what is most important and follow though with all that it takes to make our walk with God the very first thing in our lives. I do enjoy your clips on this site and I feel they are very useful in this endeavor to have a closer walk with God. Thanks for all you do for HIS kingdom.
Donna
Dear Susie, I pray to walk closer to God every day and that is a tough job. People do or say something unkind and it really is hard for me to act Godly in those situations. then I feel ashamed of myself for acting that way. I always pray for God’ forgiveness and guidance. Thank you for your blog. I really enjoy it. God bless you and the work you do.