Walk

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8, NIV).

I love the image of God strolling through the Garden of Eden. And I hate the idea that Adam and Eve felt like they needed to hide from God. As the Creator admired all that he had made, creation’s crowning achievement hid behind the trees. This picture could have been so much more complete if only the couple had chosen to walk alongside God rather than to run from God. Still, it is so telling of our sinful human condition.

One of the descendants of Adam and Eve was Enoch. While very little is written about him, we are told that “Enoch walked faithfully with God…” (Genesis 5:24, NIV). The same is said of Noah, another descendant of Adam and Eve. Whether the phrase “walked faithfully” is taken literally or more figuratively, the idea is that each of these men had a close relationship with God.

My desire is to walk faithfully with God, to know him even as I am known by him, to move in-step with him, and at times, to be carried by him. But, so often I take other wayward and faithless paths.

Still, God is faithful. In Jesus, he came once again to walk with us. The path he walked led to the cross, where he died to save us. And I am eternally grateful.