May the mumbling commence!
Oh boy! A whole chapter of genealogy… what fun! But we need to pay careful attention to these passages of the Bible. For those who pay attention, there are hidden nuggets of wisdom. Read several verses from Genesis chapter five, and you will see what I mean:
When Enoch was 65 years old, his son Methuselah was born. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived another 300 years in close fellowship with God, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years in all. He enjoyed a close relationship with God throughout his life. Then suddenly, he disappeared because God took him. (Verses 21-24)
Enoch discovered what many parents discover over the generations. Having children changes things. I don’t know how you cannot be changed when you witness the birth of a child into this world. I do not know how you can deny the divine in that moment of birth.
Many mothers and fathers hear the call of God after they have children. Those who have wandered from God often find their way back into the fold. They begin to walk with God in a new and deeper way… what the New Living Translation calls “close fellowship”.
Don’t have a child or children? Why wait? God is waiting for you with open arms. God will walk closely with whoever chooses to walk with Him. And the sting of death is taken away. Enoch disappeared because the Lord took him. Again, I ask why wait? Find favor with God much as Noah did. Read from Genesis chapter six:
But Noah found favor with the Lord.
This is the history of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with him. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Now the earth had become corrupt in God's sight, and it was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, and he saw violence and depravity everywhere. So God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Yes, I will wipe them all from the face of the earth! (Verses 8-13)
The alternative to walking with God is walking with the world… in violence, corruption and depravity. Yes, the world is still filled with violence. We hear about it nearly every day. But there are other choices to make. O God, help us to seek them out before it’s too late for us to have a positive effect on the world around us. Help us heed the voice calling out in the wilderness recorded in Matthew chapter three:
In those days John the Baptist began preaching in the Judean wilderness. His message was, "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near." Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,
"He is a voice shouting in the wilderness:
'Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming!
Make a straight road for him!'" (Verses 1-3)
May we turn from sin back to our loving heavenly Father.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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