There's So Much More... — Hillary J Murphy

Mar 1

Mar 1 There's So Much More...

A couple weeks ago I was reading in the book of Genesis and I came across a passage that I have probably read 100 times before. But as I read it this time, I couldn’t help but sit and meditate on it. I looked it up in several translations to see if the wording was different but it wasn’t. Every single translation was very clear about one thing - there is SO much more to this life with Jesus if only we would simply walk with Him.

The passage was Genesis chapter 5. It is a chapter containing the family tree of Adam (the first man). Each one fulfilling the call to “be fruitful and multiply”. And yet, one man’s history stands out from all the rest…that man was Enoch.

“When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.” - Genesis 5:21-24 (NLT) New Living Translation

Each generation fulfilled their hearts desire to leave a legacy. To pass on their wealth and their name through to their natural born children. But the Word describes Enoch’s life as one “lived in close fellowship with God”.

What is fellowship? The dictionary describes it as this: “friendly association, especially with people who share one’s interests.” Synonym: Companionship. Definition: “a feeling of fellowship or friendship.” Enoch shared in the interests of God’s heart. How did he discover the interests of God’s heart? Through consistently spending time with Him and being obedient to all God said. The Amplified Version put it this way:

“Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God three hundred years after the birth of Methuselah and had other sons and daughters…And [in reverent fear and obedience] Enoch walked with God; and he was not [found among men], because God took him [away to be home with Him].” - Genesis 5:22,24 (AMP) The Amplified Version

Obedience to move with God is a measuring stick for our faith. To know God intimately makes great faith possible because we know His ways and that He can be trusted.

To seek God earnestly and to believe He is who He says He is, is only part of the equation. We have to believe He can do what He says He can do, and that He wants to do it for us. Intimacy is the only way to reach that level of trust with anyone.

We may not see the full picture, but if He says it, then that means it’s finished. Our obedience to step out is simply an outward sign of the faith we hold within.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:6, “…without faith it is impossible to please God…”.
And in 1 Samuel 15:22 we see that God delights greatly in obedience to His voice, “…What’s more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

On this side of the Cross we don’t have the ritual cleansing sacrifices that the Israelites had when Samuel spoke these words to King Saul, Jesus is our perfect atonement - our Spotless Lamb. However, God is unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), so we know that God still values obedience today in the same regard He did during King Saul’s reign.

I believe to walk with God simply means: Fully surrendered active faith.

What does that look like? It’s our decision to seek Him first (a heartfelt desire to know Him for who He is), to believe He is who He says He is and He can do what He says He can do, and a determination to step in obedience to wherever He’s leading no matter what.

Examples of this in the Bible are: Joshua, King David, and Jesus. Each of them could be found stealing away to sit in the Presence of God. Joshua had the Tent of Meeting (same as Moses). King David had the Ark of the Covenant that carried the Presence of God. Jesus is our new covenant example of the freedom we have now - we can sit in God’s Presence and pray (talk to Him) anywhere!

Jesus came so that we could KNOW the Father. Because to know Him is to love Him. He isn’t religion - He’s perfect love. And Jesus is the way to know this love on a personal, intimate level.

Jesus restored to us the ability to “walk with God in the garden in the cool of the day”. A treasure that was seemingly lost in Genesis chapter 3. -Thank you Jesus!

Jesus coming in our place, and these examples in the Old Testament show that all God has ever desired from us is to be in relationship with Him.

As I read about Enoch in Genesis 5, I couldn’t help but think of Moses and how he was described as a friend of God. The Israelites are called God’s people, but Moses was His friend.

Being part of the people of God gave the Israelites front row seats to the miracle working power of the Great I Am - they were privileged to see His acts. And yet as a friend of God, Moses not only saw God’s hand move mightily on their behalf, he was given the privilege to know God’s ways.

Even Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, was called the friend of God because of his faith.

“‘He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” - Psalm 103:7 (AMP) The Amplified Version
“And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.’ He was even called the friend of God.” - James 2:23 (NLT) New Living Translation

Our faith in Jesus transfers His righteousness onto us, restoring us back into right relationship with God. We can’t earn it, no amount of good deeds or hail Mary’s will buy that. It’s a gift given by God’s grace through the establishment of our faith in His Son.

From my experience living here in the States, I’ve noticed that a good amount of Christians think that salvation (asking Jesus into our heart) is where it starts and ends. There was a time when I thought the same. I believe in Jesus - I’m saved - I attend church when I can…I’m going to heaven, so I’m good. Right?

Jesus came for so much more than that.

Salvation is where our journey begins.

Our journey into a deep abiding relationship with a perfect, Holy, almighty God starts when we say yes to Jesus. And every day following is a new day and a brand new invitation to sit in His Presence and just be there with Him. It’s there that we discover His heart. It’s there that we experience His life changing love. It’s in His Presence that we discover the goodness and kindness of His nature.

He invites us in because He wants us to know Him.

He cares about the dreams and desires of our hearts. He has from the beginning of time. He’s the one who put them there.

Giving into the temptation to chase those desires or grip onto them as if they will slip away, only robs us of the unique experience we can have partnering with God in seeing these dreams fulfilled. Seeing God work, knowing His ways, because we are in relationship with Him. Relationship based upon love, a deep admiration, awe and wonder - faith.

Every single generation listed after Adam (the first man) fulfilled their desire to father descendants to carry on their name. Enoch, however, displayed what it looks like to “seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Enoch saw the greatest prize and went after it every day. He walked faithfully with God every day of his life - he abided in the Vine as Jesus taught us to do.

That same invitation to seek the ultimate Prize is laid before us every day. The invitation to experience the more of God, getting to walk with Him in the cool of the day. A life filled with the adventure of walking by faith and not by sight.

The sacrifice Jesus paid for us wasn’t just to give us a ticket into heaven. No - He paid the highest price so that we can experience heaven here on earth!

What God has in store for us is greater than anything we could ever ask or imagine.

The invitation is always present my friends…the question is, will we answer it?

If you are ready to accept His invitation, what better way to sit in His Presence and receive His love than by reading a daily love letter from Him to you?

Check out He Waits For Me: Love Letters From The Lord below: