WALKING PAST GOD.
Hello, family! I apologize for the delay, I’ve been seeking God’s direction on what to share, and He revealed it to me just this morning and I pray it blesses you, Amen!
Walking with God is the cornerstone of our Christian faith, a coveted experience rooted in scripture. Enoch’s remarkable story, where he was taken by God without experiencing death, is a powerful example (Hebrews 11:5). Who wouldn’t desire such intimacy with the divine? However, achieving this depth of relationship can be daunting, even impossible, through our own strength. The author of Hebrews praises Enoch’s faith, highlighting his remarkable ability to walk with God. Yet, there’s an even greater challenge, one that poses a more significant threat to our spiritual well-being.
(You can continue from here to reveal the "something much more dangerous")
WALKING PAST GOD.
Have you ever experienced a moment where someone was trying to visit you, but kept getting lost or missing the address? You decided to step out and greet them, only to have them walk right past you, unaware that the person they were searching for was standing right in front of them? That's exactly what it's like when we unintentionally "walk past" God.
Walking with God by faith is a transformative journey, but what’s even more startling is how easily we can miss Him - often unintentionally - by walking right past Him. It’s a sobering realization that can catch us off guard.
In the Old Testament, we see instances of Christ's pre-incarnate appearances, where God walked among His people in bodily form. I imagine that, on His way to fulfill His purposes, some individuals unknowingly walked past God, oblivious to His presence. The account of Abraham and Lot's encounter with the Lord and His angels before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah comes to mind. It's striking how the people they met along the way failed to recognize the divine visitors, while Abraham and Lot, who were being visited by God, were able to perceive their true identity.
During His incarnation, Jesus, the divine Creator of the universe, took on human form and lived among us. Despite being the God who had come to save humanity from sin, He remained largely unrecognized. Even after encounters with angels and prophetic figures like Simeon and Anna, few grasped His true identity. Mary, in fact, quietly pondered the words spoken about Him.
Let's imagine the scene: the omnipotent God, through whom the universe was created, dwelled in the humble home of Joseph, a carpenter. Yet, He went unnoticed by those around Him. If He were alive today, He might be mocked, bullied, or simply ignored by many. Few would suspect that this unassuming figure was, in fact, the Almighty. What's striking is Jesus' patience and humility. He chose not to reveal His divine nature until the appointed time, quietly biding His time until He came of age.
As Jesus embarked on His public ministry, fully prepared to fulfill the prophecies and expectations surrounding Him, He encountered fierce opposition from those who failed to recognize His divine nature. Ironically, their antagonistic actions ultimately contributed to the fulfillment of the very scriptures they unknowingly sought to thwart. Despite their extensive knowledge of the Torah, the esteemed scholars of the time - including the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes - astonishingly failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. For decades, they had pored over the scriptures, yet when the Christ stood before them, fulfilling every prophecy and scriptural expectation, they still refused to acknowledge Him as the divine Son of God.
Jesus repeatedly emphasized, "If you believed Moses, you would believe me," but His words fell on deaf ears. They failed to grasp the profound connection between the scriptures they revered and the One standing before them. Ironically, everything Jesus said and did was for their benefit, yet they remained oblivious, walking past the very God they claimed to worship.
My studies on the Jewish context of Jesus' fulfillment of prophecies have revealed a striking truth: His divine identity was remarkably evident, yet He was often overlooked by those around Him. Despite being the Messiah, Jesus didn't attract large crowds or garner widespread support, partly because He refused to cater to the people's desires for political liberation from Rome or their hopes for a earthly king. Instead, Jesus faced intense scrutiny, testing, and questioning. Some even attempted to stone Him, unable to comprehend a man claiming divinity while performing miraculous works reminiscent of God's actions in the Old Testament.
I'm eager to continue this reflection in a future piece, exploring how we might be walking past God in our daily lives. May God inspire me with His words.
For now, I'll leave you with three practical principles to help us avoid walking past God:
1. Honour men: Treat others with dignity and respect.
2. Entertain strangers: Show hospitality to those you encounter.
3. Study the Bible: Deepen your understanding of God's Word.
In my next write-up, I'll expand on these principles and explore how they can be applied to our lives, all by God's grace.
Grace and Peace to God's people, Amen!
