Help, I think I’ve Fallen and Can’t Get Up
By Pam Blattner
“…Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
Genesis 5:24
Almost nothing is written about Enoch in the Bible; it is all summed up with this verse about his relationship with the Lord…he walked with God. Great concept, but what does it mean to “walk” with God?By Pam Blattner
“…Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
Genesis 5:24
I believe that as human beings this is one of our hardest lessons. Have you ever taken a walk with a toddler? He practically hates holding your hand! Instead of clinging to our Father's hand, we have this tendency to take off on our own at times, too. Sometimes we let the cares of this world pull us away from Him instead of holding tighter to His hand. We try to fix things when it may not be God’s timing. We strive for harmony. We get impatient for God to act. The lack of peace we experience is like that of a fish that fell off the hook, flailing around on the pier. When that fish falls back in the water, it quickly gets its bearings and strength, speedily swimming off into the weeds for safety. That’s how it is with us. Sometimes, God allows us to flail around until we reach His hand and begin to resume our walk together. I can imagine God quietly saying, “Keep your hand in Mine. Don’t let go. Don’t take off on your own. I am able to keep you from falling.”
God's Word is full of promises about our Father's willingness to hold us. Look at David’s words to us in Psalm 16:8: "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” That’s how David walked and remained a man after God’s own heart, even though there certainly were times he fell.
When our relationship with God seems distant, it’s often because of our daily busyness, isn’t it? A mentor of mine told me that if I remembered one thing that she taught me, it would be to try to “let every breath be a prayer.” Prayer is simply “talking.” And what a sweet thing to talk together as we walk with the Lord hand-in-hand. Prayer when we’re alone or busy; prayer when we’re walking on a hike, prayer sharing our hearts’ desires in the evening. When we do this, we feel safe. We are walking closely with Him.
Like Enoch, we, too, are preparing for God to come and “take us away,” and in this preparation time we need to be walking hand-in-hand with Him.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Do you put on an attitude of submission when you’re walking with Jesus? Do you feel Him reaching for you to grasp His hand right now? Take a chance, look into His glorious face, and trust Him to keep you from falling.
FURTHER READING:
Psalms 20:6; Isaiah 41:10-13, 42:5-6
Pam and her husband Richard have two adult children and two grandchildren. She serves Oakwood through its Family Care Ministries.
