The Secret for Happiness in the New Year!
Happy New Year! I pray that God’s love, the grace of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us as we work together in the Lord’s vineyard this year.
During my devotional this morning I read: “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Gen. 5:24, NASV) This is the first time the Bible mentions someone walking with God. It portrays the idea of a progressive and constant walk and it gives the hint that Enoch decided to persistently walk with God. Yes, he continued to walk, opened ways, made decisions, and did not measure the effort to follow the Lord, despite all obstacles. He was determined to walk with God. “Enoch’s walk with God was not in a trance or a vision, but in all the duties of his daily life. He did not become a hermit, shutting himself entirely from the world; for he had a work to do for God in the world. In the family and in his intercourse with men, as a husband and father, a friend, a citizen, he was the steadfast, unwavering servant of the Lord. … Enoch was a man of strong and highly cultivated mind and extensive knowledge; he was honored with special revelations from God; yet being in constant communion with Heaven, with a sense of the divine greatness and perfection ever before him, he was one of the humblest of men. The closer the connection with God, the deeper was the sense of his own weakness and imperfection.” (EGW, PP, 85)
Enoch lived a normal life expected of any responsible citizen. He took care of his family, business, projects in life, etc. His secret to become a righteous person was to walk with God, in His presence and company. Yes, he “found and dedicated” time to pray and for spiritual matters — he had a daily, personal, and intimate relationship with God. Why did he do that? Because he had “learned” that he would not be able to stand and face the challenges of life by himself. That should also be our experience as we do not have the strength, desire, vision, or power to accomplish this by ourselves, either. Our own justice, good works, and knowledge cannot help us to reach heaven — only with and through Jesus Christ we can do that!
My prayer for all of us is that during this New Year we choose to depend and trust in God’s leadership in our lives and that we walk with Him, always!
Please, let’s promote and participate with our congregations in the NAD 10 Days of Prayer – January 8 – 18.
Happy Sabbath!
In His Service,
Wesley Torres
President