As stated last week, one of the great truths that can help keep us on the path of life is I Timothy 1:5, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” In everything, we are called to grow in love, and this helps us understand the purpose of our trials and challenges. As we learn to embrace each opportunity to love, we can get through each trial faster with much more accomplished.
The two major purposes of our life are to do and become. We are here to do His will and become like Him. We must keep these in balance. If we get overly focused on what we are to do, we will become works-oriented. If we get overly focused on what we are to become, we can become self-centered. To keep them in balance we must be Christ-centered. We are not just called to follow plans or strategies; we are called to follow Him.
The Lord said the end of this age would be the greatest time of trouble the world has ever known. He also said it would be like the “times of Noah” (see Luke 17:26). Noah lived in the darkest of times experienced on earth to date, so much so the Lord had to virtually wipe out all life on earth except for a chosen few and start over. We are living a replay of that now.
Enoch lived in the times of Noah before the flood. He is one of the great examples of how we must walk to navigate the increasing darkness. As we learn from the Book of Enoch, he was aware of the darkness of his times. The evil-ones even tried to use him, but he was so faithful and stayed the course he was translated straight into heaven without experiencing death. How Enoch did this is one of the important lessons we must learn for these times that are so much like his.
Enoch accomplished what he did because he kept his attention more on the Lord than on the darkness. As we see from the genealogies in Genesis, Adam was still alive for part of Enoch’s life. Some have speculated that perhaps Enoch talked to Adam about what it was like to walk with God in the Garden and resolved to recapture this close relationship with God. Regardless, one of the great testimonies we have from Scripture is that God never rebuffs anyone who seeks Him.
The Father desires a relationship with us so much He sent His Son to pay the price to reconcile and restore our relationship to Him. What could we possibly do better than to seek Him?
Nowhere does it say we cannot do what Enoch did. Some have even speculated that the rapture at the end of this age will consist of people who have become so consumed with seeking Him that the entire bride gets translated as Enoch did. That is possible.
Regardless, since we were created for His pleasure, there is nothing more important we can do than to seek Him and do those things that please Him. We are also compelled by the truth that we become what we behold (see II Corinthians 3:18). Likewise, if we are overly focused on the darkness, it can change us into its nature. However, if we keep our focus on the Lord, we can be changed into His image even in the darkest times.
We also see in Isaiah 60:1-3 that it will be in times of greatest darkness that the glory of the Lord appears on His people. The result of this will be the world coming to the light and the light winning over darkness. As the saying goes, “It is not until it gets dark that the stars are seen.” Let’s grasp and take advantage of this awesome honor and opportunity to live in such times and resolve that we will see and reveal His glory in others by staying as close to Him as we can.
