Stephen’s sermon this morning looked at the idea of going for a walk. Gen 3:8 talks about Adam and Eve hearing the sound of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. There is a familiarity and intimacy to this scene which is breathtaking; the thought of man’s regular communion with God in the Garden of Eden reminds us of the close relationship with God for which we were created. There is a sense of constancy and consistency; clearly, this was a regular fellowship enjoyed by Adam and Eve until the arrival of sin.
Sin spoilt that closeness between man and God, and as a result, Adam and Eve hid among the trees, no longer craving that closeness with God, but fearing it. The good news is that God has taken the initiative to restore that relationship, for just as He came down to walk with them in the garden, so He comes down to us through Jesus and restores our relationship: ‘I will walk among you and be your God and you will be my people.’ (Lev 26:12, see also 2 Cor 6:16).
We need to have a daily walk with God, knowing His presence with us every day. We no longer walk alone, for the door has been opened and God has come in. The only thing which can stop us knowing the blessing of His presence is if we run and hide from Him. The difference God can make to us is enormous, but we have to stop hiding from Him and holding back from Him, realising that we belong to Him and have been bought at a price. Enoch walked with God for 300 years (Gen 5:22) and we too can walk with God every step of our lives, knowing the mind-blowing experience of stepping out with God on a daily walk.