Walking with God

The Navajo talk of walking life paths and each one walks his or her own. Basically, there is the Dine’ way (the Navajo way, the way of life and land) or there is a way for everyone else—and generally speaking, it is in the Dineway the Navajo tries to maintain the hozho (peace) of the imbalance of nature caused by the less knowledgeable (non-Navajo). Within the Navajo way are many paths detailed in ceremonies: the Navajo Blessingway, which is a rehearsal of “emergence” or creation (of sorts); the Enemyway, a cleansing ceremony and others such as Shootingway, Nizhoniway or Beautyway, Mountainway, Nightway, Navajo Windway. Each of these is dominated by chants categorized as Lifeway, Evilway and Holyway.[1]

In more recent times there has been the addition of the Jesusway. Since the preaching of the good news of Jesus Christ believers are recognizing there is another path to walk and it is a narrow way that leads to life. Jesus taught, “Go in through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in through it. Because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matt.7:13-14). Once on this path there is no turning to the right or left. The Navajo Christians would agree that walking with God is not an abstract ideal but a personality, a lifestyle.[2]

Enoch is a person that comes to mind when we think of walking with God, for we read in Genesis that Enoch walked with God, and then God took him (Gen. 5:24). Closer investigation will reveal that Enoch did not always walk with God. Genesis 5:22 tells us that he walked with God for 300 years after he fathered Methuselah. In Genesis 5:21 we read he was 65 years old when he fathered Methuselah and when he was 365 years old, God took him. Enoch walked with God for 300 years, but not for the first 65. It did not take Enoch long to discover there were two ways to walk—either with God or apart from Him. He chose the Godway over the Enochway.

But did you know there were two Enochs? One walked the Godway. The other Enoch walked the Enochway. This one was the son of Cain, murderer of Abel (Genesis 4). Each of Cain’s sons did not walk with God. As a matter of fact, one of those relatives was worse than Cain, walking in the way of a son of God should not, walking as a son of man, in his sin. No replacement for Abel came until Seth (Genesis 5) and it is from these sons of God that our Enoch came, who walked with God and all his sons with him, including Noah. It is when the sons of God found another interest (the daughters of men) that the wickedness grew and Noah’s walk stood out.

Noah was another man who walked with God, for in Genesis 6:9 we read, “Noah was a just and perfect man in his generations. Noah walked with God.” We know that Noah was 600 years old when the floods came (Gen. 7:6) and he was considered to be walking with God during this time. We don’t know how old he was when he started and really it does not matter. The fact is: Noah walked with God.

Solomon testifies that his father David walked with God in 1 Kings 8:25. How well did Solomon walk with God? God said He would put a king of His choosing on the throne who is not a stranger. Also, this king would not supply himself with horses from Egypt, nor cause his people to return there, nor would he take many wives for himself or great treasures. He would be a king who has a copy of God’s law and will meditate on it day and night (Deut. 17:14-20).

How well did Solomon follow in his father’s footsteps in walking with God? 1 Kings 3:3 says “Solomon love the LROD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” EXCEPT? This should not surprise us. Solomon gained the throne by deceit, by the choosing of another beside God (1 Kings 1:11-53). He had horses brought from Egypt (1 Kings 10:28), ushered in the golden age by amassing great wealth (1 Kings 4:21-28). And all we remember is that God gave him wisdom (1 Kings 4:29-24) by his record here, in one psalm, the collection of Proverbs and recollections of Ecclesiastes. And did we mention the wives and idolatry (1 Kings 10-11)?

How well did he do? Look at the kings who followed: 1 Kings 15:3 “And he walked in all the sins of his father which he had done before him. And his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as the heart of David his father.” And the dominoes fell the way they fall.

What does it take to walk the Godway but Jesus—and He said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No on comes to the Father but through me” (Jn. 14:6).

What does that way look like? It starts with salvation, for in Jesus is life, the light of men (John 1:4). From there John write elsewhere, “And this is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” (1 John 1:5-10).

The Jesusway is the way of obedience (John 14:15). Someone said that no horse gets anyone anywhere until he's harnessed, no steam or gas drives anything until it is confined, no Niagara ever turns anything into light or power until it is tunneled, no life ever does great things it is until focused, dedicated, and disciplined. Some forms of life that can live in relative isolation. A sponge, for instance, fastens itself to the bottom of the sea and completes its life cycle there. Lichen grows on the side of a rock and, while it spreads around slightly, never moves from its original location. But man isn't made to be like that. His power and usefulness come, not in isolation, but through union and cooperation with God in the through Jesus Christ in the power of His Spirit. No life can be truly valuable in God's sight that isn't attached to Jesus Christ.

[1] “Navajo Cosmology and Worldview.” Unpublished article.
[2] Bonar, “Words to Winners of Souls”