Have you ever made anything? Perhaps as a child, you made a derby racer so you could be the first to cross the finish line. Maybe you made a dress from scratch using a McCall’s or Simplicity pattern. I recall making lasagna from scratch to impress a girl.
It is in human DNA to create things; this is because creator God placed the desire within humanity when he created us. Think about this, how long did it take to make that derby racer or that dress? I know it took me all day long to make that lasagna dish.
The Bible says that God made man, male, and female in one day. The question is was it a natural day (24 hours) or an eternal day. There are a couple of references to an eternal day being like 1,000 years or 365,000 natural days. Either way, making something takes time.
The Old Testament book of Genesis shows God creating things, including humanity. The book also states, in the first chapter, God says he will make man (male and female) in his image and likeness. Even though the words have different meanings, create and make are used somewhat interchangeably. This is important to understand regarding a close personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
In a close personal relationship with the godhead, you are “making” a commitment to enter into something God “created” in the beginning, walking with him. In the beginning, Adam walked with God as naturally as he breathed the air. This is not the case in this journey to a close personal relationship with the godhead. This is, in part, because of Adam’s willful disobedience to God. It created a chasm separating God and man (male and female).
It takes time. Sinful human nature tends to be impatient, often making attempts to “hurry” the process along. Have you ever made something in the kitchen, and for the sake of “time,” skipped a step or two? I am willing to bet (speaking from experience) that it did not turn out so well.
I have mentioned this Old Testament character before, but his story illustrates the point. Enoch began walking with God at age 65, after the birth of his sons. The Bible says God took Enoch into heaven at age 365 years, meaning that Enoch did not die. For the next 300-years of his life, Enoch drew close to God. My question is why 300-years later? Why didn’t his epoch event happen 10-years later? The simple answer is that it takes time.
I began this particular portion of my journey in 2008, and 12-years later, I feel as though I have only taken a couple of steps. There is so much to learn, so much to explore; and so much to get rid of, in order to learn and explore.
Let me encourage you not to become impatient if Enoch could do it, so can you. There is a far deeper purpose in drawing close to God than simply getting closer to him. You must remember that in the beginning, God placed the man and woman in the garden to take care of it. He created humanity to have dominion over the natural part of the earth; the introduction of sin placing God’s plan on hold. I must navigate through the thoughts, feelings, and disappointments of being in a religious world (I call it the matrix). I must also manage to escape the muck and mire of my own sinful nature. All of this takes time.
I believe that Enoch had to overcome the same obstacles in his journey to a close personal relationship. You and I may not have an added 300-years to complete our journey—at least on this side of eternity—but we have the full resources of the Kingdom of God to assist us.
What if, this unexpected journey to a close personal relationship with the godhead, is about preparing humanity—those who have a willingness to follow him—for the restart of God’s original plan? The Bible speaks of a new heaven and a new earth. What if, those willing to move beyond a religious experience with God, moving into a close personal relationship, are being prepared for ruling and reigning with him in a new heaven and earth?
This isn’t about offering some false hope for a better tomorrow, while you muddle through a useless existence today. This is about understanding a close personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is life-changing—both in this world and the world to come.
One translation of the Bible writes something like this in the New Testament book of Hebrews. They looked down the corridors of time and saw their home, their heavenly home.
In another place, the Apostle Paul speaks about enduring “light afflictions” that will immediately be forgotten once he sees his eternal home.