Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.  After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.  Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.  After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.  Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years.  Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

• Genesis 5:18-24

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”  For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

• Hebrews 11:5-6

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”  These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

• Jude 1:14-16

“There ain’t nothing that can’t be done
By me and God
Ain’t nobody come in between me and God
One day we’ll live together
Where the angels trod
Me and God
Early in the morning talking it over
Me and God
Late at night talking it over
Me and God
You could say we’re like two peas in a pod
Me and God

“He’s my father
He’s my friend
The beginning
And the end
He rules the world
With a staff and rod
We’re a team
Me and God

“I am weak, and he is strong
Me and God
He forgives me when I’m wrong
Me and God
He’s the one I lean on
When life gets hard
Me and God

“He’s my father
He’s my friend
The beginning
And the end
He rules the world
With a staff and rod
We’re a team
Me and God
He rules the world
With a staff and rod
We’re a team
Me and God
We’re a team
Me and God”

• Josh Turner, Me and God

I was listening to a music special on Josh Turner the other day and I heard this song.  Isn’t it odd how we can fall into the trap that is mentioned in the Scripture from Jude above.  We nitpick; we find fault; or we waste our time trying.

He joked that he wrote Country music, so following grammar wasn’t necessary.  I listened to the song, and other than the repeated title, I found no fault, and I actually found a few nuggets of genuine faith.

What struck me were the lines about early in the morning and late at night, just talking it over.  Me and God. In other words, praying all day, Me and God.

It made me think of Enoch.  Other than the son of Cain being named Enoch, the Enoch who “walked with God” is only known by the Scriptures shown above.  He is mentioned in an Old Testament genealogy and in Luke’s genealogy of Jesus.  That’s it.

So what do we know?  He walked with God.  Early in the morning, late at night, he walked with God.  Just the two of them.

I have had mean people suggest that I take a long walk off a short pier.  They could have told Enoch that, and he would take them up on it.  He’d just keep walking.

Enoch is the father of Methuselah.  They say that Methuselah is the oldest man who ever lived, living 969 years, seven more than his grandfather Jared.  But Enoch never died.  We can assume that he is still living, so Enoch has Methuselah beat.  Okay, living here on earth…

But then again it is not the years in the life but the life in the years.  Don’t know who said that, but I think Enoch has us all beat on that one too.

You see, like the song says, Enoch and God were a team.

If Jesus and I were to be a team and we played football, He would be the quarterback, calling the plays.  It would never work out if I called the plays.  We could probably make other analogies.  Jesus would be the point guard on the basketball team.  Probably the center in hockey.  The other sports that I can think of get aa little muddy.  When we think of God and us as a team, God needs to be the play caller.  When we think of just the two of us, grammar or lousy grammar, God needs to come first, but as you dig into the words of the song, the composer only flips the words to make it off enough to catch people’s attention.  As Josh Turner said, he wrote a Country song and it makes sense when you say things lie, “Me and God.”

Yes, Enoch had an attitude.  Usually when that is said of someone, they are thinking tough and mean.  Enoch attitude was toward God and what God wanted for him in his life.  Enoch spent his entire day, talking it over, just the two of them, him and God.  It’s like he whispered the lyrics into the composer’s ear, Me and God.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.