A curious phrase appears in Scripture that’s easy to overlook, yet it holds the key to understanding why we were created. The Bible tells us that Adam and Eve “walked with God” in the cool of the evening. Enoch “walked with God” for three hundred years before God simply took him Home. Noah “walked with God” in a world gone completely corrupt. These weren’t casual strolls or metaphorical references – they describe the most fundamental human activity imaginable.
And lest we think this was only for ancient biblical figures, the prophet Micah reminds us that God still requires three things of humanity: to do justice, love mercy, and “walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Not worship from a distance. Not merely obey a set of rules. Walk with Him.
What if God’s supreme purpose in creating humanity was never about having subjects to rule over, but companions to walk beside?
The Heart Behind Creation
When we think about why God created us, we often default to concepts like worship, service, or obedience. But the Genesis narrative suggests something far more intimate. In the Garden of Eden, God came looking for Adam and Eve in the evening breeze, calling out, “Where are you?” This wasn’t the voice of an angry dictator demanding an account from rebellious subjects. This was the voice of someone who had an appointment – a walking appointment – and was asking why His friends hadn’t shown up.
God, who lacks nothing and needs nothing, chose to create beings capable of fellowship with Him. He wanted walking companions. This explains why the tragedy of the Fall wasn’t primarily about broken rules, but about broken fellowship. Sin didn’t just make us lawbreakers; it made us people who hide when we hear God’s voice in the garden.
The entire story of Scripture – from Genesis to Revelation – is the story of God working to restore that walk. Every covenant, every promise, every act of redemption points toward the same goal: bringing His people back into fellowship with Him.
The Path of Knowing
So how do we walk with an invisible Spirit? How do we cultivate a relationship with Someone we cannot see, touch, or audibly hear in the conventional sense?
The primary pathway is through Scripture – not merely reading it for information, but approaching it as the means by which we get to know God’s heart, character, and voice. When we read that “God so loved the world,” we’re not just learning doctrine; we’re discovering the heart of our walking companion. When we see Jesus weeping over Jerusalem or tenderly restoring Peter after his denial, we’re witnessing the character of the One who invites us to walk beside Him.
The Bible becomes our introduction to God’s personality, His sense of humor, His fierce protectiveness, His surprising grace, and His infinite creativity. Through its pages, we learn to recognize His voice, understand His ways, and anticipate His responses.
But Scripture is only one side of the conversation. Prayer completes the walking dialogue – not just our requests and petitions, but our thoughts, observations, questions, and simple acknowledgment of His presence throughout our days. The walk with God happens as we learn to include Him in our mental conversations, seeking His perspective on our experiences and sharing our hearts with Him as naturally as we would with any close friend.
The Modern Crisis
Here’s where we encounter a significant problem: biblical literacy is plummeting, even among Christians. Recent studies show that many believers can’t name the four Gospels or explain basic biblical concepts. We’re essentially trying to maintain a friendship with someone we’ve never properly met.
But people aren’t rejecting a boring book of ancient rules – they’re unknowingly rejecting the most fascinating relationship available to humanity. They’re missing out on walking with the One who created galaxies and also notices when a sparrow falls. They’re forgoing fellowship with Someone who has both the power to calm storms and the tenderness to weep with those who mourn.
The tragedy isn’t that people are becoming less religious; it’s that they’re missing the very thing their souls were designed for. We were created for this walk, which is why nothing else – no achievement, relationship, or experience – can fully satisfy the deepest longing of the human heart.
Learning to Walk Again
Walking with God isn’t complicated, but it does require intentionality. It begins with approaching Scripture not as a duty to be fulfilled, but as time spent getting to know our dearest friend. Instead of racing through chapters to check off a reading plan, we might read smaller portions more slowly, asking questions like: “What does this tell me about what God is like?” or “How is God’s heart revealed here?”
The walk continues as we create mental and physical space for listening, not just talking. Some of God’s clearest communication comes through the gentle impressions, sudden insights, or unexpected peace that follows our honest conversations with Him. We learn to recognize His voice by spending time in His presence.
Most importantly, we begin to acknowledge God’s presence in ordinary moments. The walk with God isn’t limited to morning devotions or Sunday services – it’s the ongoing recognition that we are never alone, never unnoticed, never without His companionship. Whether we’re stuck in traffic, dealing with difficult people, celebrating good news, or facing challenges, we can turn our thoughts toward Him as naturally as we might glance at a friend walking beside us.
The Invitation Still Stands
The most remarkable truth is that God is still looking for walking companions. The same God who walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, who walked so closely with Enoch that He simply took him home, who found in Noah a walking partner even when the rest of the world had turned away – this same God extends the invitation to us.
He’s not looking for perfect people; He’s looking for people willing to walk with Him through their imperfections. He’s not demanding that we figure everything out before we start walking; He’s offering to teach us as we go. He’s not waiting for us to become more spiritual or more worthy; He’s inviting us to walk with Him exactly as we are, right now, today.
This is what our souls were made for. This is why, in our quietest moments, we sense that we’re missing something essential. This is why success feels hollow and possessions feel empty and even the best human relationships, wonderful as they are, can’t quite fill the deepest place in our hearts.
We were created to walk with God. The path is still there. He’s still calling our names in the evening breeze, still looking for us, still hoping we’ll join Him for the walk He’s always wanted to share with us.
The only question is: Will we join him on the path?
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In order to walk with God, you must first be born into His family. If you haven’t had this experience and would like to, please read my blog “Highway to Heaven” for instructions.
My Walking with God Series
“A Precious Promise: God’s Greatest Gift” – God’s sweetest gift to humanity is Himself.
“Our Walk with God: Rediscovering Humanity’s Purpose” – this blog
” ‘Hope Is the First Dose’: Recovering from Massive Tragedy” – a neurosurgeon’s story of loss, despair, and gradual, painful recovery
“When Walking with God Looks Like Washing Dishes” – how to develop a close, daily relationship with God
“When Walking with God Becomes Rewriting God: The Deconstruction Detour” – tragically, sometimes, instead of walking WITH God, people walk AWAY from Him
“Walking with the True God: Navigating the Sacred Path Without Losing Your Way” – when our zeal for God overflows, we must be sure we are walking with the true God, not a deceiving spirit
To truly know Almighty God, you must mine the treasures of the Bible. The two study guides pictured below were written by my mother, who taught the Bible in Sunday School and public high school classes for over 30 years. They are a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to know God and His Word better.
Here are links to my blog indexes, so please click one and keep reading!
My Books, Workbooks, and Fun Books
Knowing the Unknowable One
Opening the Treasure Chest
Walking Heart-to-Heart with God
Walking Heart-to-Heart with Each Other
Fighting the Good Fight of Faith
Christian Mysteries: Why I Love Them!
List of Some Nonfiction Books You Don’t Want to Miss
Index of Assorted Topics