More and more

“Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God…” Genesis 5:23-24

Enoch was an Old Testament prophet that was mentioned briefly in Genesis 5, almost in passing it would seem. He is mentioned in the genealogies. But an interesting thing is known about him. He walked with God until one day when God decided to take him, seemingly apart from dying. An early happening of what we would call a rapture. Which we as New Testament Christians are awaiting.

We believe to the best of our knowledge and by the authority of the scriptures, that he was taken supernaturally by God, and did not die. It’s as if he was so one with God, that God couldn’t stand to be without him any longer. And so took him. That was the next level of more God had for him.

The idea of walking with a friend, and the joy of it, is in how deep the love of it is for both friends. The length of the walk depends on the love of the other, and how much they are enjoying each other. The walk will only be cut short or paused if one of them tires of the other, or just tires of the journey.

In the language this text was written in, the word “walking” carries this sense and meaning of having more and more with someone. Enoch, more and more-ed with God. Never content with how far they’d come, but only concerned with wether they’d get to go further with each other.

More and more is the heart of a relationship of being in love with God. He is a drink we hope never ends. A presence we never have to leave. A relationship we hope will never disappoint.

The core of a relationship like this is not in the strength of both. But the strength of love that at least one has. For both can desire to more and more with the other. But if one is weak, and cannot journey on, the other is the one who is his only hope for going on further.

When one is weak in relationship to the other, his only hope is the strength of love the other has for him. Because if the other is weak too, we cannot carry on. Because he cannot carry me. But if he is strong, I won’t be crushed by them abandoning me and our journey ending with them going on without me.

If the other loves me, I am the journey. For them the journey is not reaching a place, but in reaching me. And going somewhere better together.

To more and more with God means to always be believing in Him and relying on Him for more. It’s remembering all that He has promised that you still haven’t realized in your own life or received in your journey with Him yet.

More and more, is the redemption of the crave that’s in our fallen nature. We were given this fallen craving for more than God by our ancestors. Spiritually we are born craving. Born to hunger for more. Born to want more. Born to be discontent with just love. We want love and more. We lust.

The redemption of this crave, looks like Jesus. Simply put. But also deeply put. We enter into the pleasure of God by welcoming God into us. He desires more too. More children to love and glory His grace in.

He desires more of you and me. His love longs to have, to hold, to love, and to give. His love longs for you. This is the humility of God. He is okay suffering for want of more men and women to love. He hungers to fill you with his love. That’s all God allows himself to need, vessels to fill with love out of his constant overflow of love.

Perhaps the redemption of our bodies, our resurrection, will be eternal capacity containers of love. Containers, Houses, Temples with no fill limit. Minds, hearts, and souls with an endless capacity to drink His love.

Perhaps when earth is done, and heaven is fully begun(because its partly begun now) our journey will have just begun. Maybe heaven is just an endless road where perfect love can consummate eternally.

More and more with Him my friend. Lean into the desire for more, let Him redeem it by filling it with Himself. And with each filling, you will be increased in your capacity to delight and drink His Spirit and presence in. This will create a deeper hunger, but you will grow into a rhythm of longing, receiving, loving, longing, receiving and on and on. The More and more style of living. It’s the agape way.

Come home to a place when your heart can have more than it ever needed or wanted from the world. Sin has dug wells that grace desires to fill. And that grace will dig deeper wells there still. And God will become the More you needed, to keep you tethered to His love.

I leave you with this promise. My promise. My gospel. This is where Jesus’s grace found me.

"The longing soul He satisfies, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.” Psalm 107:9 ESV (my emphasis added)

May The God of More moor you to, in, and through Love. Both today and tomorrow.

Amen and Selah.

Gratefully,

Nathaniel