Devotional 17 July 2025

July 17, 2025 • Steve Torres

Hebrews 11:5-6.jpg

"By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."(Hebrews 11:5-6, ESV)

Enoch is one of the most enigmatic figures in Scripture. Like Abel, he never speaks a word in the biblical record, yet his life still speaks. Abel, we are told, still speaks through his death (Heb. 11:4). Enoch speaks through his life, a life that did not end in death at all. Together, they bear witness: true faith, whether in sacrifice or in walking with God, is the path to eternal life.

The writer of Hebrews explains that Enoch pleased God, and the only way that could be true is if Enoch lived by faith. Not just believing that God exists, but believing God Himself, believing His promises, trusting His character, and living each day as if those unseen promises were real and certain.

We are told that Enoch “walked with God” (Gen. 5:24), and that God “took him.” This is a picture of what it means to live eternally, not beginning at death, but beginning with new life now. Jesus said, “Whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:47). And even if we die we are alive (John 11:25-26). Eternal life isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we live, today, by faith.

To draw near to God, we must not live as if sin still defines us, but as those raised with Christ (Ephesians 2:1-6, Colossians 3:1-4). Enoch’s life calls out to us to walk with God, to live in the light of the promises. He joins Abel as a witness, one from death, one from life, both declaring that those who believe God will not perish.

Live by faith. Let your life speak. Enoch, our second witness of faith, still speaks through his life. May we have ears to hear.