God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us.
?For in Him we live and move and have our being.?
Acts 17:27 & 28 NIV
I have been pondering for the last few months how incredible it is we are able to have relationship with God. The wonder of a relationship - a personal relationship! - initiated, defined, and sustained by His perfect love. The profound mystery, the privilege, and the cost of this love, is hard for us to wrap our minds around. Paul makes reference to this in his prayer for the Ephesians, ?May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to fully understand.?
The truth of the matter is one of the aspects of God?s very nature is that He is eminently relational. The Holy Trinity, our three in one God, bears this out. Scripture, as well, shows us many ways God is described that are clearly relational: Father, Bridegroom, Counselor, Master, High Priest, Friend, Teacher, Savior, Comforter, Lover, Shepherd, Guide, Strengthener, Redeemer.
None of these words involve just one; they all only work in relationship. And we, as God?s beloved children, are the ones on the other side of these words of connection! The very name Jesus, which means Immanuel (God with us), clearly shows God?s heart, doesn?t it? All of these ways God relates to us are so intimate and personal, aren?t they?
It really is life-changing as we begin to grasp and engage with the Lord?s ongoing invitation and desire for each of us, personally, to have an intimate relationship with Him, God Almighty!
Seriously, how amazing is that?
It is with awe and gratitude I look back at my life and see how He has revealed Himself to me in many of these ways, especially as I have found myself in challenging seasons. God reaches down from heaven and touches each of us so very uniquely as we journey through life.
Friend. Teacher. Priest. Comforter. Guide...We can go on and on through the list of deeply relational words.
Maybe you can remember those times of communion with Him as He has been with you in these ways during certain seasons in your life. Oh how we need the divine grace of His tender care for us when we mess up, find ourselves facing the seemingly impossible, or are faced with heartbreak! Even when things are going well, He is our most welcome Companion. This relationship with God Almighty is indeed a relationship in every sense of that life-giving word; in fact, it's a friendship like no other.
For Reflection...
~ So a question for reflection I'd like to ask you is: as you look at the list of relational words describing God above, how is God revealing Himself to you personally these days?
As you ponder this you might want to write a prayer of response to the Lord.
~ Or you might like to focus on God?s love and how the Trinity relationally works in us from Paul?s prayer below. Perhaps reading and re-reading with each of the questions below as a guide can be a way God speaks to your heart today.
- What do you think the Lord would have you notice about Him, from this passage?
- Is there a word or a phrase that stands out to you? (don?t over-think this)
- How does this word or phrase intersect with what is currently going on in your life? Keep in mind God?s Word is always relevant to our ?right here, right now? lives.
- Write an honest prayer of response to what God might be saying to you today.
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.?Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God?s love and keep you strong.?And may you have the power to understand, as all God?s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.?May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.?Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.?Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT
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