Meeting with God
Bible Readings
- Jeremiah 24:7 - And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
- Genesis 7:4 - For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
- Genesis 12:2 - And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.
- Exodus 3:2 - And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
- Judges 6:12 - And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
- John 4:26 - Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
- Acts 9:4 - And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
- James 4:8 - Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
God wants to speak directly with you, so open His Word and listen.
Many of us are blessed to have close friends. Imagine if we never spent time with them, simply talking about and thinking how wonderful these special people are. Wouldn't that be strange? Yet, some Christians do exactly that. While they may gather knowledge about God, they miss out on a rich communion with their Heavenly Father, who is the best friend they could ever have.
It's possible to fill our lives with spiritual information and activities – all good things – yet fail to cultivate an intimate relationship with God. Scripture speaks of many people whose lives were inspired and transformed by a personal encounter with Him. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, the Samaritan woman, and Paul are just a few who spoke with Him one-on-one (Genesis 7:4; Genesis 12:2; Exodus 3:2; Judges 6:12; John 4:1-42; Acts 9:3-6). Today, we don't expect dramatic events like a "burning bush," but all believers should still spend valuable and intimate time with God. When we open His Word and invite the Holy Spirit to teach us, we can hear directly from our Creator.
James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." Walking closely with the Lord requires faithfulness, commitment, and time. This is essential if we want to grow in Christ-likeness.
🤔 Reflection
Are you ready to dedicate time and faithfulness to build a personal relationship with God? What changes do you need to make in your life to draw closer to Him?
Photo by Photo by Teeratida C. on Unsplash