I became aware of a rhythm of interactions God had with individuals in the first twenty verses of Genesis 21. Here are some of them: 'The Lord visit,' 'God said,' 'God heard,' 'God called,' and 'God opened her eyes.' These phrases struck an interesting thought in me.
One of the things that I love about the Bible is the interactions God has with people are for all people. In other words, His interaction with all 'types' of people throughout the scriptures points to the fact that He still interacts and engages with us today. What an invitation! We could and do approach God with many views such as judge, disappointed parent, friend, old sage, etc... Our view of God can determine how we interact with Him. We discover He isn't a distant entity but a very close companion we journey with and follow through life.
The Lord visits us! He meets us right where we are in the moment we are in. He doesn't wait to meet us when we get our act together. He meets us at the intersection of our story and His. I once had a pastor that said, "Life is so daily." The Lord visits us in our daily living which is interactive and present. It's okay to ask Him to confirm His presence every day.
His daily interaction with us is not mute. He speaks! If this is not true, then what do we have that is any different than other faith traditions? He is relational. This means that He speaks TO us. In the scripture, Eli told Samuel to say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.'
God speaking to us is not a monologue but a dialogue. We speak, God listens, He speaks, we listen. God hears! Our journey is to be known by God and to know God - this is faith. Some say, 'God already knows us,' which is true, but do we know Him to the fullest that He invites us to? To be heard is to be known. To know we have been heard is to know that we are also understood. Relationship! We get to have this relationship with the Divine through Christ Jesus our Lord. This is good news, friends! He is life to our souls!
God is all about invitations. God invites! My pastor said it well this past weekend. When we hear "repent" it can take such a negative connotation, but it's not that at all. It's an invitation to us that says, "Do it my way. It will be much better. You, I love." Our journey is a continual call from Him to do life His way. It is so much better for us. It's beautifully hard to let go of my ways to embrace His. I can honestly say I never have regrets when I heed His call.
Following God is an adventure. Just like any adventure, new things are discovered and understood. God opens our eyes! When we respond to His invitations, we don't know what He will lead us to, who we will meet along the way, or where we will arrive, but, isn't that the point of an adventure? I have thought about my journey many times. I would have never planned out my life the way that it has unfolded and I am thankful to God it didn't go as I had planned.
We are in a relationship with our Creator through Jesus Christ. He has planned good works for us to walk in on our journey. He has a plan, a purpose, and a destination for each of us. This plan is worked out in our daily lives with Him visiting & speaking, listening & calling, and opening our eyes along the way.
As you are discerning your relationship with Christ, if you need a prayerful listening ear, it would be an honor for me to sit with you.
Peace for your journey with the One who loves you the most.
Rob
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