What must it have like for Abraham? Not since Adam had God spoken and dealt with a man in the way He spoke and dealt with Abraham. The theme throughout scripture is God’s repeated attempts at forming a relationship with his creation. With Adam and Eve He walked daily in the Garden. With Abraham He spoke and conversed and made promises He fulfilled. He was swayed by Abraham’s entreaties, He helped clean up Abraham’s mistakes, He made provision for Abraham’s children and family.
In keeping with His promise, God watched over Israel, building a relationship with them, first as a direct ruler, then when He was rejected, as a moving force behind the king. He never stopped being God, but He consistently moved in such a way as to describe someone who wanted a voluntary relationship with His creation. God wanted to be worshipped, indeed, He ought to be worshipped, He is deserving of far more than we could ever give. It isn’t just that He wants to save us, He wants to enjoy our company, but that can only be done on His terms. And rightly so, for He is God and to even consider anything else is the height of foolish pride.
It would seem that such an idea would be self evident, yet it is often misunderstood, and more often ignored by us. I can’t imagine the kind of frustration He might feel watching us ignore Him age after age, in spite of all He does for us, in spite of every opportunity He has given. And the thing is… He never gets tired of trying to win our love, never gets tired of helping us out of the mess we make of our lives, never gets frustrated with out apathy. We really don’t deserve Him. I really don’t deserve Him, and I don’t love Him enough…
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Your thoughts in this post are exactly what I’ve been meditating over during the past 48 hours. He ever pursues us. I run from Him, go my own way, plan my path to benefit me…ever knowing that my only satisfaction is in Him. I’m so grateful that we serve a Lord who yearns for us. He is a most blessed Lord.
Hi there. Your last entry was quite humbling, and I am wondering, have you ever listened to Switchfoot’s song “Let That Be Enough”? I think you would really enjoy that song. *smile* God Bless!
God spoke through our forefathers in varying ways – through Abraham, Moses and the prophets, and finally through Jesus. Before Jesus came, the last time man had walked with God was in the Garden, in the cool of the evening. After the resurrection, God walked among men once more, but now in the cool of the morning, and again in the guise of a Gardener.
I hadn’t thought about that. The thought of God’s desire of a relationship began last Saturday, during the Songwriters Circle at my old school, Missouri Baptist University. Shane and Shane mentioned some things about it and their music underscored the desire to know God as a person, and not just an entity. Jenn’s blog got me thinking and my Bible reading in Genesis prompted the post.
Ever stop to consider if you really want Jesus to come back? I mean, right now. We are told to look eagerly for His coming, but sometimes I find myself wishing He would come in a few years, cause I’m not ready to leave the earth yet, I haven’t accomplished what I want here. That’s one reason why I’ve decided to read the Bible through each month, because I don’t want to love the world and the things in the world. I want to be able to say honestly that I want Jesus to come back as soon as possible. I don’t want anything else to be that important. I want to want to walk with Him in person.