Merriam-Webster defines intimacy as familiarity, something of a personal or private nature.
Intimacy is closeness between people in personal relationships. It’s what builds over time as you connect with someone, grow to care about each other, and feel more and more comfortable during your time together.
If you were given a letter from someone…perhaps a long letter, and it told you all about who they are, what they loved, what they even hated, the kids of people surrounding them, even down to the foods they ate…the more closely you would read these things, the more you would know this person! That letter is God’s Word…the Bible!
Long-distance relationships throughout history have survived…because of constant, loyal communication. During one of my summers in college while dating my “now” husband, the everyday letters sustained us and even drew us closer. Without those letters, no doubt, our relationship would have just faded away.
Our relationship (intimacy) with the Living God is really no different. God is three persons in one…the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each distinct part of this triune God holds feelings…yes…feelings! Scripture speaks to this in the following verses:
Genesis 6:6 – “The Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was GRIEVED in His heart.”
Zephaniah 3:17 – “Yahweh, your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will REJOICE over you with gladness. He will bring you quietness with His love, He will DELIGHT in you with shouts of joy.”
Ephesians 4:30 – “And do not GRIEVE God’s Holy Spirit.”
If you knew someone had feelings that actually hurt every time you ignored them, or just related to them as if they really were not that important or even existed, then it is only a matter of time before that relationship is broken or non-existent. So many marriages, parent/child relationships, and friendships are slowly eroding into quicksand simply because the effort is not made to maintain it or even make it last.
Facebook has brought millions of “lost” relationships back together. Although these relationships are not the intimacy required for marriage or our relationship with God, it has still been a tool to re-connect friendships that have been left in high school yearbooks for decades. I personally have reconnected with many high school and college friends. I enjoy their posts on Facebook and have been thrilled to see many of them come to faith in Christ and pray for them.
Have you lost “intimacy”…“familiarity” with the Lord? Schedule a daily date with Him! My husband and I have scheduled coffee dates in the afternoons. He knows that taking me out to dinner after a long day of work and motherhood would be a date with a sleepyhead! Find what works for you. I’m a morning person. I communicate better in the morning when my brain is refreshed.
Remember…God has feelings! He loves you more than your friends, your children, and even your husband! You will find that more time spent with Him will make these other relationships even sweeter.
I close with this…I want to be so intimate with my God, that when I finally see Him face to face, nothing should surprise me….because I’ve communicated with Him that closely and daily for decades!
