Someone recommended that I read John Eldridge’s book titled “Getting Your Life Back.” I really enjoyed the book because it focused on unplugging from the busy-ness of the world and spending time in stillness before God. However, I had no idea when I started this book what the Lord had in store for me. One day as I was reading, I came to a part in the book where Eldridge says that God’s love and acceptance are unconditional but intimacy with Him is conditional. Those words jumped off the page because I had never thought that intimacy with God is conditional. I just assumed that since we are in union with God that we can’t get any closer to Him than we already are. While that is true, what I was going to realize is that being in union with God does not necessarily result in “experiencing” intimacy with Him. Eldridge went on to make His point through James 4:8:
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”
I had read this verse many times but I sensed this time the Spirit was revealing to me that intimacy with God really is conditional. Eldridge compared intimacy with God to our human relationships. Intimacy is based on the depth of mutual, reciprocal love. We can love people unconditionally that don’t like us and even hate us. However, we can only experience intimacy with someone whom we love and who reciprocates with love towards us. Why would it be any different with God? The Spirit led me to Proverbs 8:17 to further confirm this.
“I love those who love Me; And those who diligently seek Me will find Me.”
Even though this verse sounds like God loves us conditionally, we know that is not the case because God’s essence is love and He continually loves us with unconditional love. This verse is referring to intimacy with God which requires a reciprocal love on our part.
It is important for us to understand at the deepest level of our being that God’s eternal desire is for a mutual intimacy. We know this from several verses in the Bible. This one stands out to me.
“I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.” Jeremiah 24:7
The new heart we received at salvation is designed to intimately “know” God. Not merely to know about Him because God wants more than biblical scholars and even friends. He wants lovers. Divine lovers who seek Him to know Him intimately. I believe intimacy is something we long for because it is what we are created for. The book, Sacred Romance puts it this way:
“We long for intimacy because we were created in the image of perfect intimacy.”
Another author says:
“When intimacy with God transcends every other reality in your life, then you are experiencing the divine purpose for which you were created.”
I couldn’t agree more. Since we are created for intimacy that flows out of a heart to know Him there is a constant longing (whether we realize it or not) in our heart to know God intimately (Isaiah 26:9). As I further meditated on this truth, I realized that for many years I was seeking God for what I wanted or needed rather than seeking Him for who He is. I felt I was much like the neighbor who only calls you when he needs to borrow something. It is hard to build a relationship based on that. What I began to see is that God wants us to know His heart because He gave us the heart to do so. It is our God-given longing.
In light of that, have you thought about what God’s heart looks like? In part, the Bible gives us the answer. However, I am being persuaded that there are parts of God’s heart that He will only reveal to us as we seek to know Him on a more intimate level. My visual of God’s heart is a multi-faceted diamond. As we seek to know His heart, He will reveal different facets of it that we will never know any other way. (I will share with you in next month’s letter what He is revealing to me about His heart.) Each time He reveals a new facet, I am seeing deeper into His heart which creates an even deeper hunger and thirst to know Him more. Look at Paul’s excitement as He shares what the Lord is revealing to him about His heart in Romans 11:33.
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways.”
The Loveless translation for the word “Oh” is “WOW!” Can you hear the excitement in Paul’s voice as he is inviting us into a deeper intimacy with the Lord? This is the same awe and excitement God wants us to have about Him. Therefore, I am praying for you and me that we not only come to the divine “WOW!” but that is where we live moment by moment.
Let me end with an experience I had with the Lord one morning during my time focused with Him. As I was being still in the Lord’s presence, these thoughts from the Lord came rolling through my mind, “When you see Me face to face, I do not want to hear these words. ‘Oh, so this is what intimacy is all about.’ These were startling words but I so thank Him for saying them because they created in me a deep desire to focus all my spiritual energy on seeking a deeper intimacy with Him.
I feel that I am now on the final runway of life and I don’t know how long it will be before I see the Lord face to face but I pray it is long enough to experience a very deep and satisfying intimacy with Him.
The truth is that we are all on the runway called “life.” You have no idea how long it is, whether you are young or old. However, I do know this: The Lord is calling you and me to more deeply seek Him, draw near to Him and pursue His heart because if we do, He will show us His heart in ways that will deepen our love for Him and satisfy our deepest longing to live in the divine “WOW!”
