An Invitation to Intimacy

I’m sure you’ve looked up into the night sky and wondered about the incredible universe God has created. I do often. Whenever I gaze into the stars, Psalm 144:3 (NASB) comes to mind, “Lord, what is man, that You look after him? Or a son of man, that You think of him?”

I love astronomy. I find it fascinating. With all of our science and technology, man still hasn’t been able to measure the extent of the cosmos. Astronomers speculate that there are literally billions of galaxies. As David wrote in Psalm 19:1, “The heavens tell of the glory of God; and their expanse declares the work of His hands” (NASB). That’s one thing most scientists and astronomers agree on … the universe is larger and more expansive than we ever thought possible.

I don’t know if you’ve ever taken a look at the size of our planet Earth in comparison to some of the other planets in our solar system. While the earth is larger than Venus, Mars, and Mercury, we dwarf in comparison to Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, or Jupiter.

If it seems like Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is big, compare that to our sun. If you think our sun is big, compare that to Arcturus, which is the fourth brightest star in the Milky Way. Or compare Arcturus to Betelgeuse or Antares, two of the most massive red super giant stars we’ve been able to observe.

My point simply is that in all of God’s magnificent creation … in the entire expanse of the universe … here is planet Earth where God made man, and in the midst of all that, the God of the universe wants to have a personal, intimate relationship with you and me. Incredible. Amazing. Unbelievable.

What is man that God is mindful of us?

God created you and me for fellowship and relationship. The Garden of Eden was a place where God Himself would come down to walk and talk with Adam and Eve. God gave them dominion over the earth and told them to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 9:7). Earth was created to be their dwelling place, and the Garden of Eden was a place God came and dwelt with them.

Years later, God spoke to Moses in Exodus 25:8, “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them” (NASB). The purpose of the Tabernacle was to be a dwelling place for God on Earth.

And this incredible, amazing, indescribable God wants to dwell—to tabernacle—with you. That’s why He gave you the Holy Spirit as a comforter and close companion. His desire is to dwell in communion with you … to demonstrate His love for you and bring you into His presence.

Drawing Closer to God

When King David was just a shepherd boy tending his father’s sheep, no doubt he looked up into these same night skies that hold Jupiter, Arcturus, and Antares, and in awe, wonderment, and amazement communed and fellowshipped with God. Young David developed a relationship with the Lord characterized by worship and intimacy.

Years later, after he had been made king over Israel, David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and established the city as the center of worship for the Most High God. Because the Temple had not yet been built, David set up the temporary Tabernacle to house the Ark and carry out the worship rituals according to the law of Moses.

Imagine how overcome with emotion David must have been when the prophet Nathan declared that God was going to establish His Kingdom through David’s lineage forever. After he heard this prophecy, Scripture says that David immediately “went in and sat before the Lord” and poured out his heart to God (1 Chronicles 17).

Where did David go to sit before the Lord? The Tabernacle. Overcome by a sense of worship, humility, and awe over God’s goodness and mercy, David wanted to draw as near to Him as possible. The cry of his heart was, “Hide me in the shadow of Your wings” (Psalm 17:8).

Like King David, you and I were created to live in intimacy with God, who desires to have an intensely personal relationship with each of us. But exactly what does it mean to have an intimate relationship with Him?

We can say that we truly know someone, and they truly know us, only when we know the other person’s deepest thoughts, emotions, and responses. Feelings of closeness, calm, and comfort characterize the relationship. In the same way, this is what it’s like to have an intimate relationship with the Lord.

The word intimate comes from the Latin word intimus meaning close friend. The verb is intimate, which means to make known. To be intimate with someone means to be a close friend, one who is willing to risk making himself or herself known by being open and vulnerable.

God wants us to love and trust Him so much that we invite Him to see into the deepest parts of our lives and hearts, even those parts we tend to hide from Him in fear and shame. He wants us to share ourselves fully with Him and receive His love, just as He desires to share Himself fully with us and receive our love.

In recent years, God has shown me how an intimate relationship with Him enables us to live powerful, peace-filled, overcoming lives while having a greater impact in the world for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. Our hunger for Him will take us into the rich places of God where “deep calls to deep” (Psalm 42:7 NASB).

When the day finally comes, and I meet Jesus face to face, I don’t want to just hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I want to be able to run into His outstretched arms and hear Him whisper, “I love you, and I know you love Me. Welcome home.” This is the kind of intimate relationship the Lord desires to have with you.

My prayer is that you discover the pathway leading to an ever-deepening intimacy with our living God. I invite you to experience the power of His goodness and love—and a life of greater joy than you’ve ever known before.

Your friend and partner,