Good morning people with a hunger for God

Exodus 33:11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

God does not want a far-off, distant relationship with us. He is not aloft. God desires to speak to us as a man speaks with his friend.

For many this is not our experience. This can be part of our challenge. Our past experience often shapes our future expectations. But it should not. God’s Word should shape our future expectations.

Today I want to tell you God’s desire is to be a friend that sticks closer than a brother. God today wants to come down and speak with you face to face. God wants to have an intimate relationship with you that is personal and very real. This is God’s desire.

How does this happen Steve?

There are many contributing factors but let me highlight just a couple.

We must allow time for God to speak. No natural relationship grows in intimacy without time. We know this, and even for many Christians we acknowledge this about our relationship with God, yet the sad reality is God often gets the leftovers. By no means do I stand in condemnation; I am simply stating the truth and highlighting a barrier to greater intimacy with God. I encourage you to give God more time, for some, much more time. Don’t sandwich God quickly in between other rushed appointments. Give God a decent amount of unrushed time just to relate and enjoy. Maybe you need to read this paragraph again and think about it.

I also want to point us back, as always, to the precious Word of God. It’s through the Bible that God primarily speaks. It’s in these dedicated unrushed times of God devotion that the Holy Spirit can take the written Word and speak it into our hearts as a rhema word; a now word. So don’t just read the Word; prayerfully approach it, read it slowly, think about it and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you. I know He will.

Speak to us Lord