Delight Yourself in the Lord Devotionals

Relational God - Genesis 2:18-25

It is amazing when one considers that the God of the universe loves us the way He does and desires to have a relationship with us. We can be very resistant to this truth because there is no one like Him. We are used to the broken people of the world, ourselves included, and it is easier to have an imperfect relationship, one that someone can walk away from, than to have the all-consuming relationship one can have with God.

We were created to be relational. Genesis shows us this when God says, "It is not good for man to be alone," and creates Eve for Adam. The devil, of course, immediately attacked this very relationship because he couldn't attack the one God had with Adam and Eve. Of course, the devil used lies about God to coerce the woman into sin and Adam followed along. But, in this story we see the amazing truth of relationships.

Jesus is calling to us to enter into a deep relationship with Him and we resist Him. Why? Primarily, it's because we have bought the lies about the world and the fact that all relationships have to be complicated and difficult. Even when we long for those amazing relationships, we know that life happens and that we respond based on who we are, which means that there will be disagreements, conflicts, beginnings, and ends.

With God, He never fails, accuses, abandons, abuses, or walks away. So, that would mean that any hardships in the relationship is our fault. The same is true about closeness. Jesus draws close to us constantly and consistently, so any distance, once again, is on us.

Despite the fact that we can learn a great deal about ourselves in a relationship with Christ, I believe that a part of us fears that intimacy that Christ promises. Tonight, I was thinking about this and wondering why. Why do we shy away from Him? Why do we hide? Why are we so resistant to entering into a strong and vital and viable and relevant relationship with Him? Is it because we are afraid of what we will learn about ourselves? Is it because we don't want to be challenged to change? Is it because we don't want to discover the truth about love, what love really looks like, really feels like, really is, and be challenged to not only offer this love to others, but to actually seek to be empowered to receive love?

For each of us, our resistance is for a different reason. Prayerfully consider how close you are to Christ and seek to come closer. How would this look for you? What do you think would change in your life if you finally let go and fully commit all that you are to your intimate relationship with Christ? It's exciting to consider...it's thrilling to live.

Now the Lord God said, “It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him—a counterpart who is] suitable and complimentary for him.” - Genesis 2:18, AMP

Read all of Genesis 2:18-25, Amplified Version, here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2%3A18-25&version=AMP