In marriage, a couple can get so caught up with the business of daily living and responsibilities that they lose the ‘fire’ (passion) in their marriage and living together becomes routine. Likewise, I find that it’s quite easy to get stuck in that place as a Christian where our walk with God becomes an exercise in rule-keeping and becomes very dry and boring. Granted, we do have rules and guidelines that are essential for our well-being and our outworking of the salvation of our souls but the question I ask myself is this – ‘Is God all about our keeping His rules?’
I see that right from the beginning – the creation of Earth and mankind, God seemed quite keen to relate with man. There was an assignment and there was a rule, but there was also relationship. Genesis 3:8-9 implies that God, Adam and Eve related in the garden of Eden. Then we see people like Abraham relating with God in such a manner that he was called God’s friend (James 20:23). God thought He should discuss with him what He intended to do to Sodom and Gomorrah….to the extent that Abraham had the audacity to bargain with God over what He had already determined to do! (Genesis 18:16-33). God even goes out of His way to save Lot and his family FOR ABRAHAM’S SAKE (Genesis 19:15, 22, 29).
Moses was another person God related with closely, speaking with Him as with a friend. The sad thing is that God wanted to speak directly with all of the Israelites but they were afraid of Him (His Presence) and insisted that God should relate directly with Moses and they would go through Moses to God. This was not God’s idea and certainly not His desire, but He let them have their way and till today, most of us still prefer to relate to God through somebody else or adopt somebody else’s understanding of Him.
Need more evidence that God wants to relate closely with us?
As God takes His chosen people out of the bondage in Egypt and is leading them to the land He promised them (through Abraham), He gives clear instructions for the construction of a tabernacle that would enable Him dwell amongst the people.
“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)
When He finishes giving instructions for the most intimate part of the tabernacle where His Presence would dwell, He tells Moses, “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee…” (Exodus 25:22, KJV). I particularly like the Amplified Version which says, “There I will meet with you; … I will speak [intimately] with you regarding every commandment that I will give you for the Israelites.”
What does it mean to COMMUNE?
– to converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, etc.; interchange thoughts or feelings
– to communicate (to get someone to understand your thoughts or feelings) intimately
– to get very close to someone or something by exchanging feelings or thoughts
Does it surprise us that God wants to get close to us by exchanging feelings or thoughts? He demonstrated this with Abraham, didn’t He? And now, we don’t even need an external tabernacle in order to access His Presence. Now, by virtue of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary and His resurrection from the grave on the third day, God has made a way to dwell IN US (Ephesians 3:17) –
“Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, NCV)
This being the case, communing with God is no more a complex process. All we need is the desire to commune with Him because He obviously already desires to commune with us. There can be no true worship with communion, so let’s “get very close to (God) by exchanging (our) feelings of thoughts”…. often.