How do you ‘see’ the God of the Universe? Friend? Family? GOD? Do you consider the Triune God soooo very ‘out of your league’ that the only thing you know how to do is to keep Him as God and untouchable? If so, then I find that incredibly sad. No blame… no foul – just sad. However, you might find me too presumptuous.
I just asked myself… if you were whisked away to heaven right now, how would you react on first seeing Jesus or the Father or the Holy Spirit? What would you do? My answer was that I know I should fall on my face in worship. But… what I’d probably do would be to run up to them as fast as I could and give each of them the biggest hug I know how to give. [Now you know the reason for the title.] Would my words and/or actions be offensive to the Creator?
I think that the relationship we build is demonstrated in our initial encounter. And I also believe that the encounter is based in what kind of relationship we deeply desire and hopefully build. Jesus called His disciples ‘friends’ (John 15:15-17). Abraham was known as the friend of God (James 2: 21-23). These are just 2 scriptures that tell us we can become friends. And what an honor!
Do you know what the first words out your mouth might be? Would you be so awed that you’d be mute? Or maybe a question? Perhaps seeking information? Maybe it would be words of praise and honor? For me, I’m fairly certain that it would be a kind of bursting forth of saying ‘I Love You’. There really don’t seem to be any right or wrong things we can say.
Back to the wondering… friend? family? GOD? How about – Yes! Because the God of the Universe, the Great Creator is unmistakably God. It’s how He introduce Himself to His people – I Am. He is all He says He is and we get to spend time with Him discovering this. He never keeps us at arms length – on the other hand, we do. He really has to be all He says He is. Why argue the point? The delightful discovery is that He doesn’t stop there.
There are many scriptures that affirm that God has called various people as friends such as Exodus 22:11, James 2:23. He also tells us what doesn’t constitute friendship when we are friends of the world (James 4:4). The most famous scripture about friendship is by Jesus when He was talking with His disciples.
But… is there any evidence about family? Yes. There are over 100 verses that tell us we are part of God’s family:
“But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God,” John 1:12
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 1 John 3:1-2
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” Ephesians 2:19-22
Sooo… how do you interact with, speak to your human family? Giving them hugs, telling them you love them……. doesn’t that demonstrate family? Does this apply to your Spiritual Family?
