Acquaintances or Friends

"This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24 "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." John 1:10

At some point at the beginning of the year, Bat Melech wrote an article describing the difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone. She was saying that it's not about this world not having heard of Him, or know the historical events sorrounding Him, it's simply the fact that this world has not known intimacy with Him. People might know many things about the Queen of England, but that doesn't mean they know her. I have many acquaintances and very few friends. People have the feeling they know me, but there's more to me than meets the eye.

What does it mean to have intimacy with God? I guess it all starts with knowing things about Him, but if you stop there you're just an acquittance. If you keep seeking though, what you know becomes part you and draws you closer and closer and closer to Him, until you find yourself thinking "I'll trust Him, because I know Him." When I read something about Him, or the way he relates to someone in the Bible, I try to see the Person rather than some entity out there. What does He mean? Why does He say that? How does He feel? What is He thinking? What's in His heart when He looks at this person?

One of the sweetest and funniest situations in the Bible, is in Genesis 18. Whenever I read it, it leaves me with a smile and sweetness in my heart. It's about Sarah and Abraham. God goes to Abraham and He tells him: "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." (Genesis 18:10) Sarah was 90 years old and she begins to laugh to herself and think all that sounds surreal. I would've probably had the same reaction. God asks Abraham: "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?" (Genesis 18:13) What happens next is actually funny: "Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." (Verse 15) She literally lies God to His face out of fear. But God doesn't strike her dead, He doesn't even ask her: "Sara, why are you lying to Me?" You can almost sense His smile when He sees how naive Sarah is. He simply says: "Yes, you did laugh."

Another one of my favourites is in the same Chapter 18 from Genesis and I call it the negotiation scene. It all starts with God saying: "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" (Genesis 18:17) Sounds something like "Let me run this by My friend, Abraham." And then He carries on telling Abraham He intends to destroy both Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham approaches God and tells Him: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?" Then he tells God something only a man who knows His God would dare to say: "Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"" (Genesis 18:25)
Next, God basically tells him: "Fine then, if I'll find 50 I won't destroy the cities" And all this carries on with Abraham daring more and more, negotiating from 50 to 10, five at a time- 45, 40, 35, 30...with God accepting his request each time, until he gets to 10: "Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He (God) answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." (Genesis 18:32)
At no point do you see God getting upset with him, He actually seems to enjoy the fact that Abraham cares enough to approach Him and trusts Him enough to dare. This is how I see intimacy with God. Know that He is Holy, but trust Him enough to approach Him for anything. That's how I want to be with Him, in awe enough to bow my knee and my head, in love enough to always stretch my hand in trying to touch His face. Christianity without this is a very poor religion and it's got nothing to attract me. Without this, Church is nothing more than a glorified social club where I would not want to waste my Sundays. It's either this or nothing.

When you start reading the Bible you sometimes come across a few verses which as a new Christian either challenge you or scare the living day out of you. This was one of those verses for me: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7:21
In other words: "Just because you know My Name and you say it out loud, doesn't mean you actually know Me. To know Me you need to seek Me and find out what I am all about."
I picture this seeking business as courting. He came first and took the first step: "I love you, Emanuela. Wanna know how much? This much..." And He showed me, by giving everything for me. Now the ball is in my court. "I love you, Yeshua. Wanna know how much? This much..." And I keep seeking and learning and living what He shows me. He didn't ask me to die for Him yet, so the only way I can show Him I love Him is to live for Him. You know what leaves me breathless sometimes? The thought that one day, I will know Him just as He now knows me. Can you imagine? Just look at Him and know His thoughts and feel His heart...
That's why He is so amazing, He doesn't ask me to bow 10 times a day, and go to I don't know what city in the world to prove my love. He wants intimacy: "Seek Me. Know Me. Love Me." If you seek Him with all your heart, you will know Him and once you know Him you will love Him. These steps are as natural as breathing- they just happen.

His Emanuela