Conversations with God

​Nehemiah 9:5-37; Ephesians 3:14 – 21; James 4:8
 
In any human interaction, the conversational depth and intimate nuances are totally dependent on the level and quality of the existing relationships between or among participants. All of us possess undeniable red lines on a need to know basis for a number of personal or shared information matters, whether within the purview of a work-related fraternity, family specific, or other circles of association. Although relating with God, a spiritual Being, Who is prescient with all our private musings, is different in terms of His incorporeal disposition, His omnipresence and other Creator-traits, the dynamic in communicating remains similar, and yet contrasting. Being in Christ and filled with His Holy Spirit further facilitates this divine interactive mode (John 14:23-26) as both parties are indisputably spiritual beings (c.f., Ex 33:20; John 4:24; 1 Cor 2:13; Eph 5:18). How does the Bible instructs us in our dealings with our Creator? 
 
The colloquial supplications and responses in Scripture exemplify the normal and appropriate form of interaction with our God. In fact, various portions of the Old Testament illustrate how God was addressed, and the modality and tone of reciprocation by His people (e.g., Nehemiah 9 is an exemplar of one such interface). It is creditable to note that the form of Biblical language used with Yahweh is replicated throughout the numerous narratives by its varied authors, indicating a well-established frame of reference through several aeons transcending human history (e.g., the theme of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt found in various books: c.f., Ex 15, Neh 9, and Ps 105). It is significant that these wide-ranging conversations possess a theological content that enable us to grasp the import of Yahweh’s nature and His relational issues with recalcitrant humanity. The differences in such conversations is as clear as between a total stranger and an intimate, between daylight and darkness. Hence, the transformative character of our prayers with our Lord has always been on the basis of a transparent and humble heart before God and man, with a clear distinct obedient bearing, and being totally immersed in His Word. On this scale, Yahweh is immeasurably known for Who He is, qualified only by our limited experiential relationship with Him. And therefore, it goes way beyond just a bookish knowledge about Him. Nonetheless, we are exhorted by James “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). By ‘drawing near,’ the Greek verb implies to come so close to God that we are able to ‘touch’ Him; of course, it does not refer to a literal physical proximity, but the phrase indicates one’s relational nearness to Yahweh, as though talking to a love one or a very close friend. The level of trust in this relationship is explicit over the long term.
 
Scripture forms the basis of our spiritual knowledge of the Almighty, as well as laying the foundation for our rapport with Him. The New Testament, through the Lord’s Prayer and the teachings of Jesus, including the prayers of the Apostles in many of the Epistles, continue to enlighten us to this poignant and incredible relationship. Paul’s prayers are not only doctrinally insightful, but he encourages a cultivation of spiritual maturity towards an appreciation of God, and hence, each other: “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man… that you… may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” – where in the Apostle’s days, the creation of a new community in Christ of Jews and Gentiles was imminent and critical (Eph 2:11-16; c.f., Phil 1:9-11; Col 1:9-12). Inevitably, the eschatological element in Paul’s prayers looked forward to the ultimate redemptive goal of God’s plans for His people and His creation by summation of all things in Christ (Eph 1:10).
 
No doubt Scripture do provide us the verbal expressions in our approach with God and clarify aspects of His mind and purpose in redeeming creation, there is nevertheless an aspect of our human finiteness that predictably limits us in totally comprehending Him. The Bible acknowledges our undeniable ignorance as we attempt to grasp the Infinite (Rom 11:33; Ps 145:3; Isa 40:28). It is presumptuous to believe that we explicitly know the mind of God, as Job’s companions claimed, as they hypothesised over Job’s dire predicament. That posture was ultimately repudiated and judged by God. For example, at times, the Holy Spirit may even intercede for us with groanings too deep for words (Rom 8:26-27), and who knows what that ‘groan’ was all about - only God knows. It goes without saying that an obedient attitude invariably promotes a heart-to-heart conversation with the Almighty (1 Sam 15:22 - “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice” (c.f., 1 Sam 15: 23-24). This is where a deep awareness of our own motivations can be helpful as we come into His presence. Most, if not all of us, have only a peripheral knowledge of our deepest motivations in life (i.e., what drives us and why we respond to certain issues in somewhat predictable, and at times, self-centred ways). Furthermore, God’s sovereignty, on every occasion, will define our expressed faith in our communication with Him. When He allows us to know Him, it will prevent us from our attempts at ‘arm-twisting’ a decision out of Him that would fit our desires. There is much to learn as we desire to communicate with our God; “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13; ‘heart’ means ‘our whole being, our will and our intellect’).