It’s Personal

• What does it mean to have a personal relationship with God?

• When do you feel especially close to him? When do you feel distant?

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
John 17:3

Before we’re saved, we don’t have a good relationship with God. In fact, we don’t have a relationship with him at all. We may recognize him as the Creator of the universe, but that’s hardly a relationship. At most, he’s a distant figure we can never hope to know. If we feel anything toward him, it’s most likely fear. After all, we’ve been told that he is our Judge, the one who will pass sentence on us when we die.

We’re certainly in no hurry to meet him. If we talk about him at all, we usually use jokey, impersonal names like “the Big Guy” or “the Man Upstairs.” We’re content to do our thing and let God do his.

We continue that way until one of two things happens: We die, which is the worst possible outcome, or we accept God’s offer of salvation. Jesus’ sacrifice makes the connection possible. He removed the sin that kept us apart from God.

Thanks to Jesus, we can have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, our heavenly Father. We can talk to him every day and listen for his response. We can turn to him for advice, comfort, direction or anything else we need.

PRAYER
Dear God, we are honored to have a relationship with you. Thank you for reaching down to us so that we might know you. Let us never take that privilege for granted. Amen.