Ink to Intimacy
Today’s Bible Reading: JOB 40:6-42:17
Job 42:5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;
Many of us struggle with intimacy with God. We read the pages of His word but can’t seem to write them on our heart. Like Moses in the wilderness, we want to meet with God “face to face as with a friend” (Ex 33:11). We want to see and speak to our Lord. We want to translate the black and white text of scripture into time with our sovereign. But, it eludes our grasp. It escapes our reach.
Job had heard of God, but he had never heard from God. He had knowledge about God, but he didn’t intimately know God. He proclaims, “I have heard of you”. He tried to understand why he was experiencing so much sorrow and suffering. He cried out to God for wisdom. If he could just sit with Him, perhaps he could find reasons and purpose for his affliction. Does God really care? Is He really concerned? Why can’t I see Him? How can’t I truly encounter Him? How can I intimately know Him?
In the midst of his cry, God comes to him. God speaks to him with clarity (Job 42). God pulls back the curtain of His person and reveals Himself. He becomes intimate with Job. Disclosing the nature of His power, provisions, and purpose, the Lord opens the door of intimacy. He becomes real and relevant to His child. Job was looking to know God and God made Himself known to him. Job proclaims, “now my eye sees you”.
Job couldn’t see the Lord before. His face was hidden from view. Perhaps now, through his suffering and affliction, there was a deeper yearning, a greater desire, and a more urgent need to be in the Father’s presence. There was a need to hear from Him and to be held by Him. It is in our conflict that we need comfort. It is in our crisis that we need care. We never really know someone until we see how they respond to our distress. Job’s misery made the Lord manifest.
But we need not wait till our despairing moments to intimately know God. Intimacy emerges from interaction. It is time with someone that tells us about them. Unlike Job, we have God’s written word. It is His word that testifies of Him. It is here where we have time with and interact with Him. We meet Him in His word. His word is like eagerly awaited correspondence from a cherished friend. When we read what they wrote we refresh and rekindle our relationship with them. In the same way, as we read scripture, we can daily be drawn into God’s presence growing more and more intimate with Him. We can let the ink on the page become intimacy with the Lord.
Today thank the Lord for His word. Ask Him to help you commence or continue to daily look to His word. Ask Him to manifest everything about Himself that He may draw you deeper into affection with Him. Let Him turn the ink on the page into intimacy in His presence.
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