Intimacy with God

Intimacy with God is the only way to experiencing true fulfillment in life. Yet only a handful of Christians really experience that intimacy. And this explains why not too many of them really enjoy life – because life is a person, and enjoying it in abundance comes from knowing that person: Jesus. Everything outside of Him is vanity and deception.

Unfortunately, most Christians get discouraged whenever they hear about intimacy with God. Because they think it’s a long, tedious and perhaps hopeless quest. But I have good news for you: it is easy to know Him intimately. In fact, there is nothing more natural than that for a child of God. And I believe what you will discover in the lines below will open your eyes and set you on the right track to knowing Him.


No more secrets

So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. (Ex.33:11)

When the bible says this kind of thing, it is not for the sake of decoration. Neither is it meant to intimidate you and show you just how awesome Moses was. The Holy Spirit wrote these words to tell you that you can and should enjoy this same level of intimacy with your God – and even more.

Thus, the good news is that you can truly know Him. It is time to quit religion and trade it for communion. God does not want to be a secret to you any longer. He has never wanted to. Remember the veil was torn; the barrier of sin was destroyed; the way was opened. Now, in Christ, all ancient secrets have been made available to the public! God so much wants to reveal himself to his Children, who will in turn reveal him to the world.

Your inheritance

Let me reiterate this: contrary to what most believers have been taught, it is not difficult to know God intimately. Neither is it impossible. It is not the special reserve of a privileged few. God has not called only Church leaders to intimacy with him. It is His perfect will for every one of his children. It is what was lost at the fall and which was restored through Christ. Of course we will never know everything there is know about him; we will never know him fully, as Paul said: ‘we know now in part’. Nevertheless, it is really possible for us to know him intimately.

In fact, the least New Testament believer has the possibility of enjoying deeper intimacy with God than Abraham, Moses and David did! Believe me, if you are in Christ, you really do not have anything to envy such great Old Testament prophets and patriarchs as the father of faith, the deliverer of Israel and the man after God’s heart. I know that most believers do not believe this but it is the simple truth. The Scripture tells us that all these great men of the Old Testament desired to see what we have at our disposal today. Yet, many of us wish we were in their shoes. Remember, Jesus said in Luke 7:28 that ‘among those born of women (as opposed to born of God or born again, which you are) John the Baptist was the greatest, yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than him’. Jesus was saying in essence that none of what people experienced in the Old Testament can compare to what you have in the New Testament. So remember, knowing him and enjoying his fellowship is your inheritance in Christ, who has opened the way for you to approach the throne of grace boldly (Heb.4:16).

Confident search

It is sad to say that in their quest to know God, most Christians behave as though God is hiding and does not want to be found. They believe that God wants to prove and test them for ten, twenty or thirty years before they can fellowship with him and talk with him ‘as a man with his friend’. Granted, knowing God must be a lifelong quest, for He is infinite. But you can start somewhere. You can begin to know him intimately today! And you will grow in that intimacy with time. You can have a deep revelation of his person and glory. But you must first believe that he is not hiding! Believe me, he is eager to flood your life with the knowledge of himself. He does not want to hold anything back from you. In Christ, all secrets are out! You can take as much as you want to, hear as much as you want to, know as much as you want to. It all depends on you. But you must believe that!

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb. 11:6)

We learn from this passage that there are two crucial truths we must hold on to when we come to (or seek) God: the first is that he is (or exists, lives eternally as the sovereign God); the second is that…He is a rewarder! Let us pause a little here.

I know that many Christians have no problem believing the first one but, believe me, very few really believe the second truth. What does it mean exactly? It is so simple most people miss it. It simply says (among other things) that when you seek God diligently you must believe that he intends and is going to give you just what you desire! That is in essence what ‘rewarder’ means. Seeking him is never a waste of time; it is never a grope in the dark; it is never an uncertain venture. It always leads to the same conclusion: ‘I’ve got it!’ The failure to believe this simple truth is exactly what will hinder your growth toward intimacy with God. If you want intimacy, expect just that.

So, when you speak to God, stop complaining and saying things like ‘O, God, don’t hide your face from me’. God does not hide. Hiding is contrary to his nature and original intent. Since the beginning, he has always wanted to fellowship with man and to make himself known to him. He has always wanted man to interact freely and easily with him.

Easier than you expect

As I often tell some of my friends, I hear God speak to me even when I do not want to. Almost every time I am faced with a dilemma, I know what to do virtually instantly. Now, God does not tell me things about other people anyhow, but when it concerns me, I am always informed. I am never confused. And he always comforts me in the midst of hardship. I know that some people might not believe this, but that’s my experience. And I thank him for that and hope it becomes your testimony too, from today.

Why does it work that way for me? It is because I have trained myself to believe that it has to be that simple! I have trained myself to believe that knowing God intimately and hearing his voice all the time is the most natural thing that should happen to me as a Christian! In addition – and most importantly, it is clearly stated in the Word of God. Jesus said: ‘my sheep hear my voice’. He did not say ‘they try hard, fast for days and really struggle to hear’! He said that they do hear and do recognize his voice amongst others; it is just natural for them to hear. Actually, God is surprised when we complain that we cannot hear his voice or grow in intimacy with him.

So, I urge you to believe this day that you can really get to know the Lord like you had never dreamed of and enjoy a living and lively relationship with him. Only seek him with all assurance and confidence.