Intimacy with God

Job 42:5 "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you."

You can have faith in God and still not have an intimate knowledge of Him. That was me for many, many years. When I finally surrendered my life--panic attacks and all--to Jesus, and then began experiencing some real peace as I studied His Word, I wanted to get to know Him more. That's when I began seeking how to get closer. Beth Moore had said in the Breaking Free Bible study that during quiet time, after reading the selected passage a few times, we should pray that passage back to God. I began experiencing a wonderful closeness when I did that. Also, I began stopping in the middle of my day to just kneel or sit and wait quietly, just in case He had something He wanted to reveal to me. It was during those moments that I began sensing His Presence. And it was during those moments He gently brought up things that I needed to face and deal with--according to His Word. I truly felt like His child, and my love and desire to be with Him grew stronger.

I've often thanked God for those times--times when I was too weak to have a full schedule and needed breaks, so that I could experience Him in a way I never had before. Because I'm healthier I'm able to do more around my home, at my parents', and at church--which is as it should be...but I get busy and don't remember to take a break. I pretty much have a one-track mind. I'm praying this year that God will remind me to stop and to sit and center all my attention on Him--even if it's only 5 minutes every few hours--so my intimate knowledge of Him will grow stronger. I need that. I miss that. It's how I know that I know that He is God and that I belong to Him.