So God created humankind in God’s image. Genesis 1:27
Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:22-23.
God, my God, where are you? God where are you in these troubling times. Yahweh-Jireh, where is your provision for those who hunger and thirst for justice and peace, are you there? Adonai, so many seem to be lost aimlessly traversing the earth clingy to whatever promises quick satisfaction, are you there? Yahweh-Rapha, listen to your children dying and struggling to be well: mentally, physically or spiritually, so many stigmas have been placed upon those who seek help for crippling ailments – are you there? YAHWEH-ROHI, we are sheep looking for you to swoop down and guide us, direct us to the righteous paths, you don’t expect us to do it on our own do you, are you there? El Roi, do you see us, are you aware of what is transpiring in the world? We are have faith that you are, we sense you are with us, but sometimes it feels that we cannot see, are you there? El-Olam, we are tired of being tired. Sisters and brothers are being discriminated against. Neighbors are being pushed out of their houses. Enemies seem to prevail, but we sit here knowing that you are everlasting, are you there?
Staying in love with God, anyone else ever struggle with this thought? These names for God are some of the names given to God as our ancestors tried to encompass the vast presence of God in theirs lives. To me, when I read and pray over the names it speaks to me of how accessible God is for us to connect with and reach out, in the times of hardship, joy, excitement, troubles, lostness and love.
Staying in love with God, is not a turn key walk into a room and boom it’s done type of thing. Staying in love with God takes discipline to hear and feel the Spirit moving you away into the relationship with God that God so desires. Now, this is the will power we must put forth. As I said last week, we have to WILL ourselves to line up with God’s will. Intentional redirection of our lives is what will contribute to the bettering of our individual lives and the shift needed for our communities.
God in God’s very nature is communal – three in one as the Holy Trinity. Therefore, to stay in love with God, we are to stay in love with our neighbors. It takes work. Thankfully we have the loving DNA within our hearts and through the Spirit that we can tap into for guidance and direction.
Staying in love with God gets even better because we have another name to call God, Emmanuel, God with us. Remember GOD IS WITH US! Does it get any better than that? Why wouldn’t you strive to stay in love with God? Why wouldn’t you want to connect more and more with your neighbors and sisters and brothers. God is with us in this crazy journey of life, we aren’t in this alone, so don’t isolate yourselves. Find the paths to which you’ll intersect with those in your lives who need to know through the way you treat them that you are madly, deeply in love with God.