Digging Deeper – Communication
And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:3-6
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
James 4:8-10
COMMUNICATION
At the beginning of the Bible, in the book of Genesis, we see story after story of people going against God, and God correcting their behavior. From Adam and Eve to the flood to the Tower of Babel, no one seems able to maintain a relationship with God. Then we meet Abraham.
Abraham was a rich man with herds and servants. He was doing well for himself. Then God called him to pick up stakes and move hundreds of miles away. God made promises to Abraham, and Abraham made the astonishing choice to move just as God asked him. That is big faith.
Every relationship we have begins with an act of faith. From the playground to the boardroom to the wedding altar, every relationship requires faith in the other person. For that faith to continue, there must be communication and action.
Abraham’s relationship with God began when God communicated with him. However, as the story unfolds, Abraham also communicates with God. He tells God his longing for a child. Didn’t God already know that Abraham wanted that? Hadn’t God already promised him offspring? Yet God doesn’t get angry; He encourages Abraham.
God wants us to share our concerns, desires, and even our sins with Him. We know He already knows those things—He knows us better than we know ourselves—but He wants us to share them anyway. It demonstrates our faith in Him. In Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, C. S. Lewis puts it this way: “Even an intimate human friend is ill-used if we talk to him about one thing while our mind is on another.”
Communicating honestly with God and going to Him first when we need Him honors our relationship with Him. The ones we are closest to should always be the ones we want to share our joys and sorrows with first. When we draw near to Him, He draws near to us.
Take a minute now and examine yourself. Are there things you need to talk to God about? Are there fears, desires, or secret sins you need to bring before Him? Not because He is unaware, but because you have a relationship with Him. Be honest with Him.
Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.