God Longs To Be Close To You
From the very beginning of creation, God designed humanity for connection with himself. He is not a distant figure, but a loving Father who pursues relationship with his children. Despite the separation caused by sin, God made a way through Jesus Christ to restore what was broken. Scripture shows us again and again that God’s heart is to dwell with us, love us, delight in us, and walk closely with us—just as in Eden. Our response to his invitation to relationship determines how deeply we experience his presence and love.
The Genesis Of It All – We Are Created For Connection
So many people approach God as a distant deity or intimidating authority figure. But from the beginning, God designed us for intimacy and relationship – he longs to walk with us as our loving Father.
God is not distant; he created us for closeness
Most of us are well familiar with the first words of the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1, WEB).
Over the course of six days we see creation unfold as the Lord speaks all things into existence.
And at the end of that timeframe we read, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them… Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day” (Gen 1:27, 31, NLT).
From the very beginning, we were created with intention and affection by the Father, our Creator, who desires to share himself with his children.
Our souls long for relationship with God
Relationship with God is at the core of our existence and the primary purpose of our being. As he longs to be in close connection with us, our souls long for the same.
It was the Lord himself who put this desire within us: “’I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart’” (Jer 24:7, NIV).
Since creation, we yearn for connection with God, but each of us has fallen short of God’s holiness because we chose to follow our own desires rather than stay in obedient relationship with him. Sin led to separation from God.
But the Lord still longs to be close to us; therefore, he developed a plan of redemption and restoration so that we could regain right relationship with him. This was provided initially through offerings and sacrifices which allowed for temporary atonement for our sins.
And when his children repeatedly fell away from him in sin, the Lord continuously called them to repentance through his prophets so that the broken relationship could be repaired.
The path that leads to a close, eternal relationship with God
Since we were born with a sin nature, and repeated atonement was necessary, complete redemption and restoration could only be attained through the offering of a perfect sacrifice. Ultimate restoration came through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah.
In Jesus, we are given the opportunity for forgiveness and new life, eternal life. And we receive that mercy and grace as a free gift through our faith in Christ.
Jesus said, “’I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’” (Jn 10:10b, NIV). This is the heart of abundant life – a fully restored relationship with God, our Creator and Father.
As Jesus’s earthly ministry was coming to a close and the time of his sacrifice was drawing near, he prayed for each of us and for the restoration of our relationship: “’Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent’” (Jn 17:3, NIV).
Who Is God As Father And Creator
God is not only close to us, but he is the Source of all creation, our loving Father who longs for a relationship with his children.
God is the Source of all life and breath
As a core Christian belief, there is only one God, the triune Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, as we read in 1 Cor 8:6 (NLT):
“But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
by whom all things were created,
and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things were created,
and through whom we live.”
All of creation exists by God the Father, through Jesus Christ. And the Spirit was present at the time of creation, “hovering over the waters” (Gen 1:2, NIV).
God’s relationship to us is echoed by the quotes of two early philosophers, Epimenides and Aratus: “’For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring’” (Acts 17:28, NIV).
The heart of a Father who pursues relationship
We are all familiar with the parable of the Prodigal Son (see Lk 15). This story underscores God’s deep desire for relationship with us as our caring Father.
Even though the younger of two sons chose rebellion and distance, their father never stopped watching and waiting for him. When the son came to his senses and returned, the father ran to meet him—not in anger or with punishment, but with compassion and celebration.
This story reveals the truth that the Lord is not some distant deity; rather, God is a loving Father who tirelessly pursues us, welcomes us home in forgiveness, and rejoices when relationship is restored.
How God’s desire for connection is seen throughout Scripture
The Lord desires relationship with us over anything else, and we see that theme throughout the Bible. We read of God walking with Adam and Eve in the garden in the book of Genesis. Over generations, God established loving covenants after the fall, with Noah, Abraham, and Moses. These were not for control but for relationship.
God pleaded repeatedly through the prophets for Israel to repent and return to him, not in obligation but in love.
God is more interested in our heart than us just going through the motions of repentance, atonement, and obedience. He said to Israel through the prophet Hosea, “’I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings’” (Hos 6:6, NIV).
Ultimately, Jesus came – Immanuel, “God with us” – to once and for all restore the relationship between God and man. Through his sacrifice, he paid the price for sin and defeated death; Jesus removed the barrier between us.
And we know that Jesus will return to right all wrongs and restore us fully to live with him in close relationship for eternity. As John wrote of his vision: “I heard a loud shout from the throne saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever’” (Jn 21:3-4, NLT).
Why God Wants To Be Close To You
God’s heart has always been to dwell with his people, to know them personally, and to be known in return. His love isn’t based on performance but on his unchanging nature as a relational Father.
You are his creation, his beloved
From walking in the garden, to leading through the desert, God has been close to his people, walking with them and before them. God’s nearness sets him apart from any other deity. Moses noted, “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” (Deut 4:7, NIV).
David expressed thanks to God; that even in the darkest of times, God is with us (see Ps 23:1-6).
The bottom line is that we are greatly loved by God: “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness’” (Jer 31:3, NIV).
And we are drawn closer through Jesus Christ: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14, NIV).
And even closer through the Holy Spirit who lives in us: “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Cor 3:16, NLT).
Finally, Paul noted the certainty of God’s love: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39, NLT).
Don’t let your own struggles, the lies of the enemy, or the ways of the world get in the way of you being close to God.
He delights in you
God does not just tolerate us, he delights in us. The prophet Zephaniah encouraged the people of Jerusalem with the love that God had for them: “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (Zeph 3:17, NLT).
The psalmist thanked God for knowing him so intimately, writing, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” (Ps 139:17-18, NLT). And in another place we read that the “the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love” (Ps 147:11, NIV). God takes pleasure when we trust, revere, and put our hope in him.
Finally, we see that “In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (Eph 1:5, NIV). God didn’t adopt us reluctantly – he wanted us deeply. It brought him joy to bring you into his family.
He desires to walk with you as in Eden — a return to closeness
We see many examples in Scripture of God’s desire to walk closely with us as we did in the Garden of Eden.
For instance, we read the Lord’s desire for restoration after Israel repeatedly rejected him in Jer 31:33 (NIV), “’This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, “Know the LORD,” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the LORD.”
The Ball Is In Your Court
When we root our lives in God, we step into the kind of relationship we were created for – one of closeness, trust, and constant love. A life anchored in him brings peace, purpose, identity, strength, and joy, even in the midst of difficulty.
It’s not about perfection or performance – it’s about presence. God longs to be close to you, and he has made every provision for that relationship through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
So how do we draw closer to God in our daily lives? Start by spending time in his Word, not out of duty, but to hear his heart. Talk to him honestly in prayer. Worship him with your whole life.
Invite God into your everyday moments – your work, your rest, your decisions, and your relationships. Surround yourself with community that points you back to him.
And most importantly, keep your heart open to his love, knowing that nothing can separate you from it.
He delights in you. He is with you. And he’s waiting to walk with you today. How will you respond to his invitation?
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
Scripture quotations marked WEB are taken from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE, WEB, public domain.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
