Inside Out: A 40 Day Journey to Transforming Your HeartSample

Seeking Intimacy

God made us for relationships. We are not meant to live in isolation. We are relational beings that need deep intimacy to have great joy and fulfillment. But people fail us. People abandon us. People abuse us. People disappoint us. When this happens, we start to pull away, not trusting people have our best interests in mind.  We don’t feel safe. 

We live in a fallen world where each person we engage with is fallible and imperfect. Yet we are still called to live in community, love deeply, and emotionally engage with others. How can our hearts do that when we know we may get hurt?

When we long for intimacy, do we seek people first or the Lord? When we have a deep intimate relationship with God first, we can have deeper relationships with the imperfect people around us.  In our relationship with God, we find the greatest security because He never leaves us or abandons us. He guides us and protects us.  He comforts us in ways no human can. He inspires hope in ways no one else can promise. He delivers peace in the fiercest storms.  When we have intimacy with the Lord, knowing He provides these things for us, we can grow in intimacy with the people around us.  When we don’t depend on others for our needs, we can enjoy what people can give us, and relationships can deepen. 

Jeremiah 29:13 gives us this promise from God, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” God promises that when we seek Him by going to Him in prayer and reading His Word, we will find Him.  It is not about checking off another devotional in the morning but truly stopping to seek God with our hearts.  When we choose to take the time to seek a relationship with God before we engage with the people around us, our hearts rejoice with joy from being in His presence. We have satisfying rest no matter the circumstances around us. Our hearts revive with new strength. When we have this revived, rested, rejoicing heart, we can genuinely enjoy intimacy with others around us because we are already filled up with the fullness of God. 

When we seek God, we focus on who He is and all of His attributes. God is all-powerful. God is in control. God is holy and just. God is loving and merciful. When we meditate on who He is, we bring Him glory, and our hearts rejoice! 1 Chronicles 16:10 says, “Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!” 

When we seek God, knowing He has a plan and purpose for us, He will give us rest in all aspects of our lives. Rest in our families. Rest in our friendships. Rest in our finances. Rest in our futures. 2 Chronicles 15:15 says, “And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.” 

When we seek God humbly, He will bring new strength into our lives to walk through whatever are our current circumstances with a new vision, clearer purpose, and a greater resolve to persevere with hope. Psalm 69:32 says, “When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.” 

Seeking real intimacy begins by seeking God. When we experience God, our hearts are transformed from the inside out, and we will be able to enjoy intimacy with others deeply. This is because we come with already filled, healthy hearts in our relationships with others. 

Take a Moment:

• What will we find if we seek God with all of our hearts? 

• How will seeking God first bring us the intimacy we need? 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, “You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord do I seek” (Psalm 27:8). I come expectant to seek You and all of who You are. May I meditate on Your attributes in such a way that I experience your intimate presence. May my heart rejoice in who You are. May I find rest in You no matter what is happening around me.  May You revive my heart with Your strength so that I can pursue others. I want to have healthy intimacy in the friendships around me because you already fill me. Amen.