The Bible paints several word pictures to describe our relationship with God. Let’s look at several and how they reveal the amazing ways He’s allowed us to relate to Him.
In the Potter and the clay (Isaiah 29:16), the clay is merely an inanimate object that is shaped by the hand of the Potter. It doesn’t illustrate a deep relationship. But it clearly shows that our lives are in God’s sovereign hands.
In the Master and the servant (Luke 19:11-26), we find a hierarchy of authority. Sadly, too many believers see their relationship with God only as obedient servants. Thankfully, there is more to our relationship with Him. The Bible also tells us that He is our Father and we are His children (1 John 3:1). And being His son or daughter comes with access to far more privileges than just being a servant.
In the Shepherd and the sheep (John 10:1-16), we clearly see that Jesus knows us and that He has sacrificially cared for us. He said, “I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep, and they know Me, just as My Father knows Me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice My life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).
The Bible also calls us “friends of God” (Romans 5:11). It describes us as His close companions who are informed and intimately involved in the details of His important affairs (John 15:15). And we—all believers in Jesus—are described as the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:6-8). We share an intimate love relationship with God that resembles that of a married couple. Can it get any more personal than that?
While all of these word pictures provide specific views of the way we relate to God, what does your relationship with Him look like?
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Job 38:1-41
More:
Notice how Paul wants his readers to move past seeing themselves as just servants and to see themselves as God’s sons and daughters (Galatians 4:7).
Next:
How does thinking about word pictures make you wonder if you’re missing out on deeper levels of relationship with God? How will you go deeper in your relationship with Him this week?
lindagma on May 10, 2011 at 6:01 am
Like a loving, wise father and his daughter. I know he has led me in the right direction to publish my first novel…and he placed me in a position that made it impossible to make a rash & unwise decision. A good nights sleep and some talking it over with Him and I know he is guiding my steps. How I LOVE Him and His care for every intimate detail in my life.
cricket41 on May 10, 2011 at 3:16 pm
A friend is someone that you can depend on, someone who cares less about your failures but accepts you as you are today reguardless of your past. A friend wants to know every single detail about you, the good the bad and the ugly, your likes dislikes, your thoughts. A friend will stand by you when no one else will, and a friend is someone that you can trust with your life. I have been working on getting to know God more and more. Last week I was trying to get this teenie weenie knot out of a chain necklace for like a half an hour, finally I said out loud come on Lord, you can do whatever you want to do please help me here the song I am a friend of Gods popped into my head and the knot came undone and I said to my friends God cares about every teenie weenie detail in your life. There are times i sit on my couch and visualize Jesus sitting next to me and we talk and I am learning to be 100% honest with Him. I have been telling Him everything, because really He knows EVERYTHING, so I would only be fooling myself if I tried to lie or hide. Yes I love the Lord my God, because He first loved me. He was always there with me, I am the one who tried to push Him away.